Over the past week, Bill has been in Las Vegas for an automotive performance convention, so it’s been just me and my boys. Last night, knowing that he was going to be home, I decided to make a special dinner of red wine braised short ribs with pomegranate molasses. It took awhile, but it was nice to sit down to a great dinner, just the two of us, and a glass of red wine.
This is a fairly rich dinner, but oh so worth it. I’d call it comfort food for sure. You just want to make sure that you cook the short ribs long enough so they become tender and falling off the bone. I used the pomegranate molasses I made the other day and it makes it taste a little more seasonal and adds a little bit of sweetness to the meat.
Give yourself some time when making these. They take at least two hours of cooking time, so plan accordingly. I didn’t take that into account last night and we ended up having a later dinner than planned. Though I do think you should make them. I think you’ll be glad that you did. They really are tasty.
RED WINE BRAISED SHORT RIBS WITH POMEGRANATE MOLASSES
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS:
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2 pounds bone in or deboned beef short ribs (if using deboned, cut crosswise into 10 2-inch pieces. If using bone in, cooking time could be a bit longer)
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Salt and Pepper
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5 tablespoons ghee or avocado oil, divided
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2 medium onions, chopped
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3 large carrots, peeled, chopped
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3 tablespoons flour (tapioca or arrowroot starch can be used for gluten free)
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1 1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
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1 1/4 cup dry red wine (preferably a red blend)
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8 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
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5 sprigs thyme
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
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1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
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4 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
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1 1/4 cup beef or vegetable stock (beef stock provides more umami flavor. I used the beef stock)
- Pomegranate Molasses
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid, like a dutch oven, heat 3 tablespoons ghee or avocado oil over medium-high. Season short ribs with salt and pepper on both sides.
- In batches, sear short ribs on all sides, about 6 minutes. Remove from pot and transfer to a plate.
- Add remaining ghee or avocado oil to pot (if needed) and add your onions and carrots stirring often until onions begin to brown. About 5 minutes. Add flour and tomato paste, stirring constantly until the dish is deep red and well combined. About 2 minutes. (the paste & flour combo may look gummy, but it will dissipate with liquid, but helps the dish thicken up).
- Stir in your red wine and add your short ribs back to pot with the accumulated juices. Bring it to a boil and lower your heat to low-medium so it is at a simmer until wine is reduced by half.
- Add all herbs, chopped garlic, and salt and pepper (as needed) to your pot, then stir in your beef or vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, cover tightly and transfer to oven. (If your lid doesn’t fit tight enough, tightly cover pot with aluminum foil then cover with the top)
- Cook for 1 hour at 350 degrees F, then lower to 300 degrees F for at least another hour. Short ribs should be tender. Remove from oven and brush and drizzle ribs with pomegranate molasses. Put back into oven for 1 minute uncovered so the molasses gets slightly sticky and very delicious on the ribs.
- Transfer short ribs to a plate, season with salt and pepper as needed by taste and serve over some buttery mashed potatoes or egg noodles with some of the pan sauce.
Recipe adapted from About to Sprout
Disholicious 