Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

Steps

1. Heat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the lower third.
   325°F
2. Pat the short ribs dry and

   season (how to season to taste)

   Season to taste Add salt (and pepper or acid) bit by bit, tasting as you go, until the food tastes fully of itself. 1. Season meat and vegetables before cooking, holding the salt high so it falls evenly.2. Taste the dish near the end with a clean spoon.3. If it tastes flat, add a pinch of salt, stir and taste again.4. If it tastes heavy or dull, a squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar brightens it.5. Stop when another pinch wouldn't make it better. Done when: The flavors are clear and bright, not flat and not salty. Safety: Don't taste dishes that hold raw meat, poultry or eggs; season them by the recipe's amounts and adjust after cooking.How to season to taste: mistakes to avoid

   them all over with the salt and pepper.
3. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
4. Brown (how to brown)

   Brown Cook food in a hot pan until its surface turns brown, which adds rich, roasted flavor. 1. Pat the food dry; for ground meat, let the pan get hot first.2. Add a little oil and spread the food in one layer.3. Leave it alone for a few minutes so the bottom browns, then turn or break it up.4. Work in batches if it won't fit in one layer.5. Pour off extra fat if the recipe says to. Done when: Most surfaces are brown, not gray, and the bottom of the pan has browned bits (they are flavor, not burn). Safety: Hot oil spatters: dry the food first, lay it in the pan moving away from you, and keep a lid nearby. Never put water on an oil fire; slide the lid over it and turn off the heat. Browned outside doesn't mean cooked inside: ground beef needs 160°F, poultry 165°F.How to brown meat and vegetables: mistakes to avoid

   the ribs in batches on all sides, without crowding, turning with tongs.
   ⏱ Brown ribs: 15 min
5. Move the ribs to a plate. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat.
6. Lower the heat to medium. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook, stirring, until softened.
   ⏱ Soften veg: 6 min
7. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste and flour and cook until the paste darkens.
   ⏱ Tomato paste: 2 min
8. Pour in the wine,

   scraping up the browned bits (how to deglaze)

   Deglaze Pour liquid into a hot pan and scrape up the browned bits stuck to the bottom, which hold a lot of flavor. 1. After browning, pour off all but a spoonful of fat.2. With the pan still hot, pour in wine, broth or water; it will sizzle and steam.3. Scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon or flat spatula until the brown layer dissolves.4. Let it bubble down, as the recipe says, into the base of a sauce. Done when: The bottom of the pan is clean and the liquid has turned brown and tasty. Safety: Take the pan off the flame before pouring in wine or spirits, and turn your face away from the steam.How to deglaze a pan: mistakes to avoid

   , and

   simmer (how to simmer)

   Simmer Cook liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles breaking the surface now and then. 1. Bring the liquid up over medium-high heat.2. As soon as bubbles rise steadily, turn the heat down.3. Adjust until only a few small bubbles break the surface every second or two.4. Stir now and then and check that it hasn't crept back to a boil. Done when: You see lazy, small bubbles, not a rolling boil. A "bare" simmer has just a bubble here and there. Safety: Steam burns fast: lift lids and foil away from your face, tipping the far edge up first.How to simmer: mistakes to avoid

   until

   reduced (how to reduce)

   Reduce Simmer a liquid uncovered so water steams off and the flavor and body get stronger. 1. Use a wide pan; more surface means faster reducing.2. Bring the liquid to a lively simmer, uncovered.3. Stir now and then and scrape the sides back in.4. Look at the level against the pan, or dip a spoon to check thickness.5. Salt at the end, since salt gets stronger as it reduces. Done when: The level has dropped by the amount the recipe says, and it is glossy and coats a spoon. How to reduce a sauce: mistakes to avoid

   by about half.
   ⏱ Reduce wine: 8 min
9. Stir in the broth and add the thyme, rosemary and bay leaves.
10. Return the ribs to the pot bone side up, with any juices. The liquid should come most of the way up the meat.
11. Bring to a simmer, cover and move the pot to the oven.
12. Braise (how to braise)

    Braise Brown food, then cook it slowly, covered, partly submerged in liquid until it is very tender. 1. Brown the meat well in a heavy pot and set it aside.2. Soften the onions and vegetables in the same pot.3. Pour in the liquid and scrape up the browned bits.4. Return the meat; the liquid should come about halfway up it.5. Cover and cook at a bare simmer on the stove or in a 300 to 325°F oven for hours. Done when: A fork slides in and twists with no resistance, and the meat pulls apart. Safety: Steam burns fast: lift lids and foil away from your face, tipping the far edge up first.How to braise meat and vegetables: mistakes to avoid

    until the meat is very tender and pulls easily away from the bone, far past the safe 145°F (63°C).
    325°F⏱ Braise: 2 hr 45 min
13. Move the ribs to a platter.

    Strain (how to strain)

    Strain Pour food through a strainer to separate the liquid from the solids, or to make a sauce smooth. 1. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl or pot large enough to hold all the liquid.2. Pour slowly, so it doesn't overflow.3. Press the solids with the back of a ladle to get all the liquid out (unless the recipe wants a clear result).4. Throw away the solids or keep them, as the recipe says. Done when: The liquid is smooth with no bits; for clear broth, no cloudiness from pressing. Safety: Steam burns fast: lift lids and foil away from your face, tipping the far edge up first. Ladle very full pots into the strainer rather than lifting them.How to strain sauces and stocks: mistakes to avoid

    the liquid into a fat separator or bowl and spoon off the fat.
14. Return the liquid to the pot and simmer over medium heat until it thickens into a sauce.
    ⏱ Reduce sauce: 8 min
15. Spoon the sauce over the ribs and sprinkle with parsley.

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Tips

• Short ribs are safe at 145°F but need to go far beyond that, close to 200°F, before they turn tender.
• Make them a day ahead: the chilled fat lifts right off and the flavor deepens.
• Use a wine you'd happily drink; it becomes the sauce.
• Use a separate cutting board for raw meat, and wash hands, boards and knives in hot soapy water after handling it.

Storage

Refrigerate in an airtight container within 2 hours, up to 4 days. Store the ribs in their sauce. Freeze up to 3 months.

Make ahead

Braise a day ahead and refrigerate in the liquid. Lift off the fat, then reheat covered at 325°F for 30 to 40 minutes before reducing the sauce.

Cook once, eat twice: Double it (8 servings instead of 4), eat half and freeze the other half. It keeps 3 months frozen, by the storage note above. Print a freezer label · More freezer meals

How long leftovers keep, and freezing and reheating: leftovers and storage. In season: carrots (September to March).