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ZINFANDEL BRAISED SHORT RIBS

Source of Recipe

Lee CT


List of Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
6 pounds beef short ribs
Salt and pepper
2 medium onions, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
6 shallots, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 medium leek, white and light green parts only, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons flour
½ cup ruby port
4 cups red zinfandel
6 to 8 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
1 or 2 small sprigs rosemary, 8 sprigs flat leaf parsley, 6 sprigs thyme, and 2 bay leaves, tied together with kitchen twine.
2 to 4 cups veal stock, or 1 to 2 cups each canned, low-sodium beef and chicken broth
Chopped flat leaf parsley



Recipe

Preheat the oven to 325F. Tie each short rib in 1 or 2 places with kitchen twine and season with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a heavy, non-reactive Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the short ribs in a single layer, in batches if necessary, and brown on all sides. Remove the pieces to a plate. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of fat from the pan. Lower the heat to medium and add the onions, carrots, celery, shallots, and leeks. Saute until the onions turn golden. Add the tomato paste and flour and cook, scraping the bottom of the pan, for about a minute. Add the port and zinfandel. Return the ribs to the pot, meaty sides down, and bring to a boil. Boil until the wine is reduced to about 1½ cups. (Take care not to scorch the meat.) Add the herb bundle, garlic, and 2 cups of stock or broth. Bring to a simmer. Add enough additional stock to reach about three-fourths of the way up the side of the ribs. Place a sheet of crumpled parchment over the ribs, then add the lid. Bring to a boil and transfer the pot to the oven.



Braise the ribs until they are fork tender and almost falling off the bone, 2½ to 3 hours, turning them over occasionally. Remove the ribs and keep warm. Strain the sauce into a fat separator or directly into a large saucepan. Skim off the fat and reduce if necessary until lightly thickened and full-flavored. Adjust the seasoning. Remove the strings and arrange the short ribs on plates. Spoon the sauce over them and sprinkle with chopped parsley.