Melt in your Mouth Short Ribs

6 beef short ribs
2 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 TB ancho chile powder
2 TB olive oil
1 small onion, sliced
2 cups shredded carrots

1 cup demi-glace (I used a concentrated demi-glace called Demi-Glace Gold found at cooking and gourmet stores) or 1 1/2 cups beef stock

1 12 oz. bottle lager beer
2 TB tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano, preferably Mexican
1 tsp dried thyme

Season the ribs with salt, pepper and ancho chile powder. In a large, deep pan heat oil over medium high heat. Brown the ribs on all sides, in batches if needed. Remove the browned ribs from pan, and reserve. Add the onion and carrots to pan, and saute until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the ribs back to the pan along with the remaining ingredients. Stir to dissolve the tomato paste, bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook the ribs 1 hour, then turn over and continue to cook until the ribs are extremely tender and the meat is pulling away from the bone. This will take about 30 - 60 minutes. Once the ribs are tender, remove them from the pan. There will be a copious amount of fat on the top of the gravy. Skim the fat off with a spoon, and dispose of it in the trash. In a blender or food processor, blend the gravy until smooth. Return the gravy to the pan, and adjust the seasoning as needed. If the gravy is too thick, add some water or stock to thin it to your desired consistency.

Complementary Wines: Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Meritage, Shiraz, Tempranillo, Zinfandel

If you'd like more delicious recipes and wine pairings, join my website.