Author: Susan Murray, www.awomancooksinasheville.com
Ingredients
5lbsshort ribs
8slicesbacon
½cflour
1tspsalt
½tsppepper
1large onion
2carrots
2clovesgarlic
¼ctomato paste
2 ½cred wine
2 ½cbeef stock
1bouquet garnithyme, oregano, parsley, bay leaf
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Chop the bacon slices into 3” pieces.
In a large oven proof pot or Dutch oven, cook the bacon over low heat until the fat is rendered and the bacon is browned (5-10 minutes)
Remove the bacon pieces from the pan and reserve them. Pour off all but 2 tbps bacon fat.
Mix together the flour, salt and pepper in a reusable container. Add the meat in batches, covering the container and tossing the meat.
Increase the heat to medium high and brown the meat in batches over medium high heat. About 2 minutes on a side. Be careful not to crowd the pan and moderate the heat to keep the fat from burning.
While the meat is cooking, peel and dice the onion, carrot, and garlic into ½” dice.
Once the meat has browned, add another tablespoon of fat if needed. Lower the heat and add the diced vegetables. Stir well until coated. Cover and cook for five minutes on low.
Uncover the pan and stir the vegetable pieces to scrape up the drippings in the pan. Turn the heat up to medium and add the tomato paste. Stir and cook the tomato paste with the vegetables for 1-2 minutes.
Return the meat to the pan and add 2 ½ cups of red wine and 2 ½ beef stock.
Make a bundle of a few sprigs of fresh thyme, oregano, parsley, and a couple of bay leaves. Add this to the pan.
Bring the liquid to a boil. Cover and place the pan in the preheated oven. Bake for 2-3 hours until the meat is fork tender and falling off the bone. Stir the meat once or twice as it cooks.
Remove the pot from the oven and use a fork or tongs to remove the meat and set it aside.
Place a large sieve or colander over a bowl and pour the liquid in the pan into the bowl through the sieve. Use a rubber spatula to press down on the vegetables, extracting as much of the liquid from them as possible. Throw away the herbs and the remaining bits of vegetable in the sieve.
Place the liquid in the bowl in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or as long as overnight. If it is overnight, place the meat and the bacon covered in the refrigerator as well.
When you are ready to finish the meal, remove as much of the fat from the top of the braising liquid and put the liquid in a saucepan. Bring the liquid to a boil. It should be thick enough to lightly coat a spoon. If it is not, boil it for 5-10 minutes to reduce it. Taste it and adjust the seasoning. Add salt and pepper if needed.
Place the meat and the bacon pieces in a casserole pan. Pour the sauce over them. Cover with foil.
You can proceed with the recipe from here or put the covered dish in the refrigerator for up to a day.
To reheat, heat the oven to 350 degrees and cook covered for 3o-45 minutes until hot and bubbly.
Garnish the dish with fresh parsley if desired.
Recipe Notes
Note: Use a hearty red wine, like a zinfandel or cabernet.