Red Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs

This is comfort food at its best!!! Braising is simply cooking meat slowly and at low temperatures and by doing so, transforms tough cuts of meat into juicy tender morsels.  What I love is that the main dish bakes uninterrupted for a long time leaving me plenty of time to get other things done. The gravy is absolutely delicious and when served with creamy mashed potatoes it is just the best!!



6-7 slices of uncooked bacon chopped

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt

10-12 (3-4 inch long) beef short ribs

2 Cups chopped onions

3 Cups sliced mushrooms

2 Cups chopped carrots

6 cloves garlic chopped

3 1/2 Cups chicken broth

2 1/2 Cups red wine

1 Tablespoon tomato paste

4 (5 inches long) rosemary sprigs

2 Bay leaves

3 Tablespoons butter

1/3 Cup flour

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees

In a large oven- safe Dutch oven, cook bacon until crisp. Remove to paper towel to drain the grease, reserve drippings in pan. Sprinkle salt and pepper over ribs and brown in the hot bacon drippings. Turning ribs to brown on all sides. Remove browned ribs from pan.

Add onions, carrots, and mushrooms to drippings in pan. If not enough remaining drippings simple add a little vegetable oil. Cook for 7-10 minutes. Add garlic and continue cooking. Add 2 cups red wine to the pan and scrape up all the bits on the bottom of the pan. Add tomato paste. Stir in 3 cups chicken broth to mixture.

Arrange browned ribs back into the vegetable mixture. Top with bacon, rosemary and the bay leaves.

Cover and bake for 2-3 hours or until the meat is tender.

Remove meat from pot and place on a plate. Discard rosemary and bay leaves. Strain the vegetable mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a large glass bowl. Reserve the vegetable mixture in a bowl and set aside. Let the strained liquid stand for 10-15 minutes, and then skim the fat from the top.

Melt butter in the Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Stir in reserved strained liquid, ½ cup red wine and remaining ½ cup chicken broth. Cook for approximately 10 minutes until thickened. Stir reserved vegetables back into the pan. Serve gravy with the meat.

My favorite way to serve these ribs is with creamy mashed potatoes. Yum!
Print Recipe:Red Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs

Cook chopped bacon.

Cook until crisp.

Drain on paper towel, set aside.

Salt and pepper the ribs and brown in reserved bacon drippings.

Brown on all sides. Remove ribs and set aside.

Add mushrooms,carrots,and onions. Cook 10-15 minutes.

Chop garlic and add to vegetables, cook for 2 minutes.

chp garlic.

Add tomato paste.

Add a good hearty red wine such as a Shiraz. Scrape bits from the bottom of the pan.

Stir, cook and scrape.

Add chicken stock.

Keep stirring and cooking.

Add rosemary.

Add bay leaves.

Place ribs in a baking vessel, sprinkle bacon over top. 

Pour vegetable mixture over ribs. Bake 325 degre oven for 2-3 hours covered.

Yum.

Remove cooked meat from roasting pan, set aside.

Cover ribs to keep warm.

Strain vegetables through a fine sieve. reserving vegetables and liquid.

Melt butter in a large pot.

Add flour, stir for 2 minutes.

Add chicken stock, stir well.

Add red wine and continue stirring. Cook until gravy thickens.

Add reserved vegetables back to the liquid. Taste gravy and add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve ribs with mashed potatoes and ladle the gravy over top. Pure and simple comfort food!!