My grocery store had boneless short ribs on sale and I bought up a few pounds. These wine-braised beef short ribs are certainly a luxury I don’t often indulge in, but when I do, it’s absolute heaven. I do recommend letting the ribs and broth sit overnight so you can skim off the excess fat, but you can eat them the night you make them as well.

Keep in mind that you will reduce the broth down, so be very careful with how much salt you add as you’re cooking it. I would honestly recommend not even salting the broth as you cook it, particularly if you’re using beef stock that has sodium in it.

You can use bone-in short ribs, but order more than 2 pounds to account for the extra weight of the bone.

GRADE

Serves: 4

Cost: $$

Skill Level: Intermediate

Time to Make: 3 hours 30 minutes (3 hours inactive), add additional time if you plan to let the ribs set overnight

INGREDIENTS FOR WINE-BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIBS

WINE-BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIBS

2 pounds boneless beef short ribs

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 cups low (or no) sodium beef stock

3 cups full-bodied red wine (such as cabernet sauvignon or Bordeaux)

10 cloves garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

PARMESAN MASHED POTATOES

4 large Yukon gold potatoes

2 tablespoons fresh minced chives

2 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1/3 cup half and half (more or less to taste)

Salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika to taste

METHOD

Prepare Ingredients: Pat the short ribs dry and season with salt and pepper. Peel the garlic.

Prepare the Short Ribs: In a large, wide pot, heat the oil over medium high until hot. Add the short ribs in an even layer and cook without moving for 3 minutes. Flip and cook an additional 2-3 minutes per side until browned all over. Remove from the pot. Add the garlic cloves and the tomato paste to the pot over medium high and, using the back of your spoon, gently press the paste into any browned bits left in the bottom of the skillet. Cook for 2 minutes over medium heat until the paste begins to darken in color. Add the red wine and scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Stir in the beef stock and stir to combine everything. Bring to a boil. Add the beef short ribs back to the pot and reduce heat to a very low simmer. Simmer, covered, for 3 hours. Remove and discard the garlic cloves. Allow to cool overnight, if possible. After the beef and the broth have refrigerated overnight, use a spoon to skim off the layer of fat that formed.

Finish the Sauce: Remove the ribs from the broth and bring the broth to a boil. Cook for 25-30 minutes until the broth has reduced by about 1/2 and has thickened a bit. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Using your fork, tear the ribs into large pieces. Add them back to the broth and toss to coat.

Prepare the Mashed Potatoes: Peel and quarter the potatoes. Cover with salted water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Boil for 20-25 minutes until fork tender. Drain and transfer to a bowl with the butter, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and half and half. Using a hand-mixer, beat the potatoes until smooth and creamy. Add the chives, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and paprika and mix until smooth. If the potatoes seem too dry, add more half and half.

To Serve: Divide the potatoes between plates. Add a few pieces of the beef on top and drizzle the sauce all over. Enjoy!