Medlock Ames Braised Short Ribs

Despite the fact that the temperatures are still in the 70’s, it does feel like winter is almost upon us. It must be the leaves and the cool misty mornings – at any rate, our thoughts seem to turn to warming, comfort-laden meals the minute harvest is over and this year is no exception! To satisfy our hunger pangs (and yours) we’ve come up with the following recipe for short ribs. It sounds like hard work but do not despair, it is actually very simple and should be prepared well ahead of time to allow lots of slow cooking and concentration of flavors. Apart from being delicious and incredibly comforting, this dish goes so well with the latest release - our 2003 Merlot. We even used the Merlot as an ingredient and the result was incredible. To complete the dish, hunt down some seasonal vegetables like some kale or parsnips. Delicious!

• Garlic – 12 large cloves, smashed by the flat of a knife
• Onion – large one finely chopped
• Carrots – several large specimens finely chopped
• Celery – several ribs finely chopped
• Olive oil – good quality, several good ‘glugs’
• Short Ribs – grassfed beef, 4 pounds
• All purpose flour – couple of tablespoons
• 2003 Merlot – 2 glasses
• Sea salt – coarse, a couple of teaspoons
• Black pepper – freshly ground teaspoon
• Beef stock – 2 cups. Homemade is best.
• Bay leaves – 2 of them
• Flat leaf parsley – a handful, finely chopped
• Tomatoes – a pound, diced.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 300°F. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven a medium-high heat. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. In small batches, add the short ribs to the pot and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Be careful to not allow them to burn. Once browned, transfer the ribs to a platter and let them rest. Next, pour off all but a few tablespoons of the fat from the pot. Add the onion, chopped carrot, and celery to the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened. Add the garlic and flour and stir until the garlic gives off its aroma but does not burn. Stir in the wine and bring to a boil over high heat, deglazing all delightful bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Then add the stock, tomatoes and bay leaves as well as the short ribs and any juices, to the pot. Add cold water (or stock and wine!) as needed to reach the top of the ribs and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover tightly, transfer to the oven and bake, stirring occasionally, until the meat is falling-off-the-bone tender, about 2 1/2 hours. If you have time, reduce the heat a little and let them cook for even longer as something magical happens to the ribs the longer they cook. When ready, transfer the short ribs to a deep serving platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Skim off the fat from the surface of the cooking liquid, and discard the bay leaves. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until the liquid is reduced to a sauce consistency then season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon over the ribs, sprinkle with the parsley, and enjoy!