by Rosemary Scott, Deep Cove Market –
This is one of my favorite recipes to make on a cold winter day … it’s definitely “comfort food.”
• 4½ to 5 lbs English-style beef short ribs
(8 to 12 ribs)
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• kosher salt
• ground black pepper
• 2/3 cup medium-diced carrots
• 2/3 cup medium-diced celery
• 2/3 cup medium-diced onions
• 2 whole dried bay leaves
• 1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
• 2 cups red wine
• ¾ cup lower-salt beef broth
• 1 to 2 tsp red wine vinegar
Position a rack in the centre of the oven and heat the oven to 325°F. In an eight-quart Dutch oven, heat 2 tbsp of the oil over medium heat. Season the ribs with 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper. Add half of the ribs to the pot (or as many as will fit without overlap) and cook, turning with tongs, until nicely browned on all sides – 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter and repeat with the remaining ribs. Pour off all but a thin layer of fat from the pan.
Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil, carrots, celery and onions to the pan. Season with 1/2 tsp salt. Cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan, until the aromatics are soft and lightly browned – 6 to 8 minutes. Add bay leaves and garlic and cook, stirring, until well distributed and fragrant – about 1 minute.
Pour ½ cup of the red wine into the pot and cook, stirring to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot, until the liquid is reduced to about 2 tbsp – about 1 minute.
Transfer all the ribs (and any juices that have accumulated) back into the pot. Pour 1¾ cups water, the beef broth and the remaining red wine over the ribs and, using tongs, arrange the ribs as evenly as possible and no more than two layers deep.
Bring the liquid to a simmer, cover, and put the pot in the oven. Cook, turning the ribs with tongs about every 40 minutes, until they are fork tender, about 2¾ hours. (The meat may fall off most of the bones about midway through cooking; this does not mean they are fully tender.)
Transfer the ribs to a serving platter or dish. Let the sauce and solids sit in the pot for a few minutes to cool and with a shallow spoon, skim off as much of the fat as possible from the surface. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper, and add the vinegar.
Serve the ribs with the sauce spooned over.
