Daniel Restaurant New York

Ingredients

3 bottles dry red wine

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

8 short ribs, trimmed of excess fat

Salt and crushed black peppercorns

Flour, for dredging

8 large shallots, peeled, trimmed, split, rinsed and dried

2 medium-sized carrots, peeled, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths

2 ribs of celery, peeled, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths

1 medium-sized leek (white and light-green parts), coarsely chopped, washed and dried

10 cloves of garlic, peeled

6 sprigs flat-leaf parsley

2 bay leaves and 2 thyme sprigs

2 tablespoons tomato paste

3 quarts unsalted beef broth

Freshly ground white pepper

Directions

Step 1: Pour the wine into a large saucepan set over medium heat. When the wine is hot, carefully set it aflame. Let the flames die out, then increase the heat so that the wine boils; allow it to boil until it cooks down by half. Remove from the heat.

Step 2: Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350°F.

Step 3: Warm the oil in a large, heavy, ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Season the ribs all over with salt and the crushed pepper. Dust half of the ribs with about 1 tablespoon flour. Then, when the oil is hot, slip the ribs into the pot and sear 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until well-browned.

Step 4: Transfer the ribs to a plate. Repeat with remaining ribs. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pot, lower the heat under the pot to medium and toss in the vegetables and herbs.

Step 5: Brown the vegetables lightly, 5 to 7 minutes, then stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.

Step 6: Add the wine, ribs and broth to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover tightly and place in the oven to braise for 2 1/2 hours or until the ribs are very tender.

Step 7: Every 30 minutes, skim and discard fat from the surface. (It's best to make the recipe to this point, cool and chill the ribs and broth in the pan overnight; scrape off the fat the next day. Rewarm before continuing.)

Step 8: Carefully transfer the meat to a platter; keep warm. Boil the pan liquid until it has reduced to 1 quart. Season with salt and white pepper and pass through a fine strainer; discard the solids. Spoon the sauce over the meat and serve.

Step 9: Tip: the ribs and sauce can be combined and kept covered in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Reheat gently, basting frequently, on top of the stove or in a 350°F oven. Serves 8