Yes! You did read correctly, red wine and chocolate coated beef ribs.  Could there be a more desirable combination of ingredients on a cold Winter night? I say no. I am besotted with beef ribs.  I love the way the rib bones end up in the pan, separated from the meat.  The meat comes apart with a fork, no knife required.

These ribs were such a long time coming that I would have been intensely annoyed had this recipe not turned out as I expected. Luckily they were glorious and I can share the results here with you. Source some beef ribs and get these onto your dinner menu quick smart!

For the last couple of years I have been purchasing meat from a local farm, grass fed and delivered to my door.  The quality is to date unsurpassed by any other meat I have tasted. This experience has changed the way that our family eats, appreciates, and measures the quality of meat. You may call me a meat snob and that would be ok with me. I am happy with our food choices.

Recently a local butcher introduced a range of beef from another local farm at a very competitive price. The meat is also grass fed. I had numerous conversations with the butcher about the farm, the quality of the meat and the range available. I started to purchase some meat from the butcher and we were happy with the quality.  On one visit I asked the butcher if he could set me aside some ribs when his next order came in. He agreed that he would prepare them for me (they were not considered a regular cut in his range). I visited the store twice to collect them. They were not ready on either occasion…….I gave the butcher the benefit of the doubt and visited again to ask if he could prepare ribs for me – I really wanted ribs!! I worked in retail for many years and I know that it is a tough industry to be involved in.

I returned to the store again at the agreed time, twice, but I did not exit with ribs. I fancy that smoke may have been coming out of my ears when I dragged my non-compliant, whinging three year old out of the shop into the rain and wintery blast of icy wind. No ribs for dinner that night and we are not returning to that butcher again, regardless of the competitive price that he offers grass fed beef.

Do you include good service in your requirements when you shop ?  

I continue to order from our original farm friends. They have a wide range of cuts and if you purchase a half or full animal it is butchered with your choice of cuts. We savor, and appreciate every morsel of this beautiful, ethically raised meat.  The ribs that I used for this recipe were delivered straight to my front door, along with a month’s supply of free range meat.    The service is exceptional and the meat superb. I have never been disappointed.

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Red Wine and Chocolate Beef Ribs

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

3 hr

Total Time

3 hr 10 mins

 

Slow cooked grass fed beef ribs. The meat falls apart in your mouth, serve with polenta and vegetables and a luscious wine and chocolate sauce.

Course: Main

Servings: 5

Author: Kyrstie Barcak - A Fresh Legacy

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 8 cloves garlic - finely chopped
• 1 brown onion - chopped
• 1.5 kg beef ribs
• pinch salt or two
• 3/4 cup passata
• 1 cup red wine
• 2 1/2 cups beef stock
• 1/4 cup honey
• 15 grams chocolate
• salt

Instructions

1. Select a baking dish or tray that can be covered and snuggly fit the ribs
2. Heat oven to 160 degrees
3. Add the oil to a heated pan and then add the garlic and onion to soften
4. Remove the onion and garlic and add to the baking dish
5. Season the ribs with salt and add to the pan to brown (do this in batches until complete)
6. Add the ribs to the baking dish with the garlic and onion
7. Add the passata, wine, stock and honey
8. Cook for 1 hour, remove from the oven to cover - scoop out about 1/2 cup of the juice from the pan and set aside
9. Add a cover and return to the oven to cook for a further 2 hours
10. Remove from the oven and allow the meat to sit for 15 minutes
11. Add the juice collected from the pan earlier, and any left after the cooking and bring it to a gentle boil for about 5 minutes. Do not have the heat too high or the liquid will reduce too much.
12. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate stirring until it melts
13. Serve the ribs with polenta and vegetables of choice
14. Pour over some of the sauce to serve
15. Savor every bite!

This recipe was inspired by one for Venezuelan Asado ribs with a chocolate sauce from Feast Magazine Issue 25, Oct 2013.  Mexican cooking also features chocolate used with protein, such as the famous mole sauce. I have said this before, some things are meant to be together – some of these things include red wine and chocolate. Other things include good quality and service 😉

Do you agree, or are you happy to have one without the other? I would love to hear your thoughts. I am definitely less tolerant now than I used to be.

In the meantime, my rant is over and I hope that you enjoy some gloriously tasty, melt-in-the-mouth beef ribs in red wine and chocolate very soon.