Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

Red Wine Braised Short Ribs Of Beef With Truffle Mashed Potatoes

Fall off the bone tender Short Ribs of Beef that have been slowly braised then piled on top of truffle mashed potatoes and drizzled with a red wine sauce is one of the most comforting meals you can imagine. Go into a nice restaurant this time of the year and you will usually see a dish like this on the menu. Thankfully the short ribs are so easy to prepare that you can make them in your own kitchen. Serve this meal for a Sunday supper or at a dinner party and make everyone at your table happy.

Red Wine Braised Short Ribs Of Beef With Truffle Mashed Potatoes

Red Wine Braised Short Ribs Of Beef

Serves 2, adjust the recipe accordingly.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

• bone in short ribs, about 2 per person, trimmed of excess fat
• salt and pepper (use salt sparingly)*
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil plus an additional 1 Tbsp.
• 1 c. chopped onion
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp. flour plus an additional 2 Tbsp. (I use Wondra)
• 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
• several sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 c. red wine
• 4 c. beef or veal stock (low sodium preferable)
• 1 c. mushroom broth (made by soaking several pieces of dried porcini mushroom in a cup of boiling water, then strained through a coffee filter) OR 1 c. water
• 2 Tbsp. butter

*Note: You will be reducing the stock, so be careful with how much salt you use in this recipe, particularly if you’re using beef stock with sodium in it.

Salt the short ribs lightly* and season with pepper on both sides. Heat oil in a ovenproof pot and when hot add the meat fat side down. Working in batches, if necessary, brown the meat on all sides then remove to a plate and drain rendered fat from the pot.

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pot. When hot add the onions, celery and carrot and sauté until soft and just beginning to brown. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Add 1 Tbsp. flour, stir well, then add the tomato paste and cook, stirring until tomato paste darkens. Add the red wine, scraping up all the brown bits and cook until reduced by half. Add thyme, bay leaves, beef stock and mushroom broth or water and stir well.  Return the short ribs to the pot, bone side up, with any juices. The liquid should almost cover the meat. Bring to a simmer, cover with a tight fitting lid and place in the oven. Braise for approximately 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until very tender. Check once or twice while cooking and if the liquid has cooked down too much, add additional water or broth.

(If you would like to prepare the short ribs a day ahead, you can stop at this point and refrigerate. The next day, remove the solidified fat on top and reheat. Then proceed with the recipe.)

Remove from the oven, set the short ribs aside and cover to keep warm. Strain the broth in a gravy separator. Discard the vegetables and herbs. Make a roux by melting the butter in the same pot over medium heat, add the remaining 2 Tbsp. of flour, whisk until a paste forms. Gradually whisk in the reserved broth, eliminating any accumulated fat in the gravy separator then simmer until it becomes a sauce consistently. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. If not serving the short ribs immediately, you can cover and keep them in a low oven for about 30-45 minutes.

Serve the short ribs on a bed of mashed potatoes, polenta or noodles and top with some of the reduced red wine sauce.

Truffle Mashed Potatoes

• 1 russet potato per person, I used two, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2-3 garlic cloves, peeled
• half and half or cream, enough needed for the consistency you prefer
• butter to taste
• salt and pepper to taste
• white truffle oil to taste

Cook the potatoes and garlic cloves in a large pot of boiling salted water until very tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and return to the pot. Stir in the half and half, and the butter then mash until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper then drizzle with a little white truffle oil.

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The tender short ribs that are braised in a red wine sauce are a comforting meal, especially during the cold weather season. Served on a bed of truffle mashed potatoes, you will think you are in heaven after the first bite. While I served the short ribs with truffle mashed potatoes, they are also excellent with creamy polenta or noodles.

Thankfully the short ribs are easy to prepare and can even be done the day before. Actually, if you have the time to wait, the flavor improves after a day in the sauce. This makes a meal which is perfect for entertaining your friends. Easy and delicious…it doesn’t get much better than that. Enjoy!