Good eats: Cab-braised short ribs

One of the things I like to do after a long ride is prepare (and consume) a really nice meal. I don't know why, but almost any food is extra tasty after a long, hard ride. When I come across a particularly tasty post-ride meal, I'll post the recipe here.

This past Sunday, after coming very close to getting to the summit of Mt. Diablo, I treated myself to cabernet-braised short ribs, roasted red and sweet potatoes, and roasted brussel sprouts. For the short rib preparation, I essentially followed the recipe at Bon Appetit. This is really pretty simple:

First, you want to season the short ribs a day in advance and just put them in the fridge over night. Lay the ribs (I had about 2.5 lbs of them) in a glass pan and sprinkle generously with a mixture of kosher salt, pepper, fresh thyme, and fresh rosemary (about 1 tbsp of each). Cover and chill overnight.

To continue-- heat some olive oil in a heavy pan over medium heat and brown the short ribs, about 6-8 minutes on each side. Transfer ribs to a plate and drain off the oil from the pan. Next pour a full bottle of Cab (I just used two buck Chuck) into the pan and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits on the pan. I added some vegetable stock at this point too, just for kicks. Return the ribs to the pan, reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover, and let it cook for a good hour and 15 if not more. Note that Bon Appetit calls for this to braise in the oven but since I don't have a suitable dutch oven I prepared this entirely on the stove top.

While the ribs are simmering away, cut up some new red potatoes and small sweet potatoes into chunks, toss with olive oil, thyme, and rosemary, and place in a single layer in a parchment-lined baking dish. Put these into the oven (350-375) about 45 minutes before you're planning on serving dinner. After that, clean some brussel sprouts, cut in half, and similarly toss in a bit of olive oil, thyme, and rosemary. Place these, cut side down, in another parchment-lined baking dish. These will only take 15-20 minutes to roast, so put them in last.

Now, when your short ribs are tender, remove them from the braising sauce and set aside, covered with foil to keep them warm. To thicken the wine sauce, combine 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp flour in a small bowl, combine into a paste, and then whisk into the simmering wine sauce until it thickens. The sauce should be well-seasoned already, but you can add more salt/pepper if desired.

Serve the short ribs with the sauce drizzled on top and the potatoes and brussel sprouts on the side. Don't forget to open another bottle of Cab to drink along with the ribs.