Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

I recently made an absolutely delicious dish of red wine braised short ribs that I will now share with you all.  It’s easy to make and you can leave it braising in a Crock Pot all day.  Here’s what you need:

·         2-3 lbs. of beef short ribs (boneless are better)

·         6 cloves of Garlic, minced (more, or less…depending on your preference)

·         4 cups vegetable stock

·         1 bottle of a good, hearty red wine (Cab, Zin, Syrah, etc.)

·         Butter and/or olive oil

·         Salt & pepper for seasoning

First, pat your ribs dry, then season them with salt and pepper.  Get a skillet searing hot, melt a couple of tablespoons of butter and brown the short ribs on all sides.  Transfer ribs to a plate and toss the garlic into the hot pan (you can add another dab of butter or oil if you like).  You basically just want to sweat the garlic some, but don’t let it burn or get too brown. 

After you have the entire house smelling of garlic, pour in the bottle of red wine (I used a red blend I had aging from one of my trips to British Columbia).  Bring it to a boil and let it cook down to about half the quantity.  (Once it has started boiling, you can turn the heat down a little to keep it roiling.)  After it has reduced, pour in the vegetable stock and any juices from the resting ribs and stir it all together. 

Place the ribs in the bottom of the Crock Pot, then pour the wine and stock liquid over the ribs.  Turn the Pot onto the “low” setting and leave it to cook all day.  Your house will smell of wine and garlic (in a very good way).

When you’re ready to eat, remove the ribs from the liquid to a plate and tent them to keep warm (I use foil).  Take the cooking liquid and pour it into a large saucepan and bring it to a boil.  The goal is to reduce it down and thicken it up.  This can take about 15-20 minutes.  To help it thicken, you can whisk in some flour, adding just a little at a time and let it cook some more.  Taste the sauce and if needed, add some pepper (you probably won’t need salt….but if you need it, add it too). 

Once it’s thickened to your desired consistency, turn off the heat and whisk in another pat of butter to add richness.

How you choose to serve up the ribs and sauce is your call.  My presentation was as an open-faced sandwich using a baguette, with the flaked rib meat covering the bread, tossed on some gorgonzola cheese, then spooned on some sauce.  I can guarantee you it will be delightful!

Happy eating!