Rodney Bower's Ribs

The key to this recipe is the initial slow cooking after which you let the ribs cool and then chill overnight in the fridge. This makes it much easier to remove the generous amount of excess fat that ends up solidifying in the chilling process. The beef ribs also spend the whole night absorbing the flavour of the stock.

Ingredients

• 4 3-bone beef short ribs, cut 2 inches thick

• Salt and pepper

• 4 cloves of garlic crashed with the back of the knife

• 5 tbsp oil

• 2 sweet onions peeled and chopped

• 1 small tin of tomato paste

• 1 stalk celery chopped

• 1 carrot peeled and chopped

• 4 sprigs or thyme and rosemary, plus 3 bay leaves all bundles into a herb pouch.

• 1/2 of 750 ml good dry red wine

• 6 cups veal stock

Method

Preheat oven to 350F.

Season the ribs to taste with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large heavy bottomed, ovenproof pan over high heat. Add ribs and brown on all sides. Work in batches. Transfer to a plate.

In the pan add onions, celery and carrots and saute, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 10 min. Pour out excess fat, add the tomato paste and cook for another min, then add the wine, deglazing the bottom. Reduce wine to 3/4, until thick and slightly syrupy, about 15 min.

Return the ribs to the pan, add the veal stock and enough water to cover the ribs, plus the herb bundle and garlic. Bring to a boil, cover and put in the oven. Braise until the meat is cooked, 2-2.5 hrs. Allow the ribs to cool in the liquid, remove the herb, cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, remove excess fat that has solidified at the top from chilling. PLace the pan with the ribs and liquid over medium heat, uncovered.. Cook until the liquid has reduced by 3/4, about 1 hr.

Continue to cook, spooning the sauce over the ribs, until the sauce is thick and ribs are glazed. Take care not to burn the glaze.

To make it fancy, whisk in a few cubes of butter at the end for a velvety jus for the ribs.