Garlic-Tomato Short Ribs by Shannon Hayes

I made this recipe for a small dinner party one cold January afternoon, using whatever ingredients I had on hand. What a delight these ribs are, especially with the rich sauce spooned over a pile of potatoes mashed with sour cream. This is hearty fare, and a real crowd-pleaser.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 3:00 hours
Yield: 6 - 8 servings

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons sea salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 to 7 pounds short ribs
2 medium carrots, scraped, finely chopped plus 3 carrots, scraped and sliced into narrow, 2-inch strips for later use
2 medium onions, finely chopped
16 cloves garlic, peeled
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons savory
1 teaspoon fennel
1 teaspoon dried lavender heads (optional)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups cabernet sauvignon
3 cups beef broth
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 bay leaves
3/4 cup oil-cured black olives, pitted

Procedure:
1 Preheat oven to 300°F.

2 Combine the salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Spread mixture lightly on each of the short ribs; set aside on a large platter (depending on your taste, you might want more salt and pepper).

3 Heat the olive oil in an 8-quart ovenproof pot that can be covered later, add the seasoned ribs in batches, and brown. Set aside.

4 Add the finely chopped carrots and onions to the drippings, and cook until tender. Toss in the cloves of garlic, the herbs, flour, and stir well to incorporate the flour.

5 Add the wine and beef broth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the tomatoes and the bay leaves, and return to a boil for 1 minute.

6 Add the ribs and any lingering juices, cover the pot, and bake in the oven for 3 to 4 hours, or until the meat is fork-tender. Remove from the oven.

7 Add the carrot sticks and black olives; simmer on top of the stove, uncovered, for an additional 15 minutes, or until the carrots are tender. Serve with mashed potatoes and green beans.

Tips:
For the Slow-Cooker Version: As described above, coat the short ribs with salt and pepper, and brown in olive oil. Place the ribs and all the ingredients (except the carrot sticks and olives) in a large slow cooker, and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, until the meat is fork-tender. Remove the ribs, and keep warm. Add the carrot sticks and olives to the pan juices, and cook on high, uncovered, for 20 minutes, until the carrots are tender and the sauce has thickened slightly.


Notes:
This recipe is one delicious sample from Shannon's book, The Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook.

Copyright 2006, Shannon Hayes. Reprinted with permission.