Tonight at Chez Bart: Short Ribs Braised in Red Wine

Short ribs are one of my favorite cuts of meat. They are versatile, easy to cook with; and when braised slowly over low heat, yield tender and delicious results. Short ribs are prominent in both Italian and French cooking, and if you attend any restaurant worth a Michelin star, they serve them. My guess is the influence of wine in French and Italian gastronomy. 


Red wine is a perfect base for braising liquid, and it's not surprising that Barolo and Bordeaux - two of the most influential red wines in the world - are used by the world's top chefs to braise their short ribs. Their full bodied nature is perfect for braising, because as the cooking liquid evaporates over the meat, it leaves even further concentrated flavors. I have been told that Mario Batali, for his Oso Bucco, has used Barolos priced in the hundreds of dollars.


This recipe, which I found in an issue of Gourmet Italian Kitchen, looked amazing for all those reasons I mentioned above: slow cooked short ribs in a Barolo braising liquid. Let's see how it compares with Giada's recipe that I have made numerous times in the past!


*Note: I checked Gourmet Italian Kitchen's website, and it looks like this recipe is not fully in the public domain yet. Thus, I will not give exact quantities of ingredients. Sorry!!!


Store Notes: This recipe calls for Barolo wine. At first I considered it, but then after talking with the manager at my wine shop, I settled on a bottle of Vietti Nebbiolo Perbacco 2007. The manager assured me that it would be an excellent full bodied wine for braising, and at $23.99, was ten dollars cheaper that the cheapest Barolo. 

The other pricey part of this dish is the short ribs, not because they are an expensive cut of meat, but because you need to buy over 4 pounds of them! Since I have never made this recipe before, I figured I wouldn't deviate from the prescribed amount. Besides, I do not mind left-overs one bit!

4 1/2 pounds of beef bone-in short ribs!

Other items that you will need are as follows:

• Pancetta
• Fresh Thyme sprigs
• Fresh Rosemary sprigs
• Garlic
• Onion
• Carrots
• Celery
• Can of diced tomatoes
• Olive Oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Water

For equipment, you will need a large dutch oven.

Prep Notes: Ahead of time, chop the onions, carrots, and celery. Mince the garlic, and cube the pancetta. As for the short ribs, rub salt and pepper on all sides of the short ribs.

To reduce the wine for the braising liquid, pour the entire bottle of wine into a 3 quart sauce pan. Heat until boiling, and let boil until only 1 cup is left. Set aside for later.

Wine being reduced!

Cook Notes: Heat the dutch oven on medium-high. Use enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pot, and once the oil shimmers, add the short ribs in batches. Cook the short ribs for a minute on each side, removing after both sides have been browned. 

Once all the ribs are browned, set them aside and remove all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the dutch oven. Add the pancetta, and cook until the edges are starting to get brown. Next, add the onions, and cook until they just begin to caramelize. Add the minced garlic, and cook for a minute or two; then add the celery, carrots,  and herb sprigs. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring every now and then.

Pancetta being rendered; there is nothing better than
using fat from pancetta to add a whole new dimension
of flavors to one's cooking. You can use less oil too!

Add the diced tomatoes, and stir so everything is well mixed. Add back the short ribs to the dutch oven, and then pour the reduced wine and 2 cups of water over top of the ribs. Bring the liquid to a boil, and then cover and place in a 325 degree oven for 2-2.5 hours.

Ribs, with the vegetables below, and the braising liquid
poured over top

Remove the dutch oven from the oven, and skim off any excess fat from the surface of the sauce. Now, if you wish to reduce the sauce a bit, carefully remove the short ribs and heat the sauce until to simmers. Once the sauce is at a desired consistency, return the short ribs to the pot. Plate the short ribs over pasta tossed in butter and fresh minced parsley.

Tasting Notes: The completely falls off the bone as I transport a short rib to my plate. The meat is incredibly tender and moist. The onions, carrots, celery & garlic provide zesty notes - sweetness from the carrots and onions balanced with the flavors of the garlic and celery. The pancetta lends salty notes to further round out the palette.

Dinner is served!

And the pièce de résistance was the bold notes lent by the red wine reduction in the braising liquid. The truly expand the dimension of flavors in this dish; the earthy notes of the vegetables, and buttery-salty notes of the pancetta/short ribs mingle with the big fruit - currant & blackberry - of the wine to truly offer a gustatory odyssey. Outstanding!


Libation Notes: This dish should be accompanied by a wine with equal to or greater body than what was used for the braising liquid. I would definitely recommend the Nebbiolo I used for the cooking, but if the occasion were special enough (date, dinner party, etc.), I could easily see myself buying a nice $40 - $60 BaroloMeritage. 


Overall: An excellent dish, definitely worthy of another go-around. Personally, I prefer Giada's recipe to this one, but that is akin to saying that I prefer Chateau Margaux to Chateau Haut-Brion. Both are excellent; I just think I prefer the composition of the braising liquid in Giada's recipe better. 


That being said, if I were to make this recipe again I would do the following:

• Substitute the water for beef broth
• Decrease the short ribs from 4 1/2 pounds to 2 1/2 pounds

If you were in the mood for more of a pasta-esque meal, I would recommend shredding the meat once you remove the pot from the oven.

All in all, a solid meal worthy of making again.