Now that Autumn is officially here and the shorts and flip flops have made their way to the back of the closet, it's time to think of those big red wines which will enhance some of the heartier dishes you will be cooking this fall and winter. Laurent Tourondel's recipe is my absolute favorite one for short ribs. The meat becomes very tender after slowly simmering in the wine, and the sauce turns into a thick, rich, glaze. Such a satisfying dish for a cold day!

Serve the ribs on a Sunday evening with mashed potatoes, roasted broccolini and a crisp salad. They taste delicious with a beautiful Malbec from one of my favorite Argentine producers, Pascual Toso. Scroll down after the recipe for more information on the wines. What a great way to start off your week! Bon Appétit!

Braised Short Ribs With A Red Wine Port Sauce

Adapted from a recipe by Laurent Tourondel

Serves 4

Ribs:

4 - 5 lbs bone-in beef short ribs

salt & freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 celery stalks, trimmed and cut into 1” pieces

1 large onion, cut into 1-inch pieces

15 cloves of garlic, peeled and halved

6 large shallots, peeled and chopped

15 black peppercorns, cracked

3 tablespoons tomato paste

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 slices bacon, cut into 3” pieces

2 sprigs rosemary

6 sprigs thyme

6 large sage leaves

1 bottle (750 ml) dry red wine, such as the Pascual Toso Estate Malbec (see below)

2 & 1/4 cups ruby port (a good substitute is sweet PX Sherry)

2 & 3/4 cups low sodium beef broth

3 & 1/3 cups low sodium chicken broth

6 large (about 1 pound) plum tomatoes, halved

2 tablespoons lemon zest or thinly sliced lemon peel, optional

4 rosemary sprigs for garnish

Instructions

1) Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a very large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add as many ribs as will fit comfortably in the pot without crowding and brown them on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer the ribs to a plate. Repeat with the remaining ribs.

2) Remove all but 1/4 cup of fat from the pan. Add carrots, celery, onion, garlic, shallots and black peppercorns to the pan. Cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook, stirring, for two minutes. Add flour and stir until blended. Add bacon, rosemary, thyme, sage, wine and port. Bring to a boil and cook until the liquid is reduced by two-thirds, about 45 minutes.

3) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Return the ribs to the pot. Add the beef and chicken broths and the tomatoes and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cover the pot loosely with foil and place in the oven. Bake for 3 & 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender when pierced with a fork. I like to take a peek into the pot about 15-20 minutes after I put it into the oven to make sure it is slowly, gently simmering and not boiling.

4) Remove ribs from pot. Strain cooking liquid through a sieve into a clean pot and discard solids. Bring liquid to a simmer and cook until reduced to 4 cups and sauce is thick, rich and glossy, about one hour. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Return ribs to pot and reheat.

5) Transfer ribs and sauce to a serving dish, sprinkle with lemon zest if desired, a sprig of rosemary and serve immediately. For even more intense flavors, make the short ribs one or two days before serving, reheating before serving. Serve with mashed potatoes to soak up some of the delicious sauce!

What To Drink With The Short Ribs:

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Felipe Stahlschmidt, chief winemaker at Pascual Toso, one of the oldest wineries in Argentina. For over 125 years, the winery has been producing high-quality, terroir-driven wines, both white and red.

Over a dinner paired with several of them, Felipe talked about the winery's commitment to making premium wines from the best vineyards in Mendoza. For these short ribs I am recommending three of the Pascual Toso Malbecs which I tasted and thought were exceptional wines. All of them, while unique in their own way have distinct herbal (thyme, mint, rosemary), savory notes that back up the big, powerful Malbec fruit on both the nose and the palate.

Pascual Toso wines are an ideal match with the earthy, rich and slightly sweet flavors in the short rib dish. These wines are readily available; visit www.wine-searcher.com to find out where to find them.

Pascual Toso Estate Malbec 2014 ($13.99) - "This Estate-grown Malbec reveals a fruity nose filled with plum and quince aromas and a slight touch of elegant oak. The mouthfeel is full with flavors of blackberry and licorice, and has a rich and lingering finish, with smoky accents of vanilla and oak.” (Pascual Toso website). This Malbec is an excellent value and would add a lot of flavor to the short rib dish if used in the recipe.
Pascual Toso Reserva Malbec 2014 ($24.99) - "Ripe plums and raspberry fruit are the first aromas to reach the nose on this dark red Reserva Malbec. Slightly toasted, gentle tannins, as well as spice and chocolate, join the aforementioned fruits on the palate. This wine finishes long, lingering and focused".
Pascual Toso Alta Malbec 2013 ($49.99) - "A special wine which has been made with grapes from sixty year-old vines. It presents slight hints of violet and a fruity nose and evokes blackberries, spices and tobacco. This Malbec will leave you with a rich and lingering finish". This Malbec, with its intense smokey, fruity and spicy aromas and flavors pairs wonderfully with the rich flavors of the short rib dish.