Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

Ever since I made this Short Rib Ragu, I've been in love with short ribs. The Hubs is, too.

Last night I made The Pioneer Woman's Braised Short Ribs & they were delicious! (Or in the words of The Hubs - "These things are freaking awesome!").

They are pretty easy to make, but you have to have some time & patience. The prep work (chopping, dredging, browning, sauteing) took about 45 minutes - granted I was taking pictures along the way. After you get the ribs in the pot, they still have to bake for 2.5 - 3 hours. But it is well worth the time & effort. I promise!

Ingredients

• 8 whole Beef Short Ribs (bone-in)
  
• Kosher Salt and Pepper To Taste
• ¼ cups All-purpose Flour
• 6 pieces Pancetta, Diced (or 4 pieces of bacon, diced)
  
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
• 3 whole Carrots, Diced
• 2 whole Shallots, Peeled And Finely Minced
• 2 cups Red Or White Wine
• 2 cups Beef Or Chicken Broth (enough To Almost Cover Ribs)
• 2 sprigs Thyme
• 2 sprigs Rosemary

Directions:

1. Trim, salt and pepper ribs, then dredge in flour. Set aside.

2. In a large dutch oven, cook pancetta (or bacon) over medium heat until complete crispy and all fat is rendered. Remove pancetta (or bacon) and set aside. Do not discard grease.

3. Add olive oil to pan with the pancetta (or bacon) grease, and raise heat to high. Brown ribs on all sides, about 45 seconds per side. Remove ribs and set aside. Turn heat to medium.

4. Add onions, carrots, and shallots to pan and cook for 2 minutes.

5. Pour in wine and scrape bottom of pan to release all the flavorful bits of glory. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes.

6. Add broth, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed.

7. Add ribs to the liquid; they should be almost completely submerged. Add thyme and rosemary sprigs (whole) to the liquid. Toss in the bacon, too.

8. Put on the lid and place into the oven. Cook at 350 for 2 hours, then reduce heat to 325 and cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes. Ribs should be fork-tender and falling off the bone.

9. Remove pan from oven and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes, lid on, before serving. At the last minute, skim fat off the top of the liquid. (Can also refrigerate mixture, then remove solid fat from the top.)

10. Serve 2 Ribs with mashed potatoes, polenta, veggies or the like.



My Tid-Bits:

* These ribs are AMAZINGLY juicy & fall-off-the-bone tender. See??

I literally had all of the meat fall off the bone of two ribs before I even pulled them out of the pot.

* I didn't want to spend $5.00 on a 3oz. package of pancetta, so I just used bacon instead & it worked just fine.

* These ribs will make your entire house smell wonderful!! I'd recommend making them when you have company coming over - that's if you're willing to share.

*Lastly, THANK YOU to The Pioneer Woman for yet another tasty recipe.