Short ribs are easy to cook if you’ve never had a chance to do it. They are a great beef option on a menu that can be easily executed.

I came up with this recipe for a culinary dinner we are doing. The theme of the evening is California Cuisine. I chose a pino noir from the region called the show.

To cook the short ribs I rubbed them with salt and pepper and seared them in a pan on medium high heat. You don’t want a really hot pan and high flame when searing them. Give the short ribs time to sear checking them occasionally until you get a nice golden look. Do this to both sides. I remove the meat and add in celery, carrots, cipollini onions, and garlic to the pan and sweat them down. I deglazed with the red wine and let it simmer. I add beef stock and fresh thyme and a few bay leaves. Let the broth simmer for a while. I transfer the beef to a deep pan and pour the broth and vegetables over the top. You want the liquid to come up slightly more than half way on the beef. Cover with a lid or foil and bake at 325 for 3-4 hours in a convention oven. When you take it out the meat should feel tender and soft. I like to make this part a day ahead. I transfer the beef to a tray and refrigerated. I strain the broth and also refrigerate it. The next day the fat that was on the broth will be easy to remove. I bring it to a boil and adjust to season. Using a slurry I tighten it to a thick consistency. I slice the beef and clean off any fat. I bake it covered with a little broth to get it hot without drying it out.

Sunchokes are prepare two ways. I wash and peel the Sunchokes. Using a small melon baller I scoop them into perfect rounds. I sauté them in olive oil until golden and then add a bunch of butter and keep cooking them until tender. Season with salt and pepper. I also use a mandolin to slice them thin and then fry them. They make an awesome chip.

I took the onions with the skin on them and roasted them at 400 for about an hour until soft and dark. I let them cool and squeeze out the middle. I purée them with a little olive oil, lemon juice and s/p. This makes an awesome sweet onion “cream”.

To make the red wine reduction I cooked three cups red wine to one cup sugar and simmered it to a thick consistency.

If you love horseradish sauce give this a try. I take heavy cream and whip it until thick. Then I fold in the horseradish, cracked black pepper, and salt. It’s delicious.

Enjoy!