Active Time

　　45 min

　　Total Time

　　3 hr

　　Chefs know this secret: Short ribs are long on flavor. Their rich, meaty taste makes them a perfect choice for cooks who want full-bodied food with very little fuss. This dish was inspired by a recipe in Daniel Boulud's Café Boulud Cookbook. The chef begins by reducing a great deal of red wine. We adopted his technique, which produces such a rich and delicious sauce, it tastes as if many days—and ingredients—were required to produce it.

　　Like many people, we love to serve short ribs with a comforting side dish of mashed or roasted potatoes.

　　Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 3 hr

　　

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

　　4 cups dry red wine

　　4 lb beef short ribs (also called flanken)

　　10 shallots (10 oz), trimmed, halved if large

　　3 tablespoons coarse-grain Dijon mustard, or to taste

　　6 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise

　　

Step 1

Boil wine in a 2-quart heavy saucepan until reduced to about 1 cup.

　　

Step 2

While wine is reducing, pat ribs dry and cut crosswise into 1-rib pieces (each about 2 1/2 inches long). Season well with salt and pepper.

　　

Step 3

Heat a dry 5-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot, then brown ribs well in 3 batches on all sides, about 8 minutes for each batch. Transfer browned ribs with tongs to a bowl.

　　

Step 4

Reduce heat to moderate and brown shallots well in fat remaining in pot, stirring. Transfer with a slotted spoon to another bowl.

　　

Step 5

Stir wine and mustard into juices in pot. Add ribs and simmer, covered, 1 3/4 hours.

　　

Step 6

Gently stir in shallots and tomatoes and continue to simmer, covered, without stirring, until meat is very tender, about 40 minutes.

　　

Step 7

Carefully transfer ribs, shallots, and tomatoes to a platter and skim off any fat from cooking liquid. Season sauce with salt, pepper, and mustard to taste and pour over ribs.