Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
8 (3 to 4 inches long) extra-lean bone-in beef short ribs (about 3 1/2 pounds total)
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
8 shallots, peeled and halved or 1 large red onion, chopped
6 large cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
1 bottle (750 mL) dry red wine
2 cups water
2 teaspoons MAGGI Granulated Beef Flavor Bouillon
2 sprigs each fresh thyme, rosemary and sage
4 large carrots or parsnips, peeled and thickly sliced or 1 pound peeled baby carrots
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Horseradish smashed potatoes (optional)

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 325º F.

HEAT oil in large, heavy oven-proof saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season short ribs with salt and pepper. Working in batches, add ribs to saucepan in single layer. Cook until brown on all sides; transfer to large bowl. Drain all but 1 tablespoon fat from pan (if your ribs are lean, there shouldn’t be but 1 tablespoon fat left).

ADD shallots to pan; cook for a few minutes until golden. Add garlic; cook for 30 seconds. Stir in wine, 2 cups water, bouillon, thyme, rosemary and sage. Bring to a boil, scrapping up brown bits from bottom of pan. Add carrots to pan along with short ribs and any accumulated juices. Bring to a boil; cover and place in oven.

BAKE, covered, for 2 ½ hours or until ribs are very tender and meat is falling off the bones. Using tongs, transfer ribs, shallots and carrots to a large bowl. Spoon oil from pan juices*. Combine 2 tablespoons water and flour in small bowl; whisk into pan. Boil juices for 10 to 15 minutes or until it starts to thicken (it should coat the back of a spoon). Remove and discard stems from herbs. Return ribs to pan; spoon sauce over. Serve over horseradish smashed potatoes.

*Cook’s Tip: A great way to remove excess oil from the surface is to freeze the pan juices for about 30 minutes. The fat will raise to the top, making removing it a snap!

NOTE: To create a more intense braising liquid, use 1/2 bottle of red wine, 1 1/2 cups port and 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar instead of the whole bottle of red wine. All other braising ingredients remain the same. Also, 2 1/2 to 3 pounds of boneless short ribs can be used. Check for doneness at 2 hours.