Short Ribs in a Dark Sauce

from Executive Sous Chef Rick Avery of Restaurant O in Campbell, California

via the San Jose Mercury News

        More super recipes!

Feb 2004 - When I saw this recipe in the Merc, I knew I had to try it. She doesn't like to mix fruit and meat, or sweet and savory, so I thought I'd have to sneak it in somehow. With Richard and Pat coming over for dinner Saturday, I had my opening. This was another fantastic find by the Merc. It is easy to prepare, even though the cooking takes some time. She enjoyed it immensely, and now I have the go-ahead to try more like it.

I think I overdid the cacao powder; next time I'll measure it to be sure. I'd also like to try the addition of one chipotle pepper to the sauce for some welcome heat. It might seem like a mole then.

We served it with broccoli and new red potatoes. Starchier potatoes would have been better; they soak up more of  the  sauce. The wine was a Carignan from Ridge. Never heard of it before, but it has a bold, clean, fruity taste that went sooooo well with the beef.

The meat

Generously salt the ribs on all sides. In a heavy large pot, brown the short ribs in some olive oil over medium-hot heat. Get them good and browned - this adds a lot of flavor, so don't quit too soon. 

Remove the ribs and deglaze the pan with the red wine. Put the ribs back and add remaining ingredients listed under The Meat. The liquid should just come almost to the top of the ribs, but should not cover them completely. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and cook covered 2 hours. The ribs should be very tender. When the ribs are done, remove them from the sauce and set them aside. Discard the broth, or cool it for a later soup; if you do, remember to remove the fat. You can refrigerate the meat at this point for several hours.

The sauce

While the meat cooks you can make up the sauce. Put all The Sauce ingredients except the butter in a pan and bring to a boil. Use a whisk to distribute the cacao powder. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the sauce is reduced by half. It takes about 30 minutes. At this point you can refrigerate the sauce as well for a few hours.

Serving it up

Remove the meat from the ribs and cut it into a good serving size. Put the meat in a deep sauté pan. Pour the sauce over it until half covered. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Keep simmering, turning the ribs every minute or so. This will infuse the meat with the sauce. 

When the sauce has reduced to about 20% of its volume, add the butter.

Place one serving of meat on each plate and spoon some sauce over each one.

Updates

November 2007 - Brent was in town and we tried this again. It was killer. I can't say enough about how good it tasted. I cooked the meat and the sauce ahead of time. Then the final step took just ten minutes to bring this all together. We served it with mashed russet potatoes and green beans. Paired with a Silver Creek zinfandel, it was the perfect meal.

September 2008 - I was staying in Pacifica with Mom while Dad recovered and we needed to eat. We made this together and she loved it. We ate the ribs one night, the soup the next day for lunch, and ribs the next night. There was even some left over for Bob. Delicious. Now, will Lindy like it?