From: Guillermo Pernot, Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar, Philadelphia and Atlantic City. Yield: 20 servings.
Braised Short Ribs:
3 lb. julienned onions
5 cups vegetable oil
2 cups red wine vinegar
1 cup Kikkoman Soy Sauce
3 oz. ancho chiles
2½ oz. salt
2 oz. granulated garlic
2 oz. ground cumin
½ oz. black pepper
½ oz. bay leaf
20 lb. beef short ribs
4 cups red wine
½ lb. vegetable base
Red Wine Sauce:
½ lb. diced carrots
½ lb. diced onions
¼ lb. Granny Smith Apples, cored and chopped
¼ lb. diced celery
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
3 oz. brown sugar
7 cups red wine
2 ½ qt. demiglace
For braised short ribs: In nonreactive container, combine onions, oil, vinegar, soy sauce, chiles, salt, garlic, cumin, pepper and bay leaf. Add short ribs; turn to coat well with marinade. Refrigerate 24 hours.
Sear short ribs in large saute pan or rondo; remove from pan. Deglaze with red wine and marinade; simmer about 20 minutes. Add vegetable base and 1 gallon water. Cover and braise in 350°F oven about 1¾ hours or until tender. Cool short ribs in braising liquid; remove, trim and portion into 6-oz. rectangles. Split each 6-oz. rectangles into two 3-oz. rectangles per portion. For each serving, in hot pan, crisp 1 portion short ribs in small amount of oil; serve with ½ cup red wine sauce.
To make red wine sauce: Saute carrots, onions, apples and celery in oil until soft. Add sugar; cook until sugar melts and starts to caramelize. Add red wine; reduce to syrupy consistency. Add demiglace; simmer on very low heat, skimming scum as it forms. Do not allow sauce to over-reduce. Strain gently, first through a large-holed strainer, then through fine chinois.
