Beef Short Ribs in Cinnamon & Red Wine Sauce

Recipe courtesy of Vikram Vij, Vij's Restaurant, in Vancouver Canada, reported (by Gourmet magazine) to be the best Indian restaurant in North America.

• Ready In: 4 hrs 45 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 6  large short rib of beef, bone in with excess fat trimmed off
• 1⁄4 cup  grapeseed oil or 1⁄4 cup canola oil
• 2  tablespoons ghee (or clarified butter)
• 1  large onion, very finely chopped (approximately 1 cup)
• 1  tablespoon  finely chopped garlic, more to taste
• 1  cup  ground fresh tomato
• 1⁄2 cup red wine
• 4  cups  vegetable stock or 4  cups  chicken stock
• 1  tablespoon cumin seed
• 1  piece cinnamon bark (approximately 3 inches long)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground fenugreek, more to taste
• 1  tablespoon cumin powder, more to taste
• 1⁄2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1  tablespoon chili powder, more to taste (preferably Mexican)

Directions

1. In a large, heavy saucepan with fitted lid, melt the ghee on medium to high heat.
2. Add the cooking oil and the cumin seeds.
3. Let the seeds sizzle for 30 seconds.
4. Smell the cinnamon bark before adding to the pot.
5. If it's very strong, break the bark in ½ and only use half.
6. If it's not strong enough, add ½ bark.
7. Add the onions& sauté until the onions are medium brown in colour.
8. Smell for the cinnamon throughout the cooking process.
9. You should smell a mild cinnamon flavour instead of a strong one.
10. If cinnamon is the only spice you smell, take out the bark and continue cooking the curry.
11. Add the garlic and continue to sauté until garlic is golden brown and onions are a darker brown.
12. The darker you sauté the onions without letting them burn, the richer the onion flavour will be in this dish.
13. Temporarily lower the heat and add the tomatoes and all of the remaining spices.
14. Once you stir the powdered spices in the tomatoes, increase the heat back to medium.
15. Stir regularly and continue cooking the spices until the oil/ghee separates from the tomatoes.
16. This will take about 10 to 15 minutes.
17. If at any time the onions or tomato spice mixture begins to stick to the bottom of the pan or looks like it’s about to burn, either lower the heat or add 1 tablespoon of oil or ghee.
18. Do not add water.
19. This is meant to be a rich curry.
20. Stir in the stock and red wine and bring to a boil.
21. Reduce heat to low.
22. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the oil/ghee separates from the stock and rises to the top, stirring occasionally.
23. Add the short ribs and stir well.
24. Bring back to a boil.
25. Reduce heat to low.
26. Cover and simmer the short ribs until the meat completely separates from the bone.
27. This will take approximately 4 hours and you will need to stir occasionally.