This sensational dish is bound to become your all-time favorite to make for either Hanukkah or Christmas. I know it’s my family’s favorite and I’m making it again this year! It’s much more fattening than most recipes I’ve shared because short ribs are a very fatty cut of meat. Happily, I’ve cut the fat way down by trimming all the visible fat before cooking and removing a thick layer of fat once cooked and cooled. The serving size is not huge but it is plenty. I also recommend making this dish a day or two in advance and heating again before serving. It really makes your party day much less hectic. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 6 pounds short ribs, see shopping tips
- 2 large onions, finely chopped
- 2 medium carrots, finely chopped
- 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
- 12 whole garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon herbs de Provence, see food facts
- 2 cups red Zinfandel wine, see shopping tips
- 2 ½ cups reduced-sodium beef broth
- 1 (14 ½ oz) can diced tomatoes in juice
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ cup water
- 24 baby carrots, peeled
- ½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Remove visible fat from meat. Sprinkle ribs with a little salt and pepper. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in heavy large ovenproof pot or Dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add ribs to pot and brown well, turning often, about 8 minutes per batch. If your pan is large enough, brown all at once. Using tongs, transfer ribs to large bowl.
- Pour off all drippings from pot. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add onions, chopped carrot, and celery and cook over medium-low heat until vegetables are soft, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, flour, and herbs de Provence; stir 1 minute. Add wine and 2 cups broth; bring to boil over high heat, scraping up browned bits. Add tomatoes with juices and bay leaf. Return ribs and any accumulated juices to pot. If necessary, add enough water to pot to barely cover ribs. Bring to boil.
- Cover pot tightly and transfer to oven. Bake until ribs are very tender, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours. After the first hour, add carrots and press carrots gently to submerge. Make one or two days ahead. Cool slightly, then refrigerate uncovered until cold. Cover and keep refrigerated. *The next day, remove the layer of fat that has formed on the top and toss.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. About 30 minutes before ready to serve, bring to simmer on the stove top before continuing. Add remaining ½ cup broth and Kalamata olives to pot. Cover, return to oven and continue cooking at 350°F about 15 minutes, until heated through. Discard bay leaf. Transfer short ribs and carrots to platter. Tent with foil to keep warm. Pour sauce over short ribs.
- This holiday I’m serving this meat dish with my recipe for Outrageously Delicious, Skinny Au Gratin Potatoes. Or serve with my Roasted Garlic Mash Potatoes and Roasted Asparagus.
Notes
Serves 8-12 depending on how large a portion you want to serve
Food Facts
Herbs de Provence are a dried herb mixture available in the spice section of some markets. A mix of dried thyme, basil, savory, and fennel seeds can be substituted. Kalalmata olives are small brine-cured black olives found in most supermarkets.
Shopping Tips
Costco sells the most beautiful short ribs. They’re boneless and packed in about 6 pound packages. Cut the long strips in half before cooking. They sell for about $25.00 for the 6 pounds. You’ll save money buying them there. If not, ask your butcher at the supermarket to cut some boneless short ribs. It’s also okay to use bone-in ones. Trader Joe’s sells their own brand of Zinfandel wine that’s reasonably priced. You don’t need an expensive bottle of wine for this recipe.
Weight Watchers POINTS PLUS 14
Food Facts
Herbs de Provence are a dried herb mixture available in the spice section of some markets. A mix of dried thyme, basil, savory, and fennel seeds can be substituted. Kalalmata olives are small brine-cured black olives found in most supermarkets.
Shopping Tips
Costco sells the most beautiful short ribs. They’re boneless and packed in about 6 pound packages. Cut the long strips in half before cooking. They sell for about $25.00 for the 6 pounds. You’ll save money buying them there. If not, ask your butcher at the supermarket to cut some boneless short ribs. It’s also okay to use bone-in ones. Trader Joe’s sells their own brand of Zinfandel wine that’s reasonably priced. You don’t need an expensive bottle of wine for this recipe.
Weight Watchers POINTS PLUS 14
| SKINNY FACTS: well not sooo skinny facts for 1 serving based on 12 servings 510 calories, 27g fat, 62g protein, 11g carbs, 2g fiber, 360mg sodium, 5g sugar |
Skinny Facts
Serving: 1servingCalories: 510kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 62gFat: 27gSodium: 360mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gPlus Points: 14
