Everyone has their go-to holiday dish. I serve my Brown sugar short ribs for my family every Christmas. I also used this recipe to audition for MasterChef season 6, and just so happened to be good enough to get me into the top 100. I wrote this recipe several years ago and always come back to it when I entertain big groups for the holidays. I am extra proud of this dish, and it’s just hearty and decadent enough for the holidays.
SEE VIDEO WITH STEP BY STEP DIRECTIONS!!!
Grocery list (4 servings):
2 tbsp olive oil
Kosher Salt
Pepper
4-5 lbs short ribs
1 large onion – chopped
4 garlic cloves – minced
1 ½ cup good red wine
2 cups beef stock
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 bay leaves
2 tsp rosemary
2 tsp thyme
½ cup brown sugar
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a Dutch oven or cast iron pot over medium high heat. Sprinkle short ribs liberally with kosher salt and pepper. Sear all sides of the short ribs until browned and a nice crust is formed. Set ribs aside on a plate.
2. Turn the heat down to medium and add the onion. Cook until they start to brown then add the garlic and cook for one minute or until fragrant, just make sure to not burn the garlic. Deglaze the pan with the red wine and scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom. Let the wine reduce by half. Add the beef stock, tomato paste, and bay leaves and stir together well.
3. Add the ribs back in, making sure they are almost covered in the liquid but you can still see the tops of them. If they need more liquid, add more stock. Sprinkle the rosemary, thyme and brown sugar over the top of the ribs. Roast in the oven for 2 ½ to 3 hours until tender and almost falling off the bone. Plate the ribs and blend the leftover liquid with a hand held blender. Serve gravy over the top of the ribs or on the side.
Cheers to happy eating!!!