Roasted Beef Short Ribs with Roasted Root Vegetables
Paired with 2018 Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon
Serves 4
In the world of comfort food, not much can compare with slow-cooked beef with a rich reduction sauce, savory root vegetables, and a full-bodied red wine. For the last portion of our progressive meal, we’ve chosen slow-roasted beef short ribs paired with our Black Label Stags Leap Cabernet Sauvignon. One of my favorite attributes of this holiday course is the way it will fill your home with aromas for hours, building anticipation for the highlight of the meal. Since the dish is rich, you may not need more than one rib for each person, especially if the ribs are large. I tend to purchase ribs that are all about the same size.
Ingredients/Directions
The Ribs
4 or 8 Beef Short Ribs
Salt & Pepper to taste
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Cumin
Season ribs and place in a medium to small roasting pan.
Cover with foil
Roast at 275 for 3 to 4 hours
Remove from oven and set ribs aside.
Keep drippings for sauce
The Vegetables
2 Carrots
2 Celery Stalks
½ Yellow Onion
½ Parsnip
½ Rutabaga
½ Turnip
1 Medium Size Beet
10 Crimini Mushrooms
4 to 6 Red Potatoes
Salt & Pepper to taste
Enough Olive Oil to lightly coat vegetables
Dice vegetables to 3/4” to 1” cubes. The mushrooms can be large, while the potatoes need to be smaller for even cook time.
Place in medium to large baking dish. Note — the more space between vegetables, the faster they will cook.
Season and coat with oil. Mix vegetables around to evenly distribute seasoning in a large bowl before placing in a baking dish.
Bake at 375 for 35 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
I prefer to keep the vegetables uncovered when I roast them. Also, I like to turn the broiler on high for the last five minutes to help them caramelize.
After ribs have cooled a bit and before placing in sauce, cut meat off ribs, keeping meat
in one piece.
Discard bones or keep for stock at a later date
The Sauce
2/3 bottle full-bodied red wine
Renderings from Short Ribs
2 cups Beef stock — If using store-bought stock, check the amount of salt and adjust your salt addition appropriately.
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
Salt & Pepper to taste
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a medium saucepan over low heat
Add Thyme, garlic powder, and onion powder and continue at low temperature for five minutes
Add short rib drippings, up to ¼ or 1/3 cup
Add red wine and beef stock and turn to medium-high heat and bring to a moderate boil
Reduce heat to medium-low, maintain a low boil, stirring frequently.
Season with salt and pepper to taste
Reduce until about 1/3 original volume and add remaining butter. Continue to stir while butter melts
Incorporate the butter into the sauce and then add the short ribs, cover, and turn heat to low for five minutes
Assembly
Use pasta bowls for service
Portion vegetables in bowls
Place short ribs on vegetables
Portion remaining sauce over short ribs. The vegetables are best when in the sauce.
Additions/Adjustments
A little chipotle powder for kick.
Add a few tomatoes for acid.
If you like, you can use an immersion blender to puree the vegetables. However, if you create a puree, then I would omit the mushrooms and potatoes.
If you want to thicken the sauce, you can add some arrowroot or make a small roux.
If you want to add another element to this dish, dark green leafy vegetables such as chard or spinach can be an outstanding addition.
