Union Square Cafe
Oven-Braised Short Ribs
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 2 carrots, scrubbed and sliced
- 2 celery ribs, sliced
- 1 garlic head, split in half
- 3 bay leaves
- 10 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 (750 ml) bottles full-bodied red wine
- 4 to 4 1/2 pounds beef short ribs
- Oil for browning
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups veal stock or store-bought veal demi-glace
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon garam masala*
Instructions
- Combine onion, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, thyme and all but 1 tablespoon of wine in large bowl. (Reserve tablespoon of wine to finish sauce.) Add ribs, cover and marinate in refrigerator overnight.
- Remove ribs from marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Place colander over a bowl and drain vegetables, reserving vegetables and marinade separately.
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place Dutch oven over high heat, add oil, and bring it to the smoking point. Sprinkle ribs with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add ribs to pan, in batches; brown all over. Transfer ribs to a plate and set aside. Add vegetables and sauté until browned, about 10 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes. Add reserved marinade to deglazed pan. Stir well with a wooden spoon to combine wine with flour. Return ribs to pan, bone-side up, return to a boil, cover, and bake in oven until ribs are tender, about 2 hours, 45 minutes.
- Transfer ribs to platter and cover with foil. Strain cooking liquid into a saucepan. Discard vegetables. Bring liquid to a simmer over medium heat and skim fat. Continue to simmer liquid; reduce to about 2 cups. Add stock and reduce again to about 2 cups. Stir in Worcestershire, garam masala and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add ribs and simmer gently, basting meat often with sauce, until sauce has reduced and thickened enough to coat and glaze ribs. Add reserved tablespoon of wine a minute or so before end of cooking. Transfer ribs to serving platter, pour sauce over, and serve.
Notes
* available in Indian markets
