One of my favorite meals includes a cheap cut of meat that is super popular right now. Short ribs are relatively inexpensive and require some time and planning ahead, but make a super easy and seriously delicious meal. My recipe is a remake of something I found on bon appetit's website and altered to suit my needs. I like to make this a day or two ahead of time. That way you can refrigerate the sauce making skimming the fat off the top easy. This won't change the tenderness and unctuousness of the beef and make it a perfect meal for a dinner party that won't pull you away from your guests for too long.
Ingredients
5 lbs. bone-in beef short ribs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large onions, chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 750ml bottle dry red wine (preferably Cabernet Sauvignon)
10 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
8 sprigs thyme
8 sprigs rosemary
2 fresh or dried bay leaves
1 head of garlic, halved crosswise
4 cups beef stock
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°. Season short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, brown short ribs on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer short ribs to a plate. Pour off all but 3 Tbsp. drippings from pot.
Add onions, carrots, and celery to pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until onions are browned, about 5 minutes. Add flour and tomato paste; cook, stirring constantly, until well combined and deep red, 2-3 minutes. Stir in wine, then add short ribs with any accumulated juices. Bring to a boil; lower heat to medium and simmer until wine is reduced by half, about 25 minutes. Add all herbs to pot along with garlic. Stir in stock. Bring to a boil, cover, and transfer to oven.
Cook until short ribs are tender, 2–2 1/2 hours. Transfer short ribs to a platter. When cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones and cut off fat. Strain sauce from pot into a measuring cup.
If you're serving immediately: Spoon fat from surface of sauce and discard; season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in shallow bowls over mashed potatoes with sauce spooned over.
If you're saving for use in a day or two: Pour sauce into a bowl and refrigerate separately from meat. When ready to eat, remove from refrigerator and immediately spoon fat from surface of sauce and discard. Combine meat and sauce in a saucepan and gently reheat over medium heat until warmed through. Serve over mashed potatoes with a side of crusty bread to soak up sauce.
If you're saving for use in a day or two: Pour sauce into a bowl and refrigerate separately from meat. When ready to eat, remove from refrigerator and immediately spoon fat from surface of sauce and discard. Combine meat and sauce in a saucepan and gently reheat over medium heat until warmed through. Serve over mashed potatoes with a side of crusty bread to soak up sauce.
