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

I almost didn't make this dish because time was running short and I didn't have a chance to go to the market and, and, and... Well, I had the family with me and we were having a fruit emergency so I ran into the market for apples & a mango while everyone waited in the car. I was so close to what I needed, yet I didn't have my list, so, running around the market like a crazy woman, I grabbed the apples, mango, then a few bananas. I ran over to the meat section to see if they had short ribs. They didn't, but they did have beef spare ribs and I couldn't resist. I got enough for 1/2 a recipe - there are only 2.5 of us, so the full recipe would have been much too much. I got some ginger, tomato paste, and looked at the fresh herb selection and decided to use dried. What I forgot was the gremolata, and the onions, and the celery!

The reheating - still lots of fat

Ok, excuses all aside, I decided to go ahead with what I had and get it to be hot on the table for dinner tonight. I browned the ribs in the pot instead of broiling and used the drippings to saute the vegetables I had - no celery, but found cippolini onions and quartered them. From there I basically stuck to the recipe - wine, port, herbs, star anise, etc. I braised the ribs in the oven for about 2 hours, then cooled the ribs on the stove for a bit before putting them in the fridge.

Gremolata components

My plan was to slow cook them until they were tender because I had to work and wouldn't be home to supervise. What I didn't want to do was dry it out. So, when the Academy Awards ended, I remembered the ribs and scrambled to get them in the slow cooker. This worked out perfectly because I was able to take off all the solidified fat, which was my original goal. I put the ribs on warm and they cooked until I got up at 5:30 am. The house smelled wonderful! I turned off the cooker, let them cool, moved them back to the original pot, and put it back in the fridge. When I got home after work, I added some baby carrots and heated it up on the stove while making the mashed white & sweet potatoes, and gremolata (with cilantro purchased today).

the evening's waitress

the finished product

So this is a recipe I'll certainly make again. Next time I'd like to get grass-fed short ribs and make this for company, maybe with risotto and roasted vegetables on the side.