Search This Blog

Friday, February 25, 2011

Short Ribs with Red Wine and Port - French Fridays with Dorie

I wish I'd gotten on the short ribs bandwagon before it became a bandwagon--like back in the day when you could buy short ribs cheap because nobody wanted them. Now every restaurant worth its salt has some haute version of short ribs on its menu. Like, for instance, short ribs in red wine and port with Asian spice notes, finished with an orange-cilantro gremolata.

If I'd eaten this version at a restaurant, I'd be raving about it. Since I made it myself, modesty forbids raves. But it was quite good.


I liked the idea of broiling the short ribs instead of browning them in the pot. I could do them all at once, with no worries about crowding them so they'd steam rather than brown. I also think they yielded more fat this way (although there was plenty of fat still in them).


About twelve minutes total in the broiler, and they were brown and crispy on both sides.


Lots of vegetables to be cooked, but it looks like it's mostly onions. I was sure I had jar of star anise in my pantry, but apparently not. I substituted a pinch of five-spice powder, which I thought was rather clever of me (star anise is its first ingredient). I knew I had some ginger in my vegetable drawer, but when I looked at it closely, it was too tired and sad to use, so I substituted a pinch of powdered ginger. That was not particularly clever, but it worked to give a hint of ginger flavor. I didn't bother with the cheesecloth for the bouquet garni; I figured that since the broth was going to be strained, it was an unnecessary step. (I was also out of cheesecloth. I think it was hiding out with the star anise).


I love tomato paste in a tube. I used to buy a six-ounce can of tomato paste, use a tablespoon or two, put the rest in the refrigerator, and throw it out after a few weeks. This tube lasts indefinitely and is great for all those recipes that call for just a tablespoon.


I also love recipes that let you pour in whole bottles of wine, although I didn't use the whole bottle because it looked like my pan would overflow if I did. I didn't measure the ruby port, either--just poured in what seemed like enough glugs. This casual attitude about measuring is what caused me to shy away from baking for many years.


Here's the pot of vegetables and cooking liquids just before the meat went back in the pot. This is definitely not a weekday dinner (unless you want to eat at midnight), but it's not difficult, and there are about three hours of cooking time that are largely unattended.


When the short ribs are falling off the bone, you have two options: refrigerate and eat the next day or eat right away. I didn't want to wait another day to eat this great-smelling dish, so I just skimmed a little fat off the top, and we ate hearty.

The next day, when we ate leftovers, however, I saw the advantage of waiting. There was A LOT of hardened fat on the top of the plastic container. A really frightening amount, actually. In its congealed form, it was easy to remove, and the reheated ribs didn't suffer from a lack of flavor without it. In fact, flavor is what this dish is all about. The short ribs are succulent and beefy; the ginger and star anise, along with the port, give a hint of sweetness; and the orange/garlic/parsley gremolata (my husband hates cilantro) adds zest (no pun intended).
With mashed potatoes and plain steamed carrots, this was a wonderful winter meal. Another A+ for Dorie.

20 comments:

  1. Your ribs look delicious! I wish I had thought to not to fool with the cheesecloth for the bouquet garni.

    I love tomato paste in a tube too. So much flavor and easy to use!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I didn't use cheesecloth either for the same reason as you.

    Love the step by step photos Marie (I'm too lazy to take them).

    And you reminded me, I need to go get some tomato paste in a tube.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Gosh, beautiful photos of a hard to photograph dish!! Glad you enjoyed...a we did, too!

    ReplyDelete
  4. How funny - I thought the same thing about the amount of fat and was so glad that I waited to skim it off the next day! Your ribs look great. That last photo is just beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks for the step by step photographs.

    ReplyDelete
  6. They look so good. I if you have coffee filters, use that instead of the cheesecloth the next time!

    Between you and Jenn post, I now know that I have to somehow find the time to make this soon.. as in maybe this weekend or beginning of the week... but SOON!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I also love tomato paste in a tube! What a great invention! Your plate looks delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  8. this looks so good--great post marie! my broiler is broken so didn't make this, but now that i've seen your ribs i'd better find a working broiler quick!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Isn't it funny how things just poof into thin air in the kitchen! Agreed about the tomato paste in a tube & I wish I had been clever enough to lose the cheesecloth...

    ReplyDelete
  10. You are right! Who needed that cheesecloth? Great post!

    ReplyDelete
  11. The first thought that crossed my mind as I read your post was that I thought while eating this that it would be around $19 a plate at a restaurant. The second was "I need to find tomato paste in a tube". I actually looked for it today. Your photos are gorgeous! Glad you liked this!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Push your modesty aside. I think it's fine to boast about an excellent meal. Your photos make this ugly (though tasty) dish look appealing.

    ReplyDelete
  13. This is serendipity at its best! I have a ton of short ribs in the deepfreeze (we buy a half a steer every fall) and was planning on making this kind of recipe in a week or so and have been researching it- ran into this from your baking blog!
    Looks outstanding, but have 2 questions: The first, does the ruby port impart heavy sweetness once the sauce is reduced? The second, do you have your recipe available I could look at?
    Thanks and great food!

    ReplyDelete
  14. John,
    The French Fridays with Dorie members don't include the recipes since we're doing the entire cookbook. However, I googled the name of the dish, and found this link, which does include the recipe:

    http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2010/12/short_ribs_in_red_wine_and_port_with_tangerine_gremolata

    ReplyDelete
  15. Agreed on all levels. Nana and I loved this recipe and while the overall time was not prime for a weeknight, it was indeed a perfect winter's meal. Your full plate looks gorgeous. Thanks for the info about the tomato paste in the tube- I knew about it but never tried it, even though I end up with unfinished cans in the fridge. Great tip and great post.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Great photos!

    I always end up freezing leftover tomato paste, which is kind of a waste of a freezer bag. I keep meaning to track down the tube version. It sounds more economical and less wasteful.

    I was very happy that I chilled it overnight - the amount of fat really is shocking.

    ReplyDelete
  17. You're photos are so full of colour! Looks so good! I've read a couple of posts about price of ribs in US and I'm realising they are still pretty cheap here in Sydney!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Beee-utiful! Your photos are amazing. So amazing in fact that they made my mouth water.
    Your completed dish is the best I've seen. Nice work!!!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Very nice..I love the picture of you dumping the wine in the pot!! Im glad they were a hit for you!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Thanks Marie! I appreciate your info, and yes later last night learned about the French Friday's cooking program~ no worries. Have a bunch of recipes for short ribs like this some call for port some don't. I'm still debating which kind to make, leaning towrds the recipe without port. Both sound great though, and congratulations on your success in making them.

    ReplyDelete