Braised Short Ribs

Recommended wine pairing –  Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon

Take short ribs from the refrigerator and season generously with 5 teaspoons Diamond kosher salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Set aside, allowing ribs to come to room temp for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Preheat a large Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium-high heat. With 2 tablespoons canola oil in the pot, brown short ribs on all sides in batches – do not overcrowd the ribs (how many batches will depend on how big your pan is). Be patient, this process can take a while, but it’s worth it. Set browned ribs aside on a large plate/platter.

Once you’ve browned all the ribs, discard all but 4 tablespoons of the beef drippings, then add onions, celery, carrot, garlic cloves and bay leaf to the pot with the remaining drippings. Turn heat down to medium, scrape down the sides of the pan and sauté veggies for 5 minutes.

Add 1 cup Pine Ridge Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon to the veggies. Scrape the sides of the pot again, bring liquid to a simmer, reduce by liquid by 50%, then add chicken stock. Once all liquid is hot, add ribs back into the pot, using tongs to nestle the ribs as deeply under the liquid as possible.

Cover Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid and transfer to the hot oven. After 2.5 hours, check ribs for doneness. You’ll know the ribs are done when the meat is falling-off-the-bone tender. Taste again for seasoning and add additional salt and pepper as desired. Discard bay leaf and any veggies that feel like they’d already sacrificed all their flavor during the braise.

Scoop ribs onto plates and serve with a mound of buttery mashed potatoes and a chicory salad. Sprinkle everything with flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

(You can make these ribs up to 4 days before serving. The flavors only deepen. To reheat, scrape off layer of chilled fat, then rewarm ribs/sauce in a 350 degree oven, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes.)

Serves 6-8 | Wine Pairing: Oakville Cab Sauv