adapted from Bon Appetit
I think we can all agree that everyone loves a great meal. Unfortunately, for many reasons (insanely busy with no time to cook, dieting to get to that magical “goal weight”, or picky eaters at home who refuse to eat anything other than chicken nuggets) a majority of us don’t get the chance to truly enjoy a great meal on a regular basis. That’s a shame, because there is nothing better than sitting down to a great meal that you’ve lovingly prepared yourself. I’m hoping through this blog to convince you to get back in your kitchen and prepare some fantastic food for yourself and your loved ones.I wanted to start everything off with a recipe I’ve been dying to try, but kept putting off because it seemed time consuming and a bit fussy. I’m a huge fan of anything braised and these beef short ribs, braised in a combination of red wine, broth and vegetables, sounded absolutely perfect to me. I did make a few substitutions that I noted below and I also served mine over mashed potatoes. Also, don’t hesitate to make this if you don’t have a food mill. Just use a blender (be sure to blend in small batches!) or leave the sauce as is for a more rustic presentation. It’s all about taste anyway!
Braised Beef Short Ribs with Red Wine Gravy
Serves 6
Ingredients
- 6 pounds 3-inch-long meaty beef short ribs
- Coarse kosher salt
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup olive oil, divided
- 3 cups chopped onions
- 3 cups 3/4-inch cubes peeled turnips (about 1 pound)
- 2 cups chopped peeled carrots (about 8 ounces)
- 2 cups chopped celery
- 8 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1/4 pound sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil) (I used half a can of diced tomatoes)
- 1/4 cup (lightly packed) fresh thyme sprigs
- 5 large fresh sage sprigs (I substituted ¾ tsp ground sage)
- 5 bay leaves
- 2 cups dry red wine (I used a syrah)
- 4 cups low-salt chicken broth (I used half chicken and half beef for a richer flavor)
- Balsamic vinegar (optional)
Special equipment - Food mill
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place ribs on rimmed baking sheet; sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper. Sprinkle flour over; toss to coat. Heat 1/4 cup oil in heavy large wide pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook ribs until browned all over, about 10 minutes per batch. Return to sheet. Wipe out pot. Add remaining 1/4 cup oil to pot. Add onions and next 4 ingredients; cook until tender and slightly browned, stirring often, about 12 minutes. Add sun-dried tomatoes and next 3 ingredients; stir to coat. Return ribs to pot, placing on sides to fit in single layer. Add wine. Simmer until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Add broth; cover and bring to simmer.
Transfer pot to oven and braise until ribs are tender, about 2 hours. Let stand, covered, at room temperature 15 minutes. Carefully transfer ribs to large bowl, keeping meat attached to bones if possible (some bones may separate from meat). Remove herb sprigs. Pass all braising liquid and vegetables through food mill into large bowl; return to pot. Spoon fat from surface. Season gravy to taste with salt and pepper and a few drops of balsamic vinegar, if desired. Rewarm gravy. Return ribs to gravy; cover and simmer to rewarm, about 5 minutes. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Refrigerate uncovered, until cool, then cover and keep chilled. Rewarm over medium heat until heated through, stirring gently, about 15 minutes.
Divide ribs among plates. Spoon gravy over ribs and serve, passing remaining gravy alongside.
