Red Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs

Cold days have us craving comfort foods with hearty glasses of red wine! There is something about sitting down to a braised meal that warms the soul.

Meaty and decadent, braised short ribs are the perfect pairing to many hearty red wines. I recommend giving this recipe a try with a bottle that offers up a nice balance of fruit and spice, with mouth watering acidity such as JL CHAVE SELECTION 2015 Côtes du Rhône Mon Coeur.

Both fruity and rhobust, this blend of 60% Syrah and 40% Grenache offers up subtle herbal nuances that work particularily well with the Thyme in our Braised Beef Short Ribs.

RED WINE BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIBS

Ingredients

6 large beef short ribs (14 to 16 oz. each)
3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
3 medium carrots, finely chopped
2 medium celery stalks, finely chopped
2 dried bay leaves
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs. fresh thyme leaves, plus 3-5 whole sprigs
4 cups hearty but fruity red wine (like Zinfandel or Côtes du Rhône)
5 cups homemade or low sodium beef broth
Freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt

Preparation

Put the short ribs in a large mixing bowl and rub them with the thyme leaves and 1 Tbs. black pepper. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2hrs to overnight. Before cooking, remove the ribs from the refrigerator and season on all sides with salt and pepper. Allow the meat to sit at room temperature for 30min-1hr before beginning to brown
Position a rack in the lower/center of the oven and heat the oven to 325°F.
Heat a 8-quart Dutch oven or other heavy-duty pot over medium/high heat
Once heated, pour in the olive oil, and wait until it begins to lightly smoke. Add as many short ribs as will fit in the bottom as a single layer. Brown on the three meaty sides , approx 2- 3 minutes per side.
Transfer the browned short ribs to a large plate or bowl. Repeat with the remaining ribs and transfer those as well
Once all ribs are browned and removed from the pan, reduce the heat to medium and add your onion, carrot, celery, bay leaves, and fresh thyme. Cook, stirring to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until the onions become lightly translucent (approx 7mins).
Add the balsamic vinegar and then the red wine. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, return the ribs to the pot, making sure the vegetables are in the broth and not on top of the ribs (the short ribs should be nearly submerged). Tuck the full thyme sprigs in around the meat, and cover with the lid. Put the pot in the oven and braise until the meat falls away from the bone when poked with a paring knife, about 3 hours.
Once cooked remove the short ribs from the oven and set aside entire pot for 30 minutes before serving.

Serve atop mashed potatoes, and top with braised vegetables and pan juices.