The Long and Short of It - My Recipe Rotation - Short Ribs Côtes du Rhône

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is one of my favorite recipes. It's kissing cousin is, of course, beef bourguignonne, but this luxury version produces aromas that will drive you wild. Meaty short ribs replace stew meat. The ribs, along with some vegetables and herbs, soak for a day in a full bodied, deep crimson Côtes-du-Rhône, guaranteeing they'll be happily soused when they hit the saute pan. The ribs are browned in bacon drippings, then slowly braised at a temperature low enough to melt connective tissue while still allowing the beef to retain it's shape and glorious texture. The other usual suspects associated with bourguignonne - mushrooms and pearl onions - are assembled and tossed in the mix just before serving. Did I mention bacon? It's there, too. The braising liquid is reduced by half then used to nap the ribs, mushrooms and onions which are served atop a bed of noodles. Extra sauce is passed at the table. This is like no stew you have ever had. I hope you'll try it.


Braised Short Ribs Côtes du Rhône...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 bottle Côtes du Rhône or other full-bodied red wine
2 large carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 very large yellow onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
4 parsley sprigs
4 thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
8 slices thick cut smoked bacon, diced
12 beef short ribs, trimmed
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup flour
2 cups beef stock
1 pound small mushroom caps
1/2 cup frozen pearl onions, thawed
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Directions:
1) Place wine in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat; add carrots, onions, garlic, parsley sprigs, thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Cool to room temperature. Place the short ribs in a shallow baking dish large enough to hold the ribs in a single layer. Pour the marinade over the ribs, cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
2) Fry the bacon in a large saute pan until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels. Set pan containing bacon dripping aside.
3) Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Remove ribs from marinade. Liberally season with salt and pepper and dredge all sides in flour. Heat skillet containing bacon drippings until almost smoking. Brown ribs, in two batches, until deep brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a large roasting pan. Pour marinade and beef stock into skillet and bring to a boil; add half the bacon. Pour over ribs. Cover pan with foil and bake for 3 hours. Transfer ribs to a baking sheet; top with mushrooms and onions. Return pan to oven but leave door ajar.
4) Strain braising liquid into a large saucepan. Boil juices until reduced by half. If too thin, dissolve cornstarch in a small amount of stock or water and add to sauce, stirring until thickened. Stir in mustard. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over ribs and continue baking for 20 minutes longer. Warm bacon. Lift ribs and vegetables from sauce and place on a platter lines with hot noodles. Top with reserved bacon and chopped parsley. Pass extra sauce at table. Yield: 6 servings.

                    

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