Braised Short Ribs

Sauce is thick and yummy on rice or potatoes!

Ingredients

  • 6 bone-in short ribs
  • Salt
  • Oil
  • Yellow onion, cut in large pieces, about 1/2 – 3/4 c
  • 2 ribs celery, cut into 1/2″ pieces
  • 2 carrots, cut into 1/2″ pieces
  • 2 -3 large cloves garlic, smashed
  • 1/2 small tin tomatoe paste (I freeze the remainder for another time)
  • 1 – 2 c hearty red wine
  • 2 – 3 c beef or veggie broth
  • thyme, fresh bunch or 1-2 tsp dried
  • 2 bay leaves

Directions

  • In an oven-proof pot with a lid (or use tin foil), add a small amount of oil on medium high heat.
  • Brown the ribs in the pot on all sides.  Best if they are really browned…not burned.  Do not crowd the ribs…do them in batches if need be. I try to render as much fat as possible.
  • While the ribs are browning, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Also, while the ribs are browning, puree’ the veggies (including garlic) in a food processor or blender.  Add the veggies in small amounts until the consistency of paste.  Try not to add liquid.
  • Once the ribs are browned, set them aside.  Drain the fat from the pan and discard.
  • Put the puree’d veggies in the pot with a bit of oil if need be.  Add some salt…say 1 tsp.  Cook the veggies until they are crispy underneath.  Turn them over and cook until crispy on the bottom again. This can take 5-10 minutes but don’t burn the veggies. If they don’t crisp, don’t worry, the dish will turn out ok without the crispy bits.
  • Add the tomatoe paste and continue cooking for 4-5 minutes, again allowing the mixture to get crispy on the bottom.
  • Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan.  Cook until mixture is reduced by 1/2.
  • Add the broth and mix well.
  • Add the ribs, thyme and bay leaves. Try to immerse the ribs in the sauce.
  • Cover the pot and place in the oven for approx. 3 hrs.  Turn the ribs once or twice during cooking. If need be, add more broth to keep the sauce liquid.
  • Remove the lid for the last 20 minutes if so desired.  The meat should be very tender but not falling off the bone.

Thanks to Anne Burrell / The Food Network

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