Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

This is a dish I've been wanting to try for quite some time and Valentine's Day seemed like the perfect day since we had no set plans and the boy loves just about anything with beef and finally I got a fabulous Le Creuset Dutch Oven for Christmas that I had used a bunch on the stove top but had yet to use in the oven. I knew it would be the perfect for browning the ribs and then an oven braise. Check it out:



Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

2 lbs short ribs
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 carrot - chopped
1 stalk of celery - chopped
1 small onion - chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 cups red wine
5 sprigs rosemary
8-10 sprigs thyme
salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 325F. In a shallow bowl mix flour with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Dredge short ribs in flour and brown all sides in a Dutch Oven (or similar heavy bottom pot or dish that is oven safe) over medium high heat. Remove to a plate.
2. Reduce heat to medium and add 2 Tbsp of olive oil to Dutch Oven. Add in carrot, celery, onion & garlic and saute until tender, being careful not to brown the garlic. Add the tomato paste and stir to combine. Pour in red wine and add fresh spices (tied together with kitchen twine). Bring to a simmer and add back in short ribs.
3. Cover and place the pot into the preheated oven. Cook for 2 hours. Serve with polenta, risotto or oven-roasted root vegetables.



This was super easy and just enough for the boy to have the leftover meat in a sandwich the next day. I served it with a puree of oven roasted carrots and parsnips. While the boy loved the short ribs, he wasn't a fan of the veg puree. He would have preferred if I had just served the oven roasted vegetable without pureeing them. To each their own. Aside from great rich flavors, I loved how little active cooking time was necessary on this one and yet the house was permeated with the smell of cooking. It was great for a lazy Saturday afternoon. Enjoy!