Recipe: Braised Short Ribs

I made this dish to rave reviews last month. The recipe comes from the Babbo Cookbook. I always love braised meats around wintertime, but hate braised meats that just taste like fat. This one has a wonderful complex flavor. This dish serves 4 and don't expect any leftovers!! I served it with butternut squash whole-wheat orzo. You'll just have to stay tuned for that recipe...

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive-oil
• 4 16-ounce beef short ribs
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 cups Barolo or other full-bodied red wine
• 1 16-ounce can peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand, with their juices
• 1 cup brown chicken stock
• 1/2 bunch thyme
• 1/2 bunch rosemary
• 1/2 bunch oregano

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over high heat until smoking (and don't stand too close!). Season the ribs with salt and pepper and cook them over high heat until deep brown on all sides, about 15 minutes total.
3. Remove the short ribs and set aside.
4. Add the carrots, onion, celery, and garlic to the pan and cook over high heat until browned and softened, about 4 minutes.
5. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the red wine, tomatoes, and tomato juice, chicken stock, and herbs, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to dislodge browned bits. Bring the mixture to a boil and return the short ribs to the pan.
6. Cover with aluminum foil and place in the oven. Cook for 2 hours or until the meat is very tender and falling off the bones. 

Notes: I used regular chicken stock. The recipe refers to brown chicken stock because they give a recipe for it in the cookbook. Instead of cooking it in the oven, I made use of a slow cooker and set the timer for 4 hours. Lastly, gourmet chefs like to use kosher salt because of the texture, but regular salt will also do the trick here.