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Short Ribs in Red Wine

Source of Recipe

From "The Hands-On Home" by Erica Strauss


Recipe Introduction

"Beef short ribs are an incredibly rich cut that can stand up to the intensity of pressure canning. They are surrounded by a rich red wine broth in this recipe, which is a lot like beef bourguignon in a jar. If you like beef stew, I think you'll love this recipe."

List of Ingredients

◦ 5 pounds boneless thick-cut beef short ribs, very well chilled
◦ Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
◦ 2 tablespoons lard, bacon fat, or mild-flavored vegetable oil
◦ 1 medium yellow onion, finely sliced
◦ 2 cloves garlic, minced
◦ 1 (750-milliliter) bottle dry red wine
◦ 4 cups beef broth
◦ 1 tablespoon tomato paste
◦ 2 bay leaves
◦ 5 sprigs fresh thyme
◦ 1 sprig fresh rosemary
◦ Distilled white vinegar


Recipe

Prepare the pressure canner, 5 widemouthed pint-size jars or two widemouthed quart-size jars, and their lids. Trim any excess fat from the short ribs and cut them into pieces that will comfortably fit in the jars. I like large strips about 2 by 3 inches. Pat the ribs dry and season generously with salt and pepper.

Heat a large, wide nonreactive pan over high heat. Add the lard, and when it shimmers, add enough rib pieces to fill the pan without crowding, cooking in batches as needed. Sear the meat until it is caramelized on all sides.

Pour off any excess fat from the pan, then reduce the heat to medium and add the onion, garlic, wine, broth, tomato paste, bay leaves, thyme and rosemary, scraping to dissolve any brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the sauce is reduced by half, about 30 minutes. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve and keep hot.

Pack the prepared jars with the short ribs, leaving a 1-inch headspace. Fill the jars with the red wine sauce, leaving 1-inch headspace. Remove any air bubbles and adjust the headspace. Dampen a clean lint-free towel with hot water and a bit of vinegar (this helps cut through any grease on the jar), wipe the jar rims thoroughly, and set the lids and bands according to the manufacturer's directions.

Double check the water level in the pressure canner and adjust as necessary. Carefully load the filled jars into the pressure canner. Fasten the canner lid securely, increase the heat to high, wait for a full stream of steam to vent from the vent pipe or petcock, and fully exhaust the canner for 10 minutes. After exhausting the canner, set a counterweight or weighted gauge on the vent pipe or close the petcock to bring the canner up to pressure. Follow the manufacturer's directions for regulating heat to maintain the correct pressure throughout the processing time.

Process pint jars for 75 minutes or quart jars 90 minutes, then turn off the heat and allow the canner to naturally cool and completely depressurize. After the canner has fully depressurized, open the pressure canner according to the manufacturer's directions, being careful of escaping steam. (I like to allow my jars to cool for 30 minutes or so in the canner after removing the weight from the vent pipe but before opening and unloading - I've found this cuts down on siphoning and leads to more reliable seals.)

Lift the jars straight up from the canner with a jar lifter and set them down on a clean kitchen towel to cool and set their seals. Let the jars cool undisturbed for at least 12 hours and up to 24. Any jar that hasn't sealed should be refrigerated and used within a few days. Jars with solid seals may be washed, labeled, and stored in a cool, dark place where they will keep for about 1 year.


Makes 5 pint jars or 2 quart jars