Braised Beef Short Ribs with Gremolata

Short Ribs:

• 6 pounds beef short ribs, cut 2 inches thick
• Salt, to taste
• Freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 large onions; roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 leeks, pale parts only; roughly chopped
• 1 carrot; peeled, and roughly chopped
• 2 plum tomatoes; roughly chopped
• 6 cloves garlic; smashed
• 6 sprigs thyme
• 8 sprigs parsley
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 1/2 cups red wine
• 3 cups hot beef stock

Gremolata:

• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1 large garlic clove, minced

Short Ribs

1. Cut ribs into smaller pieces and season generously with salt and pepper. Refrigerate 4 to 6 hours or overnight.
2. Arrange ribs bone-side down in roasting pan and roast at 475 degrees until lightly browned. Remove ribs and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, sauté onions in olive oil in large skillet over medium heat until lightly colored. Add leeks and carrot and cook until slightly softened. Add tomatoes, garlic, thyme, parsley and bay leaves and sauté 2 minutes more.
4. Spread vegetable mixture in roasting pan and arrange ribs on top of vegetables, bone-side up.
5. Add wine and enough hot stock to barely cover ribs. Cover pan tightly with foil and place into the oven. When braise begins to simmer, after about 20 minutes, loosen foil and reduce heat to 350 degrees.
6. Begin to test for doneness after 1 1/2 hours. A skewer or paring knife inserted into meat should encounter no resistance, and meat should be nearly falling from bone. When they are tender, uncover ribs. Turn them again so that bone side is down.
7. Pour off and reserve braising juices. Raise heat to 450 degrees and return ribs to oven for browning.
8. When they are beautifully glazed, remove from oven. Strain braising liquid into bowl, pressing down on solids to extract juices. Allow liquid to settle, then spoon out grease.
9. Pour liquid back over ribs and reheat. Serve with Gremolata.

Gremolata

1. Just before serving, combine parsley, lemon zest, and garlic and scatter over short ribs. One of our favorite recipes (from Chez Panisse Cafe Cookbook) – MV

Recommended Wines:
Spicy, rich zinfandels. Try it with Pagani Ranch, Boatman, or Three Valleys.

Recipe provided by Chief Executive Officer, Mark Vernon, who has been with Ridge since 1998. A native Californian, Mark grew up in Palo Alto and became passionate about fine wine as a young adult. He will always remember his first trip up Monte Bello Road to taste wine at Ridge. Mark lives in Cloverdale with his wife, Dianne, and their son, Gage.