Cabernet Braised Beef Short Ribs

I had these for the first time at a friends dinner party, and have craved them about once a week ever since. As I was looking through dozens and dozens of recipes to serve for our Easter dinner a couple of weeks ago, these quickly came to mind and I closed my web browser, for I knew the search was over! These can be made a day in advance for convenience, and leave your house smelling of rich red wine and fall-off-the-bone-beef. Serve this for a romantic night in, or at your next dinner party. These are sure to impress.

Cabernet Braised Beef Short Ribs
Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 8-9 lbs. meaty beef short ribs
• 2 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp. coarse kosher salt
• 1 tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 750-mL bottles Cabernet Sauvignon
• 2 tbsp. butter, room temperature
• 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour

Arrange ribs in a single layer in 15x10x2-inch glass baking dish. Mix rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper in a small bowl; sprinkle all over ribs. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before continuing.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a heavy wide ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add ribs to pot and cook until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch, adding more oil to pot by tablespoons as needed. Transfer ribs to a large bowl. Pour off drippings from pot; discard. Add wine to pot and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Return ribs and any accumulated juices to pot; bring to a boil. Cover; transfer to oven and braise until meat is very tender and almost falling off bones, about 2 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled.

Bring to simmer before continuing. Using slotted spoon, transfer ribs to a large bowl; cover tightly to keep warm. Skim any fat from the top of the braising liquid. Boil liquid until reduced to 2 generous cups, about 20 minutes. Mix 2 tbsp. butter and 2 tbsp. flour with a fork in a small bowl until well blended. Whisk butter mixture into reducing braising liquid. Whisk over medium-high heat until sauce thickens very slightly, about 2 minutes. 

Serve ribs topped with sauce. Enjoy.