TRA VIGNE RESTAURANT - BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIBS

TRA VIGNE RESTAURANT - BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIBS image

Yield 4 Servings

Number Of Ingredients 16

For the Brine:
1 quarts of water
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 cup Kosher salt
1 bay leaf
5 juniper berries
For the Short Ribs:
4 pounds meaty beef short ribs
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or more if needed
2 medium onions, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 head of garlic, unpeeled and cut in half crosswise
2 cups of beef broth or stock
1 cup of dry red wine
1 cup Sherry vinegar
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes

Steps:

Make the brine by combining water, sugar, salt, bay leaf and juniper berries in a pot and simmering over medium heat until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Cool the mixture to room temperature. Add the short ribs to the brine and chill covered in the refrigerator for at least four and up to twenty-four hours (longer is better). After brining remove short ribs from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Discard the brine. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Heat vegetable oil in a heavy ovenproof pot with a tight fitting lid over medium high heat on top of stove with the lid off. Sauté the ribs in the heated vegetable oil in batches until browned on all sides. Set aside on a platter. Add the onions, carrot and garlic to the pot and cook over moderate heat stirring occasionally until vegetables are golden, about eight minutes. Stir in stock, wine, vinegar and tomatoes, scrapping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the ribs and any juices on the platter to the pot and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot with the lid and transfer to the preheated oven. Braise in the oven until meat is tender about two and a half to three hours. Remove ribs from sauce and discard garlic skin, which should have separated from the cloves of garlic. Serve the ribs with the sauce on the side. This dish is even better if cooked a day ahead, chilled overnight leaving the ribs in the sauce and reheated the next day. Remove solidified fat before reheating.