4 cups of chicken stock (canned reduced-sodium chicken broth)
½ cup dried porcini mushrooms
6 pounds beef short ribs, cut into 5 – 6 ounce pieces
Salt
Fresh ground black pepper
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 large onions, chopped (about 3 cups)
¼ cup minced pancetta
1 ½ cups grated carrot
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 fresh or dried bay leaves
6 whole cloves
1/3 cup tomato paste
2 cups crushed Italian San Marzano plum tomatoes and their liquid
Preparation:
Bring the wine to a boil in a medium saucepan.
Lower the heat so the wine is boiling gently and cook until the wine is reduced to 1 cup. Set aside.
Bring chicken stock to a boil.
Pour 1 cup of the hot stock over the mushrooms in a small, heatproof bowl.
Let stand until softened, about 20 minutes.
Drain the mushrooms through cheesecloth or coffee filter; reserve the soaking liquid.
Rinse the mushrooms briefly to remove any grit.
Chop the mushrooms coarsely and set them aside.
Season the ribs with salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a large braising pan over medium heat.
Place as short rib pieces into the pan in a single layer.
Cook, turning as necessary, until evenly and well browned on all sides.
Remove them to a plate and repeat with the remaining ribs.
Adjust the heat as the ribs cook, so that they do not burn.
Pour off all but about 1 tablespoons of the fat from the pan.
Stir in the onions and pancetta and cook, stirring, until the onions are lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the chopped mushrooms and the carrot, rosemary, bay leaves, and cloves.
Season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook until the carrot is wilted, about 2 minutes.
Add the tomato paste and stir well until the vegetables are coated and the tomato paste begins to darken, 2 minutes.
Instructions:
Pour in the reduced wine and the crushed tomatoes and tuck the browned short ribs into the pan.
Pour enough of the remaining chicken stock to just cover the ribs.
Bring to a boil.
Lower the heat so the liquid is at a rapid simmer.
Cook, adding the remaining stock a little at a time as necessary to keep the ribs covered, until the ribs are tender and just about to fall off the bone, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
Taste the cooking liquid at that time and add salt as necessary.
Take out the ribs from the sauce, carefully so as to prevent the bone from falling out, and set them on a baking sheet.
Strain, pushing the liquid through with the back of the ladle, through a strainer placed over a bowl.
Discard the solids and return the liquid to the pan.
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