Like a limbo contest, low and slow is the name of the game. When you’re preparing a short rib stew, you need a solid three hours to let it soak up the red wine, garlic and mesquite flavors you’ve added to the mix. But just think what you can do with three hours on a cold winter’s day. While dinner’s in the oven, enjoy quality family time, tend to the fireplace and sip on that delicious leftover red wine. Or, you could limbo – completely your call.
Makes 4-6 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 3 hours
Ingredients
6 short ribs
1 large onion, chopped
1 leek, chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 butternut squash, peeled and diced into roughly 1-inch cubes
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
2 Tbsp. MRM Mesquite Powder
1 Tbsp. fresh chopped thyme
2 bay leaves
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter or butter alternative
1 cup red wine
2 cans organic plum tomatoes
5 cups beef stock or broth
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Add a splash of olive oil to a roasting tray and heat in over for 5 minutes.
- Season ribs with salt and pepper. Carefully place ribs on pre-heated tray and roast 15 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the tray and set aside.
- Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees F.
- Place Dutch oven or other oven-safe pot on the stove, add a drizzle of olive oil and heat to medium-high. Add onion, leek and garlic. Cook gently 2-3 minutes, being careful not to brown the veggies.
- Add squash, carrots, Mesquite Powder, chopped thyme and bay leaves, and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add flour and butter, and cook 2 minutes.
- Turn up the heat to high and add red wine. Bring to a boil and reduce liquid by half.
- Add seasoned short ribs, canned tomatoes and beef stock, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and cover.
- Place pot in the oven for 3 hours. Remove and serve with your choice of seasoned, steamed vegetables.