If you ask my opinion, anything braised in wine is a great thing, just as everything is better with bacon! Braising in wine imparts a rich flavor, especially to red meat.

If you do not purchase alcohol, you can simply braise the short ribs in a good stock along with a little gravy enhancer. You will not get that subtle wine taste, but they will be just as delicious. When choosing the red wine for this dish, I would suggest a deep, full-bodied wine such as burgundy or merlot.

As short ribs are well - short - there isn't a lot of meat on them, so I usually purchase approximately 3-4 ribs per person, depending on the size of the ribs and the person.

Ingredients

3 - 4 beef short ribs per person, trimmed
1 tbsp. paprika
1 tsp. each kosher salt & pepper
Olive oil
2 ribs celery, large dice
2 carrots, large dice
3 small yellow onions, large dice
1 x 14 oz. cans of chopped tomatoes + juice
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp. dried parsley
1 tbsp. dried Rosemary
1 tsp. each salt & pepper
2 cups red wine (I used merlot)
4 cloves of garlic, peeled
4 c good beef stock
3/4 cup tomato paste

Method

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

1. Combine the paprika, salt, pepper, olive oil and rub this mixture all over the short ribs. Set these aside on the counter while you prepare the remainder of the recipe. Place the celery, onions, carrots, tomatoes into a large baking dish or Dutch oven and sprinkle with a little kosher salt and black pepper.

2. Add approximately 1 tbsp. olive, peanut or grapeseed oil to a hot skillet and sear the ribs on all sides until nicely browned. Set aside. Reduce the heat to medium high and add the wine, garlic cloves, and bay leaves to the pan, scraping up all of the brown bits from the bottom. Cook the wine down for approximately 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste, stock, parsley, and Rosemary, cooking for a further 5 minutes.

3. Arrange the ribs on top of the vegetables and pour wine sauce over the ribs. Cover tightly with foil and/or a lid so that no steam escapes. Bake for approximately 1 ½ hours or until the ribs are falling apart tender. Remove the ribs and taste the sauce, adjusting the seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.

You may also braise these beef short ribs on top of the stove or for 8 hours in a slow cooker as well.