Braised Short Rib in Red Wine Gravy

The first official day of fall is just around the corner, September 22 to be exact, can you believe it?  The weather here is just starting to turn and I got my first Fall issue of Bon Appetit in the mail a week ago.  Fall is my absolute favorite time of year, hands down, no other season can beat it.  I love how the air starts to crisp, how the leaves turn, that you can sleep with the windows open just a crack and best of all I can start to accessorize with coats, boots and scarfs! I am an accessories girl.  I will be honest I am so over the flip-flops and the shorts, which is kind of amusing considering I am from a tropical island but I just love fall/winter accessories.

And of course there should be no doubt that I love the food.  I love “Fall” food because it is hearty and comforting, it keeps you warm from the inside out and best of all it gets you back in the kitchen.  We spend so much time during the Summer months avoiding the kitchen because it is so stinking hot, that last thing you want to do is stand in front of a hot stove.   There were some days that I thought I had my own personal room in the center of the Earth’s core.  (Dramatic enough for you? Because I am a little dramatic.)

There is one downfall to the Fall…ha!  It’s the impending end of daylight savings time.  This is a great inconvenience as a food blogger because it gravely restricts my shooting time and it obnoxiously ties me down to my tripod.  However I will make the necessary adjustments to get the shot.  It will also force be to be a little more diligent with getting dinner “on the table” at a more decent hour, so Farmville will have to wait till after dinner. 😀

This was my first real “Fall” dish.  I saw it on the cover of Bon Appetit and that weekend I was at my butcher picking up some short ribs.  Unfortunately this coincided with the Labor Day weekend so it was a little hectic in the butcher shop. 

This was wonderfully delicious and had all the traits of  a comforting Fall dinner.  The rib’s meat is fall off the bone tender and the gravy is to die for.  Obed and I absolutely loved it.  Although it is clear from the flavor of the gravy that it is made with a red wine, any and all tanginess is slowly cooked out and you finish with a gravy full of flavor and depth.  It is also thickened by the carrots and the turnips which coats the ribs beautifully. 

Point is it was good people, it was good and it was homey (as in comforting…not like Yo, holmes) and it is surely a recipe you should flag for the up coming cooler months. 

Print Recipe

Braised Short Ribs in Red Wine Gravy   (adapted Bon Appetit)

• 6 pounds 3-inch-long meaty beef short ribs
• Coarse kosher salt
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup olive oil, divided
• 3 cups chopped onions
• 3 cups 3/4-inch cubes peeled turnips (about 1 pound)
• 2 cups chopped peeled carrots (about 8 ounces)
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/4 pound sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
• 1/4 cup (lightly packed) fresh thyme sprigs
• 5 large fresh sage sprigs
• 5 bay leaves
• 2 cups dry red wine
• 4 cups low-salt chicken broth
• Balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place ribs on baking sheet, sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper. Sprinkle flour over and toss to coat. Heat 1/4 cup oil in heavy large heavy oven-proof (dutch oven) pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook ribs until browned all over, (you don’t want to crowd the meat or it won’t brown) about 10 minutes per batch. Return to sheet.

Add remaining 1/4 cup oil to pot. Add onions, turnips, carrots, celery and garlic; cook until tender and slightly browned, stirring often, about 12 minutes. Add sun-dried tomatoes and herbs; stir to coat. Return ribs to the pot, placing on sides to make a single layer. Add wine and simmer until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Add broth; cover and bring to simmer.

Transfer pot to oven and braise until ribs are tender, about 2 hours. Let stand, covered, at room temperature 15 minutes. Carefully transfer ribs to large bowl, keeping meat attached to bones if possible (some bones may separate from meat). Remove herb sprigs. Pass all braising liquid and vegetables through food mill into large bowl, (if you do not have a food mill use a mesh strainer and spoon, pressing against the sides, discard what is left in the strainer), return to pot.

Season gravy to taste with salt and pepper and a few drops of balsamic vinegar. Rewarm gravy. Return ribs to gravy; cover and simmer to rewarm, about 5 minutes.

Can be made 1 day ahead. Refrigerate uncovered, until cool, then cover and keep chilled. Rewarm over medium heat until heated through, stirring gently, about 15 minutes.