Beef Short Ribs with Cabernet-Port Sauce

4 beef short ribs, bone in, 3 1 /2 inches wide
4 750-ml bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon
1 /2 cup olive oil
2 large carrots, peeled
1 large onion, peeled
4 celery stalks
1 pound stewing beef, in 2-inch pieces
1 head of garlic, unpeeled, cut in half crosswise
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bottle Port
2 1 /2 quarts beef broth (about six 14 1 /2 -ounce cans)
salt and pepper

Soak the ribs overnight in 1 bottle of the wine. Dry the ribs and salt liberally, reserving the wine. Sear the ribs in 1 /3 cup of the olive oil, browning on all
sides. Remove the bones and allow the meat to cool completely.

Cut the carrots, onion, and celery into large dice. In a large kettle, brown the stewing beef in the remaining oil. Add the diced vegetables and cook, stirring,
until caramelized.

Add the wine marinade and the remaining 3 bottles of wine, the garlic, thyme, and Port. Cook over high heat until the liquids are reduced to a syrup. Add the broth and simmer for 45 minutes.

Strain the sauce, discarding the thyme, garlic, and vegetables. Reserve the stewing beef for another use. Reduce the sauce to about 1 1 /2 cups. Skim off the fat and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Put the boned ribs and the sauce into a vacuum-pack bag. Seal to remove all air. The ribs can be refrigerated at this point for up to a month.

Heat a large pot of water to 180 degrees (not warmer-if the water boils, the bag may break) and add the bag of ribs. Cook for six to eight hours, until the meat is very soft. (To check, don't open the bag-test by squeezing the meat through the plastic.)

To serve, remove the meat from the bag and arrange on warmed plates. Put the sauce in a saucepan and reduce further, if needed, and skim off any fat. Pour on the sauce and serve immediately.

Serves 4

Chef Pierre Schaedelin
Le Cirque 2000
455 Madison Avenue
New York,NY 10022
212-303-7788
www.LeCirque.com