Tag Archives: short ribs

Short Ribs

Dinner Leave a comment

I don’t cook a lot of red meat (or eat much of it for that matter), but I wanted to create a hearty dish that my Irish-American husband (a true meat-and-potatoes man) would relish.  This was perfect!

P.S.- I also had the day off which is helpful when cooking a recipe that takes about 4 hours (only the first part is active time).

Ingredients

  • Bone-in short ribs, 3 – 6 lbs depending on how many people you’re feeding
  • Olive oil
  • 1 large Spanish onion
  • 2 celery stalks
  • 2 carrots, peeled
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 can tomato paste (or a bit less depending on your taste)
  • 2 cups red wine
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 bunch fresh thyme (dried will do in a pinch)
  • 2 bay leaves
  •  salt

Directions

    1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
    2. Prepare your vegetables for the sauce (peeling, washing).  Throw vegetables and garlic into a food processor and form a coarse paste. Set aside for a bit.
    3. Season the short ribs with salt.
    4. In a Dutch oven or large pot, coat with a thin amount of olive oil, set over high heat, and brown the ribs well, 2 to 3 minutes per side.  Don’t crowd the pot; brown in batches as necessary.
    5. Drain the fat from the pan and add another thin layer of oil.  Add the pureed vegetables, season with salt, and brown the vegetables until they are dark and a curd begins to form at the bottom of the pan, 5 to 7 minutes.
    6. Add the tomato paste, scraping down the pan, and again allowing a curd to form, 4 to 5 minutes.Add the wine and lower the heat if things start to burn.  Reduce the mixture by about half.
    7. Return the short ribs to the pot and add 2 cups of water or until the water has just about covered the meat.  Add the thyme (tied in a bundle if using fresh, sprinkled if using dried) and bay leaves.  Cover the pot and place in the oven for 3 hours.  Check periodically and add water if needed.
    8. Halfway through cooking, turn the ribs.
    9. Remove the lid for the last 20 minutes to allow things to turn nice and brown and to allow the sauce to reduce.

I recommend serving with tiny red potatoes roasted in olive oil, salt, pepper, and rosemary, with a simple vegetable side (I made fresh string beans).