Syrah Short Ribs

This really is a great recipe. Advance preparation is required, but we always look at this as a good thing: it means that most of the work is done well before the meal, freeing up your time and kitchen space for other things that need to be prepared just before serving.

But let us emphasize, this is a really great recipe, maybe the best braised short ribs recipe we’ve made (and we’ve made a lot of different recipes for braised short ribs)! It takes a lot of wine (2 bottles of syrah plus 2 cups of ruby port). Don’t use too cheap a bottle: find a good Australian or Californian syrah in the $12 to $20 range. If your wine is good, the flavors here are awesome.

This should be served with polenta or risotto (we served it with a mushroom risotto).

We made a double recipe of this so we could have lots of leftovers. As leftovers, it is just as stunning. Paul couldn’t stop talking about them, repeatedly declaring them “the best short ribs we’ve ever made!”

Serves 8.

Ingredients

8 short ribs (about 7 to 8 lbs total) Fine sea salt 1/4 cup clarified butter* or ghee 1 tbsp olive oil 6 ounces applewood-smoked slab bacon, cut into 1/2-inch dice (1 cup) 2 cups diced (1/2-inch) leeks 3 cups diced (1/2-inch) yellow onions 2 cups diced (1/2-inch) carrots 6 unpeeled garlic cloves 2 bottles (750 ml each) Syrah 4 cups chicken stock

bouquet garni: 1 tablespoon black peppercorns 2 star anise 2 6-inch pieces leek green 2 fresh bay leaves 3 sprigs thyme 2 sprigs rosemary to finish the sauce: 2 cups ruby port 1/4 cup honey 1 cup tomato paste freshly ground black pepper

*To clarify butter: melt butter in a sauce pan (about 4 - 5 ounces to yield 1/4 cup). Don't stir butter as it melts; once butter is completely melted, skim off the foam that has risen to the top and discard. Carefully pour off the clear yellow liquid underneath. Discard the white milky layer left in the bottom of the pan.

directions

Dry the short ribs with paper towels and season on all sides with salt. Let meat sit for about 10 minutes.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the clarified butter in a large heavy skillet (cast iron if you have one) over medium heat. Arrange as many short ribs as fit comfortably in the skillet without touching, and cook, turning occasionally, until all sides are browned. Remove the ribs as they're browned, and brown remaining ribs, adding additional clarified butter as needed.

Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 275 degrees.

In heavy casserole, such as an enameled cast iron Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and stir for about 5 minutes or until it has rendered its fat. Stir in the leeks, onions, carrots and garlic, and saute for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables have wilted and are lightly caramelized. Once the moisture has evaporated, reduce the heat to avoid burning the vegetables.

Add about 1 cup of the wine and scrape the bottom of the pot to deglaze. Arrange the short ribs over the vegetables, layering them as necessary. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and add the remaining red wine and the chicken stock. Place the peppercorns and star anise in a small piece of cheesecloth and tie with twine to form a bundle, and add to pot. Lay a piece of leek green flat on a work surface, place the bay leaves, thyme and rosemary in the center and cover with the other piece of leek. Tie together with twine. Add to pot.

Bring liquid to a boil, skimming off the fat and scum that rises to the surface. Cover the pot and place in the oven for about 3 hours. When meat is done, it will be fork-tender. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight in the pot.

Next day, remove pot from refrigerator. Remove and discard all the hardened fat on the surface. If the liquid has jelled and the meat cannot be removed easily, heat the pot over medium heat. As the liquid heats, remove the meat and bones from the liquid before the meat softens. Then continue to heat the liquid until simmering.

Place meat on a cutting board. Cut away and discard the bones, and any fat and sinew. Cut meat into 2 or 3 pieces per short rib (if you're using smaller short ribs, no need to cut them). Place meat in baking dish.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a large saucepan; discard the solids. Place over medium heat, add the port, honey, and tomato paste, and bring to a boil. Move the pan to one side of the burner and reduce the liquid to about 4 cups, skimming off the foam that rises to the top. (Boiling the liquid in only one side of the pan will push the foam to the opposite side and make it easier to skim).

When reduced to 4 cups, season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the sauce over the meat. (At this point, the ribs can be covered and refrigerated for up to a day.) Place the baking dish in the oven, uncovered, to bake for 30 minutes. If the sauce doesn't cover the meat, baste the meat every 5 minutes.

Place the meat on serving plates and spoon the sauce over the top.