If you want a holiday recipe that tastes luxurious but is secretly effortless, this one’s a winner.

Scripps News food and wellness contributor Jessica DeLuise brings us red wine braised short ribs. Paired with a cheesy root vegetable mash, it’s comfort food with a festive twist.

Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

Ingredients

• 4 lbs trimmed and cut beef short ribs
• 3 large carrots
• 2 ribs celery
• 1 medium yellow onion
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 2 cups beef stock
• 1 cup red wine
• 3-4 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp avocado oil

Instructions

• Pat the short ribs dry with paper towels.
• Lay them out the short ribs on a platter and season all sides evenly with 1 tablespoon of the salt.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Heat a large dutch oven or oven-safe stock pot over medium heat and add the avocado oil.
• Place the short ribs in the pot in a single layer and sear on all sides until deeply browned, about 3–4 minutes per side. Work in batches if needed so they don’t steam.
• Remove the browned short ribs and set them back on the platter.
• Turn off the heat to the stock pot.
• Peel and dice the carrots into ½ inch dices.
• Chop the celery and onion in similar - sized pieces.
• Turn the heat back on to the stock pot to low-medium.
• Add the carrots, celery, and onion to the pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and begin to brown, about 6–8 minutes.
• While the vegetables cook, mince the garlic.
• Add the garlic to the pot and cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly, until it darkens slightly and coats the vegetables.
• Chop the herbs into a mince. Add the fresh herbs, oregano, salt, and pepper to the stock pot.
• Pour in the red wine and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits. This is called fond and is rich in flavor.
• Let the wine simmer for 5–7 minutes, until slightly reduced.
• Add the beef stock to the stock pot and mix.
• Return the short ribs to the pot, nestling them into the liquid so they are mostly submerged.
• Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer, then cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid.
• Transfer the pot to the oven and cook for 2½ to 3 hours, until the short ribs are fork-tender and pulling away from the bone.
• Carefully remove the pot from the oven.
• Carefully remove the short ribs from the sauce.

Optional steps

• Use an immersion blender to blend the sauce together into a thick sauce.
• Strain the sauce through a mesh sieve to catch any fragments from the sauce.
• Let the short ribs rest in the sauce for 10–15 minutes before serving.
• Serve the short ribs on top of the mash.
• Spoon some of the sauce over the plate.
• Tops with fresh parsley and more pecorino romano cheese if desired.

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Cheesy Root Vegetable Mash

Ingredients

• 2 large parsnips
• 3 small-medium Yukon Gold potatoes
• 4 cups of chicken stock
• ½ cup grated pecorino romano cheese
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp salt

Instructions

• Wash and peel the vegetables.
• Chop the vegetables in 1 inch square pieces.
• Add the vegetables, broth, garlic, and spices to a saucepan.
• Simmer the vegetables until fork-tender.
• Use a potato masher or the edge of a spoon to mash the vegetables with broth and garlic.
• Use a mixing spoon or spatula to mix the butter grated cheese into the mash.
• Serve warm with the short ribs.

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