Short Ribs with Chocolate and Rosemary

by Megan on January 18, 2009


Whether it’s 11 degrees out side or a beautiful 85 degrees like it is here, this recipe is a soul satisfying hearty dish that is perfect for a Sunday Supper.
Or anynight supper!

Cooked slow and low, the meat falls off the bone and it is so fork tender.
The way short ribs should be.

The cocoa powder added so much more depth to the flavor and color.
It was beautiful.

Next time I will serve this over a bed of wide noodles.
Something that will cling to that amazing sauce.
Oh yea! There will be a next time!

Short Ribs with Chocolate and Rosemary
Found at Epicurious
1/4 cup diced pancetta (Italian bacon; about 1 1/2oz)
6 pounds bone-in short ribs
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onions
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup finely chopped peeled carrots
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups dry red wine
3 cups low-salt chicken broth
2 cups chopped drained canned diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 very large fresh thyme sprig
1 bay leaf

3 tablespoons shaved or grated bittersweet chocolate
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

Preparation Heat heavy large pot over medium heat. Add pancetta and sauté until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle ribs with salt and pepper. Working in batches, brown ribs in drippings in pot over medium-high heat until brown on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer to plate. Add onions and next4 ingredients to pot. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook until vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add wine. Boil uncovered until liquid is reduced by half, scraping up browned bits, about 5 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes, parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and pancetta. Return ribs to pot, cover partially, and simmer 1 1/2 hours. Uncover and simmer until rib meat is tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 1/2 hours longer.

Transfer ribs to plate; discard bay leaf. Spoon fat from surface of sauce. Boil sauce until beginning to thicken, about 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add chocolate, cocoa powder, and rosemary; stir until chocolate melts. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Return ribs to pot. Simmer to rewarm, about 5 minutes.

{ 1 trackback }

Braised Short Ribs For A Sunday Supper!
April 2, 2010 at 8:46 am

{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }

1 glamah16 January 18, 2009 at 2:43 am

I love short ribs. Chocalate works well with savory and can be very interesting. In chili, moles,etc.so why not short ribs. Delish.

2 Mary January 18, 2009 at 3:57 am

This looks really delicious!

3 HoneyB January 18, 2009 at 4:13 pm

Sounds amazing Megan!

4 noble pig January 18, 2009 at 4:13 pm

Well, I always put chocolate in my chili, so why not my ribs…very nice.

5 Glenna January 18, 2009 at 5:07 pm

Wow! Truly impressive. I’ll be trying this one. What a great flavor combo of the beef, choc, and rosemary. yum.

6 Carla January 18, 2009 at 6:32 pm

Surprise!! Let me know if you want any changes to the layout. I guess I will have to write a mini-guide on how to change the colors and background. I’ll try to include lots of screen shots.

7 Katherine Aucoin January 19, 2009 at 4:18 pm

I think I’ve gone to heaven!

8 Teresa Cordero Cordell January 19, 2009 at 10:03 pm

Megan, you’re a girl after my own heart. Short ribs and CHOCOLATE. Doesn’t get any better than that. Cocoa does add a lot of flavor to sauces. Your recipe looks delicious.

9 The Blonde Duck January 19, 2009 at 10:14 pm

I don’t know what I like more–the new look or the ribs!

10 April January 20, 2009 at 10:05 pm

I have never tried chocolate and savory together. I will definitly have to try these! They look fantastic!!!

BTW, I love your new design on the blog!

11 Dragon January 21, 2009 at 2:23 am

I love savoury dishes with chocolate. It’s always unexpected and delicious!

12 Kevin January 24, 2009 at 6:48 pm

I really like the sound of this savoury chocolate sauce!

13 hoolita January 29, 2009 at 4:46 am

This was absolutely delicious! I under-estimated the time all the preliminaries would take, chopping, browning, etc. DH was a bit put out that we ate so late, but it was so worth it.

Served it with a mild polenta seasoned with just salt, butter, and parmesan.

Julia in SD

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