Short Ribs Braised in Red Wine

After a night at the fight (Trinidad vs. Roy Jones) we decided to stay in tonight and cook. My cranky cook has been inspired this week! After a couple of misteps last weekend which I didn't post he is back in full effect. The week was peppered with brilliance beginning with a fantastic Pollo al Jugo followed by scrumptuous Shrimp Curry and a lovely salmon. Well, as if it could get any better, his star shone brightly tonight with a Daniel Bouloud classic right at home. Eat your heart out folks. Brindles, this is the dish for you when we arrange that adult playdate. Takes some time but the results are restaurant quality. Take a risk on the polenta. If you're too shy to try it go for some amazing heavy cream in your regular recipe for mashed potatoes to accompany. Cheers. Again credit to Mr. Boulud. This is a modified version of his inspiration.

Ingredients
1 bottle red wine (merlot)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 short ribs, trimmed of excess fat
salt and crushed black pepper corns
Flour, for dredging
8 large shallots, peeled, trimmed, split, rinsed and dried
2 medium sized carrots, peeled, trimmed, and cut into 1-inch lengths
2 ribs celery, peeled, trimmed, and cut into 1-inch lengths
1 medium sized leek (white and light green parts) coarsely chopped
10 cloves of garlic peeled
6 sprigs flat leaf parsley
2 bay leaves and 2 thyme sprigs
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 qt. chicken broth

Preparation
1. Pour the wine into a large saucepan set over medium heat. When the wine is hot, carefully set it aflame. Let the flames die out, then increase the heat so that the wine boils; allow it to boil until it cooks down by half. Remove from the heat.

2. Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350°F.

3. Warm the oil in a large, heavy, ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Season the ribs all over with salt and the crushed pepper. Dust half of the ribs with about 1 tablespoon flour. Then, when the oil is hot, slip the ribs into the pot and sear 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until well-browned. Transfer the ribs to a plate. Repeat with remaining ribs. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pot, lower the heat under the pot to medium and toss in the vegetables and herbs. Brown the vegetables lightly, 5 to 7 minutes, then stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.

4. Add the wine, ribs and broth to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover tightly and place in the oven to braise for 2 1/2 hours or until the ribs are very tender. Every 30 minutes, skim and discard fat from the surface. (It's best to make the recipe to this point, cool and chill the ribs and broth in the pan overnight; scrape off the fat the next day. Rewarm before continuing.)

5. Carefully transfer the meat to a platter; keep warm. Boil the pan liquid until it has reduced to 1 quart. Season with salt and white pepper and pass through a fine strainer; discard the solids. (The ribs and sauce can be combined and kept covered in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Reheat gently, basting frequently, on top of the stove or in a 350°F oven.)

6. To serve, spoon the polenta puree (see next entry) into the center of 8 plates and top each with a short rib. Pour the sauce onto the plate around the puree.

Cranky Cook Rating: 3 out of 5 stars. Recipe takes a bit of work and is lengthy but well worth the effort.