Braised Country Style Ribs in Red Wine Sauce

My husband and I went to Philadelphia for the 4th of July weekend last year. We took in all the sights and sounds that we possibly could while we were there.

We had decided to walk to the Eastern State Penitentiary, an old prison which was open from 1829 to 1921, which housed criminals such as Al Capone and Willie Sutton. It is now a museum, but roaming the halls still gives one the intense feel of being incarcerated, but I digress...

Al Capone's cell, as it was at the time of his incarceration

It was hot, and my husband and I decided to pop into a local tavern for a little refreshment. We bellied up to the bar and ordered a couple of pints. The bartender placed a menu before us when she brought our libations, and although we weren't hungry yet, we browsed through the culinary masterpieces that the bar's chef had to offer. Yes, I said, "culinary masterpieces". In. A. Bar. Tim and I decided at that moment to come back later on for dinner.

I ordered the braised ribs, and when they arrived, my mouth experienced the most wonderful flavor of my life! I thought about that meal for days afterward. I HAD to replicate this recipe. This is what I came up with, and it is pretty darned close. I'm willing to bet Al Capone would approve.

Braised Country Style Ribs in Red Wine Sauce

Time: 4 1/2 hours

Active: 30 minutes

Cook Time 4 hours

Level: Easy

Ingredients

4 lbs beef ribs

1 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, diced

1 can beef broth

1 bottle red wine

3 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary

3 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 250°

Preheat a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Drizzle in olive oil and brown ribs on all sides, 2-3 minutes each. Don't crowd the pan, and work in batches, removing browned ribs to a plate until all are finished. 

In the same pan, add onions and garlic, stirring frequently until translucent, 4-5 minutes.

Pour in beef broth and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Pour in the bottle of red wine and bring to a boil. When the liquid is boiling, add ribs back to the pot and cover. Place the covered dish into the preheated oven and let it cook for 3 1/2 hours.

After 3 1/2 hours, remove from the oven and put it back on the stove top,  on medium-high heat, for 30 minutes more, or until liquid reduces by 1/3.

Serve with sauce drizzled over the ribs and over mashed potatoes or egg noodles. 

And a bottle of good, red wine.

If you try this, let me know about it! Leave your comments below. I'd love to hear from you!