Here’s a friendly warning: If you have a family of hearty eaters, you may want to make extra to avoid a showdown over the last rib at the end of dinner.  This dish is one of my personal favorites.  I braise the ribs using a combination of dry and moist heats, which brings out the rich beefy flavor and creates the tenderness for the meat.  My friends have actually asked to take doggy bags home if there are any leftovers.  A hearty Cabernet, Zinfandel, or Syrah will do nicely.

Ingredients

• 5-6 pounds bone-in short ribs, cut into 4” pieces
• Kosher salt
• Pepper
• 2 tablespoons healthy vegetable oil
• 2 large yellow onions, peeled and sliced
• 8 garlic gloves, peeled and cut in half
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 cups of a bold red wine, such as a Cabernet
• 2 cups beef broth
• 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 4 sprigs of thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ teaspoon unflavored gelatin
• ¼ cup of water
• 1 pound Pappardelle

Directions

1. Preheat over to 300°F.
2. Season ribs with salt and pepper.
3. Heat oil in a Dutch oven. Cook ribs over medium-high heat until well browned, about 4-6 minute on each side.  Transfer ribs to a medium bowl.  Repeat until all the ribs are cooked.
4. Reduce heat to medium and add onions. Cook until beginning to brown,  about 10-15 minutes. Add tomato paste and garlic stirring constantly for 2 minutes.
5. Increase heat to medium-high. Add 2 cups of the wine and 1 cup of the broth.  Boil vigorously to reduce by about ½ (about 8-10 minutes.)
6. Add carrots, thyme and bay leaf, beef and juice left in the bowl. Add additional wine and broth if beef is not covered.
7. Place Dutch oven to the oven and cook for about 2 to 2 ½ hours. About halfway through, check the ribs.  If ribs are not covered in liquid add up to ½ cup more of wine and/or broth.
8. Sprinkle gelatin over the water and let sit for 5 minutes.
9. In a large pot boil four quarts water. Cook Pappardelle.
10. Transfer ribs and carrots from the Dutch oven. Remove the bones, which should slip right off the meat.
11. Strain the liquids from the Dutch oven through a sieve, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible into a fat separator. Discard the left over solids.
12. Pour the liquid back into the Dutch over straining off the fat. Cook over medium heat until reduced to about 1 ½ cups, about 5-10 minutes.
13. Remove from heat and add the gelatin mixture. Adjust seasonings.
14. Serve beef ribs over Pappardelle and pour sauce over meat to serve. (Also try over a creamy polenta as an alternative.)