1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. salt
1 bottle good red wine
4 beef short ribs (per person)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 carrot, roughly chopped
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 celery rib
1 head of garlic, halved
Several sprigs of parsley, thyme, sage, and a few bay leaves
6 tomatoes, very ripe
Homemade chicken stock or water
Dissolve sugar and salt in wine and pour over ribs. Marinate overnight or for up to 48 hours.
Heat oven to 300 degrees F. Remove ribs from marinade, and reserve marinade. Pat ribs dry and season liberally with salt and pepper. In skillet, brown on all sides. Transfer ribs to small Dutch oven or baking pan. Pour off fat from skillet, and brown vegetables. Add garlic, herbs, and tomatoes. Cook until most of liquid from tomatoes is dissolved. Add half of marinade and bring to a simmer; pour over ribs. Add enough stock to nearly cover ribs. Cover and braise in oven for 3 hours or until tender.
Cool and transfer to plate. Remove cartilage, bones, and fat if desired. Discard vegetables from sauce and reduce until thickened. All of this can be done in advance. To serve, reheat ribs and sauce in covered pan, then transfer ribs to serving platter. Serve sauce on the side or pour over ribs. Serves 4; doubles easily for 8.
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