This takes some time to make and is worth every second.
It was my son Mikes birthday and this is one of his favorites so I made it for him. A labor of love.
This is enough for 8 to 10 good eaters so cut the recipe if you need to but follow the cooking directions.
My Mom used to make this and the house would smell great.
It was a real inexpensive meal back then and would stretch to feed all of use for days. Now it is not cheap.
This also freezes well and is a great make ahead company meal.
Take out your largest pan you have to braise the meat.
12 pounds of short ribs
1/3 teaspoon olive oil
4 ounces of chopped pancetta
Flour, salt and pepper to dust over the ribs.
2 large diced onion
8 cloves garlic
1 1/2 pounds of baby carrots
6 chopped celery stalks with the green tops
2 boxes of sliced mushrooms
1 small can of tomato paste
2 28 ounce cans of diced tomatoes with the juice
6 cups good red wine plus a little extra to get you threw this recipe.
8 cups of beef broth
2 teaspoons dried thyme
4 bay leaves
2 beef bouillon cubes
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley for garnish
On medium heat add the oil and pancetta.
Cook till the pancetta is crisp and then take out of the pan and set aside.
Sprinkle the ribs with the flour, salt and pepper.
Place the ribs in the hot pan to brown on both sides. Do not crowd them, so work in batches.
Put the ribs in the largest aluminum roasting pan you have and place the pan on a cookie sheet.
You need the cookie sheet or else the pan will bend with the weight of all the ribs and vegetables.
De-glaze the braising pan with the red wine then add the tomato paste and mix well. Cook for about five minutes till the wine starts to boil
Pour over the ribs.
In the same braising pan add the onions, mushrooms, celery and garlic and cook just till soft.
Add the diced tomatoes, thyme and bay leaf.
Pour everything over the ribs.
Add the beef broth over everything.
Add the pancetta.
Add 2 beef bouillon cubes instead of salt.
Cover tightly with foil.
Bake 375 for at about four hours.
Check after two hours and add more broth if needed.
Stir the bottom of the pan to make sure it is not burning.
If your oven runs hot lower the temperature to 325 or 350.
Make sure the foil is tight.
The meat should fall off the bone when it is finished cooking.
It is amazing how the sauce thicken up.
Taste for more salt and pepper.
Make sure you take the bay leaves out before serving
Serve with big wide pasta noodle, polenta or cheese grits.
I went with the cheese grits this time.
I like to make this ahead of time then chill.
The beef fat hardens and you can scrape it off.
The bones from the short ribs are so good to suck on. You can taste the marrow so don’t throw them out.
My Mom used to save the bones and put the them in a soup. She wasted nothing.
Enjoy.
