Shorts for a snowy day

When it's predicted to snow 6-8 inches, you've just returned from the store with some peasant cut of beef, and you just happen to have a couple of extra bottles of red wine laying around (literally laying around...strewn....on the floor....like, 'kids, watch out for those bottles of red wine') there's really nothing one can do but -

1. Hunker down,
2. finally pick up the bottles of red wine, and
3. prepare a meal of braised short ribs and creamed mashed potatoes.

(uploaded from restaurantwidow.com)

Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

from Food&Wine

These braised ribs are even better the next day--on their own or in the delicious sandwich that follows.

Recipe by Tom Valenti, chef and co-owner, Ouest, New York City

Ingredients

1. 1/4 cup pure olive oil
2. 6 pounds meaty beef short ribs on the bone
3. Salt and freshly ground pepper
4. 2 celery ribs, coarsely chopped
5. 1 carrot, coarsely chopped
6. 1 large onion,coarsely chopped
7. 1/2 cup tomato paste
8. 5 thyme sprigs
9. 3 anchovy fillets, chopped
10. 1 bay leaf
11. 1 head of garlic, halved crosswise
12. 1 quart chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
13. 2 cups dry red wine
14. 1/3 cup white vinegar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large enameled cast-iron casserole. Season the ribs with salt and pepper. Add half of the short ribs to the casserole and cook over moderately high heat until browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer the ribs to a plate. Repeat with the remaining oil and ribs.
2. Add the celery, carrot and onion to the casserole and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until glossy, about 2 minutes. Add the thyme sprigs, anchovies, bay leaf and garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the stock, wine and vinegar and bring to a boil. Return the short ribs to the casserole, then cover them and braise in the oven until the meat is very tender, about 3 hours.
3. Transfer the ribs to a platter. Strain the braising liquid, pressing hard on the solids; skim the fat. Season with salt and pepper. Serve half of the ribs with some of the sauce. Reserve the rest in the remaining sauce for sandwiches.

Make Ahead

The short ribs can be refrigerated in their sauce for 3 days.