Cut your onions, celery, and carrots. These cuts do not need to be fancy but make sure they are relatively the same size.

Make sure to peel the onions and carrots and cut the top and bottoms off of the celery. Put these cut veggies into a container and set them aside.

Peel your garlic, give them a firm smash and add them to the container with the other veggies.

Now preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit

Get your pans ready. Find a roasting pan that is deep enough to cover the roast and the liquids without spilling.

I’d recommend at least 3 inches deep. A braiser pan or dutch oven also works great. Place this next to your stovetop and toss in your bay leaves and thyme. 

Cut your roast into your preferred serving sizes. Remember, they will shrink when they are fully cooked.

Cut the roast the long way against the grain of the meat in about 2-inch portions.

Again, these don’t need to be perfect cuts but make sure they are consistent and uniform. Once they are cut and ready to go, coat every side evenly with fine salt and pepper.

Be liberal with your seasoning; once you think you’ve added just the right amount, add more. 

Step Two, Cook Meat

Place a large skillet or cooking pan on your stovetop on medium-high heat and add your oil. Try to use a pan that is large enough to fit all of your meat evenly at once. If you don’t have a pan big enough, you can do this next step twice. 

Wait for the pan to heat up. You can tell when the pan is ready by watching the oil, it will start to shimmer and dance just slightly.

Don’t let your oil get too hot, or you will burn your oil (olive oil will burn quicker than canola oil) or start your kitchen on fire. 

Now, with a pair of tongs, add your meat to the pan. Press down on the meat firmly to make sure it is cooking evenly. Add as many pieces of meat as you can while having enough space to cook each piece evenly.

Rotate the meat once it has a deep brown coloring. Once every side has been seared, add the meat on top of the bay leaves and thyme in your pan. 

Reduce the pan to medium heat, add your butter, let melt, then add your veggies.

Step Three, Add Veggies

Add a sprinkle of salt to the veggies to help draw out moisture and flavor. With plastic or wooden spoon, stir the veggies around the pan, evenly cooking the vegetables and removing the leftover bits from the meat (this is where the flavor really comes from). Continue this step until the veggies are cooked and the onions start to become translucent.

Step Four, Make the Sauce

For the sauce, you’ll need 1 large shallot, 3 garlic cloves, 1 cup sugar, and 3 cups red wine.

Get your wine sauce ready by mixing all ingredients together and turn your heat back up to medium-high.

At this point, if you are able and of legal age, I highly recommend taking a couple of drinks of the wine to make sure it’s a good enough wine to drink.

If it’s not good enough to drink, it’s not good enough to cook with. I used a red blend from Cannon River Winery here in Minnesota.

According to a Masterclass article, the other red wines that are good to cook with are Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, or a Merlot. 

Add 2 cups of wine to the pan with the veggies and reduce by half to cook off the alcohol.

Continue to stir the veggies around the pan to break up any remnants from the meat. 

Step Five, Dish Up & Enjoy! 

Finally, pour the veggies and wine on top of your meat.

Add water, enough to completely submerge the meat. Cover the pan with 2 layers of tin foil and toss it in the oven for 3 hours.

Once it’s time, take it out of the oven, pull back a corner of tin foil, and let it rest in its juices for at least 20 minutes. 

And enjoy! 

   

Wine Braised Short Rib Recipe