Guinness Braised Short Ribs

I wish that I could remember where I found this recipe so that I could give thanks and credit because these short ribs ROCK!  The gravy is super rich and flavorful and the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender.  Even better is that this recipe freezes and reheats beautifully so a great make-ahead meal to pull from the freezer on a cold winter night.

Guinness Braised Short Ribs

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 TBS. paprika
1 1/2 TBS. Madras curry powder
3 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
6 pounds beef short ribs, cut into 4-inch pieces
5 tablespoons olive oil
6 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only), chopped
6 large carrots, chopped
5 celery ribs, chopped
4 bay leaves
1/2 cup freshly chopped garlic
3 cups beef broth
Three 12-ounce bottles Guinness
42-ounces canned diced tomatoes

In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, paprika, curry powder, cumin, pepper, salt and mustard.

Use paper towels, pat the ribs dry. Arrange them in a single layer, bone side down, in a large roasting pan then generously coat all sides of ribs with spice mixture, sprinkle any extra spice mixture on the top of the ribs. Chill, uncovered for 1-2 hours.

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large sauté pan, over high heat, heat the oil until hot but not smoking. Add the ribs, working in batches if necessary and quickly brown them on the three meaty sides, about one minute per side. Transfer the meat back to the large roasting pan, bone side down. Once all the meat has been browned, in the same sauté pan add leeks, carrots, celery, bay leaves and garlic. Cook over medium heat stirring occasionally until the vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add a little bit of the beef broth to the pan to deglaze and incorporate the fond into the veggies. Spoon the cooked veggie mix over the browned ribs. To the roasting pan add the remaining broth, beer and tomatoes with their juice. Cover the pan tightly with heavy-duty foil. Place in the oven and braise until the meat is very tender, about 3 hours. When properly cooked, a pairing knife inserted into the meat should have little resistance.

Remove the bay leaves and cool the ribs completely, uncovered. Skim off any excess fat from the surface of sauce. Cover and refrigerate a day or two as the flavors will improve. To serve, reheat the covered pan in a 350 F oven for 1 1/2 hours.

I served the ribs over buttered egg noodles.

Enjoy!