Name: Braised Short Ribs in Cèpe-Prune Sauce (Daube de Bœuf aux Champignons et au Pruneaux)
Yield: Serves 6
Cuisine: France
Ingredients: 3 pounds beef short ribs, well trimmed and cut into 2½-inch lengths; A few drops of verjus or lemon juice; 1 ounce dried French cèpes or Italian porcini, rinsed; ¼ pound prunes, pitted and halved; 1 cup tiny peeled fresh white onions, or thawed frozen baby onions; Herb bouquet: 1 loosely packed cup thyme sprigs, 2 imported bay leaves, and 1 tablespoon black peppercorns tied together in cheesecloth; Parsley sprigs, for garnish; 6 cups spicy red wine, such as Zinfandel; ¼ pound fresh cèpe or porcini mushrooms, or substitute fresh white mushrooms; ¼ cup chopped Confit of Pork Rinds, or chopped blanched salt pork rind; Salt and freshly ground pepper; 3 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch lengths; 3 cups rich unsalated chicken stock (storebought or homemade); ¼ cup rendered duck or pork fat; 3 celery ribs, cut into 1-inch lengths; 3 medium yellow onions, cut into 1-inch chunks; 3 heads of garlic: 2 cut crosswise in half and 1 left whole

Preparation info

Serves
6

Difficulty
Complex

Appears in

The Cooking of South West France

By Paula Wolfert

Published 1987

About

Chef laurent manrique, from Gascony, now cooking in San Francisco works on two fronts: the “old” and the “new.”

This dish is from his “old” repertory—a variation on his grandmother’s favorite duck leg recipe, in which he substitutes beef short ribs. (For one of his innovative new recipes, see Yellowfin Tuna With Avocado and Piment d’Espelette.)

For best results, start this dish two days before serving.