Serves 4
8 beef short ribs, bone-in
Salt and pepper
1/4 olive oil
1 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1 cup sliced carrots
8 garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons chopped thyme
1 750-ml bottle Merlot
6 cups beef stock
Preheat oven to 350�F. Season ribs to taste with the salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large, heavy bottomed ovenproof pan over high heat. Add ribs and brown on all sides.
Remove ribs to a plate and set to the side. Add the onions, celery, carrots, garlic, bay leaf, and thyme to the pan and saut�, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the Merlot, deglazing the pan, scraping off any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the wine by three-quarters until thick and slightly syrupy, about 15 minutes. Return the ribs to the pan, add the beef stock and enough water to cover the ribs. Bring to a boil, cover with foil, and place in the oven. Braise in the oven, until the meat is fork-tender, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Allow the ribs to cool in the liquid, then cover and refrigerate overnight. The next day, remove the excess fat that has solidified at the top from the overnight chilling and discard. Remove the ribs from the pan. Place the pan with the cooking liquid over medium heat, uncovered. Cook until the liquid has reduced by three-quarters, about 1 hour. The sauce should be able to coat the back of a spoon. Return the ribs to the sauce to reheat them. Serve 2 ribs on a plate with Blackberry Merlot Risotto and drizzle the sauce from the pan over the ribs.
Blackberry Merlot Risotto
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup diced red onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 cup arborio rice
1 cup Merlot
2 cups black berries
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 cups beef stock
1/2 sup freshly grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
In a sauce pan bring beef stock to a swimmer. In a separate sauce pan melt butter over a medium high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until softened. Add the arborio rice and cook, stirring constantly, until the grains are coated in butter. Pour in Merlot and add blackberries and brown sugar. Cook until the wine has been absorbed into the rice. Add a ladle full of the hot beef stock and cook, stirring, until it has been absorbed. Continue adding the stock, a ladle full at a time, and stirring until each addition has been absorbed. This will take 18-20 minutes. When the rice is tender, season with salt and pepper and stir in grated parmesan cheese. Serve with Braised beef short ribs.
