Hosting dinner for some close friends and looking to impress or just feel like making something mega fancy for yourself? Well, your search may be over with these Red Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs with a Demi-Glace Gravy! Yes, I realize demi-glace means "sauce" itself and it is far from a gravy, but I do what I want around here so if you feel the need to use proper French terminology and actual cooking and kitchen jargon this may not be the recipe for you, lol. Now for the rest of you normal every day home chefs, this recipe simply kicks ass no matter what you call it! Tender, fall off the bone beef short ribs braised in red wine and beef stock that later gets reduced down to the final perfect gravy to finish off everything.....home cooking has never been better! Pour yourself a glass of red wine and start sampling what you want to use as I walk you through this complex-sounding, yet super simple, recipe that is sure to impress all. Let's get cooking!
Unlike most of my recipes, this one does require quite a few steps and some time, but everything still remains simple and easy so don't feel overwhelmed or give up just yet. We will get through it, trust me! Alright, let's begin by generously covering the beef short ribs with salt and pepper on all sides. Heat some oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and toss in about 3 short ribs being careful not to overcrowd the pot. Sear the short ribs on all sides, remove and set aside, then repeat the process till all your ribs have been browned. At some point during this initial searing process, go ahead and preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
After removing all the short ribs and setting aside, reduce the heat to medium and toss in the chopped onion and garlic. Sauté these for 2 or 3 minutes before adding the diced carrots and celery.
Continue cooking everything for an additional 5 or so minutes, then add some tomato paste and stir to incorporate. Pretty simple so far, eh?
Add the red wine and beef stock at this point. You don't have to use high end wine or anything fancy, but choose one you would drink yourself. After all, those flavors will be incorporated into the final product so skip that boxed swill and use your favorite $10-15 bottle. You only use about half of it so you might as well enjoy drinking the rest! I used this barrel aged merlot that fit the bill and the taste buds!
Return the short ribs to the pot and ensure they are covered. You will likely need to add a little more stock, water, or a bit more wine, if you didn't drink it all already!
Throw the lid on your pot and carefully move it to the oven. Set a timer for 3 hours and sit back and enjoy the rest of the wine because the hard work is done! Don't be tempted to peak or open the oven...just let it do it's thing. This is braising 101, and it's damn near impossible to screw it up so leave it be and relax a bit. After 3 hours, pull the Dutch oven out and carefully remove the short ribs. They should be fork tender fall apart so if you want a kick ass presentation take your time and make sure to get a good grip on each individual short rib before pulling them from the braising liquid.
Now, obviously, you could stop here and serve them as is, but why waste all that wonderful, delicious braising liquid? Return the pot to the stove and start simmering the liquids over medium-high heat. Use a slotted spoon or strainer and remove all the solids. We have gotten the flavor out of those onions, carrots, and celery so just strain them out and snack on them or simply toss them in the compost pile. The sauce will begin to reduce and thicken as it simmers so let it go as long as you want till your desired demi-glace "gravy" is just right.
Prop up a couple short ribs on a plate and drizzle the sauce over the top. Now it looks just as fancy as it tastes! If this doesn't impress your friends and family that you actually made it at home, with a few simple ingredients, then you need to get new friends and trade in your family for a grateful bunch of simple heathens that will bow at your feet and worship your new kitchen cooking skills! Serve them up with some garlic mashed potatoes or whatever floats your boat and voila....quite the dinner, eh? BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE! You could go a step further, cross the border, and serve up a Canadian delicacy! The short ribs are already fall apart tender so shred the beef and add in some cheese curds. Serve up that deliciousness over some fresh, hot fries and drizzle that demi-glace gravy over everything. At this point you should be feeling like a kitchen GOD so feel free to be "uppity" and call it Braised Beef Short Ribs and Cheese Curds over Frites with a Red Wine Reduction Gravy AKA Fancy Ass Poutine!
The options are nearly limitless with these braised short ribs. Create something of your own with them and tag me on Instagram under @grubbongrub and show off your newfound chef skills! They are great as is, but can easily be transformed into something magically amazing! So now that we have gotten through the entire recipe, it was fairly easy after all, eh? Few steps to get going, 3 hour break, and then an amazing dinner that looks like it came straight out of a Michelin Star kitchen. Try it for yourself and impress your family and friends.....just keep cooking!
RED WINE BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIBS WITH DEMI-GLACE GRAVY
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