Fall is my favorite time of year. I even skipped out on the Amalfi Coast, after 5 weeks in Italy, to get back to the States in time for Thanksgiving dinner. There is comfort in the colors, flavors, aromas and textures of Fall cooking. Grapes are in harvest mode, winter greens and root vegetables are on the table. Curtis made a wise choice with short ribs. Maybe not the most commonly available cut (you may have to ask your butcher to order them for you), but endlessly satisfying. Here, the roasted root vegetables sit at the side, but Swiss chard or potatoes would compliment the tender ribs and savory reduction.

for the Short Ribs
serves 4
4 beef short ribs, cross cut 2″ x 2″
1 large carrot, chopped
1/2 stock celery, chopped
1 medium onion, peeled, chopped
500 ml of red wine (1/2 a bottle)
3 bay leaves
1/2 bunch Italian parsley
1 tablespoon peppercorns
3 cups low sodium chicken stock
4-5 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt

Season ribs heavily with sea salt on both sides (the entire dish is being seasoned at this point, so don’t be shy with the salt). In a pot, heat the olive oil until it is almost smoking, lower to med-low heat. Sear all four sides of each rib until brown and caramelized. You can do two at a time, just make sure at the end of the day your pot will hold all four ribs. The reason for the searing is to lock in the flavor, render fat and create texture. Remove ribs from pot. If there is too much fat left in the pot, remove half. On med-low heat, sweat the onions, celery and carrot. Add red wine, bay leaf, peppercorns, and parsley; reduce liquid by more than half. Place short ribs back into the pot, add chicken stock (enough to cover ribs). Cover and simmer on low heat for 2 hours. Remove ribs carefully, as not to loosen meat from the bones. Pass liquid through vegetables using a food mill or dense colander into a large bowl. Return the liquid to the pot and spoon the fat off the surface. Reduce sauce to desired consistency (we went with a thin gravy).

for the Root Vegetables
1/2 small pumpkin, seeded, meat cut out from shell, cubed
2 fennel bulbs, rough cut
3 parsnips, peeled, rough cut
1 red onion, rough chop
1 carrot, rough cut
1/4 cup sage, chopped
1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped
sea salt, to taste
fresh ground pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients so that the vegetables are evenly coated. Place all of the vegetables in a roasting pan and cook for about 1 hour in the oven.

+to plate the dish, place one rib next to a stack of the roasted vegetables. Ladle a bit of the reduction over the meat. Garnish with chopped parsley and course sea salt.