Cabernet Braised Short Ribs Off-the-Bone Recipe
“I love cooking, but most of all when the recipe calls for wine. Our Cabernet Sauvignon shines as this dish’s secret ingredient and perfectly complements the sweetness of the sauce.” – Joseph Carr, Founder, Josh Cellars
Designed as a wintertime indulgence, our Cabernet Braised Short Ribs Off-the-Bone recipe is an elevated beef stew. The Cabernet provides a rich flavor to the braised liquid, but still maintains its sweetness from the leeks. Serve this with polenta or a side of mash potatoes for a rich, satisfying dinner.
Ingredients
- 5 to 7 pounds short ribs
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 to 4 cups homemade chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 large leeks, white and pale green parts, roughly chopped
- 6 to 8 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 2 carrots, peeled, and roughly chopped
- 5 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
- Handful of thyme sprigs, about 8
- Handful of Italian parsley sprigs, about 6
- 3 fresh bay leaves
- 1½ cups Cabernet
- 8 to 12 baby carrots, boiled or roasted, for garnish
Directions
- Heat oven to 475ºF. Sprinkle ribs all over with salt and pepper. Place ribs in a roasting pan in a single layer, bone-side down, and roast until browning, about 25 minutes.
- Put the stock in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Keep warm.
- While the ribs cook, heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. When the fat is hot, add leeks and cook for about 5 minutes, or until soft, but not coloring. Add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring to keep from browning. Reduce heat to medium and add carrots, tomatoes, thyme, parsley and bay leaves. Cook until the carrots begin to soften and tomatoes break down, about 10 minutes over medium heat.
- When the ribs are done browning, use tongs to transfer to a large platter or bowl. Spoon vegetable mixture evenly along the bottom of the roasting pan. Place ribs back in the pan on the bed of vegetables, bone-side up this time.
- Pour wine and warmed stock over the ribs (liquid should cover the ribs two-thirds the way up, may need more depending on pan size). Cover the pan with aluminum foil and return to oven. Bring the liquid to a boil, about 15 minutes, and then lower the heat to 350ºF. Cook the ribs for 1½ to 2 hours, or until the bones are beginning to slip away from the meat and the meat itself can be pulled apart easily with a fork. Remove pan from the oven and transfer ribs to a platter or bowl to cool.
- Carefully pour the vegetables and all cooking liquid through a fine sieve and into a bowl, using a spatula or wooden spoon, press down on the solids to release all the remaining juices. Let the liquid chill in the refrigerator overnight (or if you’re in a hurry, in the freezer for a couple of hours), so the fat can settle on the top.
- When the ribs are cool enough to handle, use hands to pull all the meat from the bone and connective tissue.
- When the sauce has fully cooled, use a spoon to gently remove the top orange layer of fat and discard. Taste the remaining sauce and adjust the seasoning, as needed. Then add the meat to the sauce. Allow meat to warm through over low heat before serving with the baby carrots.
