Vancouver's best-kept restaurant secrets

Joe Fortes Braised Beef Shortribs

Used with permission from Executive Chef Scott Pratico Joe Fortes located in Vancouver, B.C.

Joe Fortes Braised Beef Shortribs (Recipe serves 6)

Alterations should be made to fit with your dietary needs. Please consult with your medical team before you attempt to make this recipe.

6 beef short ribs, 14 to 16 ounces each 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves 1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper 2 fresh bay leaves 1 cup diced onion 1/3 cup diced carrot 1/3 cup diced celery Sea salt Canola oil 3 cups red wine (one 750 ml bottle…..not Chateau Petrus) 6 cups beef or veal stock

• Rinse and pat ribs dry with clean cloth
• Season short ribs with thyme, cracked black pepper and bay leaves, using your hands to coat the meat well
• Toss with diced vegetables and arrange tightly packed into large plastic container
• Cover with red wine and refrigerate overnight
• Preheat oven to 300 F
• Remove short ribs from wine mixture and drain well
• Season generously on all sides with salt
• Heat a large sauté pan over high heat. Add 3 tablespoons oil and wait until the pan is very hot and almost smoking
• Working in batches, place short ribs in pan and sear until browned on all sides, about 6 minutes. Remove ribs to a braising pan
• Reduce heat to medium, add wine marinate and cook until reduced by half, scraping any bits left on sides of pan during searing
• Add stock to wine and bring to boil. Pour liquid over short ribs. Stock/wine mixture should almost cover ribs. Cover pot tightly with both foil and a lid and braise in the oven for 3½ to 4 hours
• Pierce a short rib with a paring knife to check for doneness; the meat should yield easily to the knife. Let ribs rest in their juices for 10 minutes, then transfer to a baking sheet
• Increase oven temperature to 400 F
• Place short ribs in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes to brown
• Strain broth into a saucepan, pressing down on the vegetables with a ladle to extract all the juices. Skim the fat from the sauce. If the broth seems thin, reduce it over medium-high heat to thicken slightly. Taste for seasoning
• Serve with your favourite potatoes or fresh bread

To download all of the recipes to your iPod, please visit the Recipe iPod page.