Ingredients
Units
- 3 lbs bone-in short ribs
- 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 medium carrots, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1½ cups sweet wine or 1 cup of port
- 2½ cups full bodied red wine — Cabernet or Merlot
- 5 cups beef stock
- 1½ cups pitted prunes
- Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Remove the short ribs from the fridge and rub well with black pepper and fresh thyme leaves. Let the short ribs sit out for about an hour while they come to room temperature.
- In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium/high heat, then brown the short ribs over high heat on each side. Work in batches and don’t crowd the pan, to ensure that each piece gets good caramelization.
- Place the browned short ribs in a heavy bottom Dutch oven, set aside. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Add the onions, carrots, and celery to the skillet where you browned the short ribs, and cook over medium heat for about 7-8 minutes until the vegetables soften and start to caramelize. Add the balsamic vinegar, port, and red wine to the vegetables, then turn the heat up to high, bring the mixture to a boil, and cook until the liquids have reduced by about half. Add the beef stock and bring the mixture back up to a boil.
- Pour the wine mixture over the short ribs and add the bay leaves and pitted prunes to the Dutch oven. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and braise the short ribs for about 3 hours in the oven. Remove the lid from the pot for the last 15 minutes of cooking to crisp up the short ribs and ensure that sauce is thickened slightly.
- Serve with mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables or wilted greens. Be sure to serve each portion with plenty of the pan sauces and a few prunes.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: Holiday