Braised Beef Short Ribs

This is one of my favorite cold weather dishes.It takes a few hours to cook but it sure is worth the effort.Once the meat is done cooking I strain off the cooking liquid and fat then make gravy from it.There are many variations of this dish but most involve braising which is one of my favorite techniques.Hope you enjoy my version!

Ingredients:
3 to 4 pounds bone in short ribs
1 1/2 cup onion
1/2 cup shallot
1 cup carrot
1 cup celery
4 mushrooms (sliced)
6 slices bacon (diced)
2 bay leaves
3 cloves garlic
a few sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme
1 bottle of dry red wine
4 cups beef stock

Seasoned flour:
2 cups flour
1 tbls paprika
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp salt
combine all ingredients until well mixed

Roux for gravy equal parts melted flour and butter.The amount depends on the liquid you have left after cooking I use about 4 to 5 tbls.Use the seasoned flour from the dredge

1 piece of parchment paper cut to fit the inside of your pot




start by getting your mise en place together

next coat ribs with flour and pat off excess

now open the wine pour the whole bottle in and bring to a boil,once at a boil light it on fire but be careful! the flame was about two feet high but the picture didn't pick it up cause it was blue

reduce the wine by 2/3 the wine i used was menage a trois in the picture above it's a blend of cab sav,merlot and zinfandel,and it's really good to drink too..about 8 bucks

now set a heavy pot over med. high heat add a drizzle of oil then brown ribs on all sides

once ribs are browned add bacon and cook for about 2 minutes then add mirepoix and saute for 5 minutes more

now add reduced wine,mushrooms,bay leaf and herbs

saute a few more minutes more then put the ribs in and cover with stock and water if needed

now top with the paper,this acts like a lid but lets the liquid concentrate and helps caramelization as well.Pop it in a 350 oven for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until meat is fork tender

Here is the roux I made this while the ribs were in the oven then I set it aside

this pic is after 3 hours,look at how much liquid has evaporated and the dark brown goodness in the pot

remove ribs from pot and let rest covered with foil,strain liquid through a mesh strainer and let sit to let the fat come to the top then skim it off and strain again

heat the roux back up and slowly add the liquid little by little until well combined,whisk and bring to a boil,once it starts to thicken reduce to a simmer and cook a few minutes more,it will get thicker as it stands

here is a plated dish on a bed of riced potatoes topped with gravy and chives

this will have your whole house smelling wonderful!