Wine-braised beef ribs with mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 8 beef short ribs (340g each), trimmed and tied with string
• 8 shallots
• 11 cloves of garlic
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 170 g pancetta, diced
• 0.5 cup + 2 tablespoons cognac or brandy
• 1/3 cup premium flour
• 2 cups red wine
• 7 grams of dried porcini mushrooms
• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 280 g oyster mushrooms, trimmed
• 280 g of mushrooms, trimmed and halved

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 150°C. Bring beef to room temperature.
2. Meanwhile, in a food processor, puree the shallot, 10 cloves of garlic, and tomato paste to form a thick paste. In a large ovenproof saucepan, cook the pancetta over medium-high heat until crisp, about 7 minutes. Transfer the pancetta and most of the fat to a bowl, reserving 2 tablespoons of the fat in the pan.
3. Add the shallot mixture to the pan and cook, stirring, for about 6 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and whisk in 1/2 cup of cognac, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring, for about 5 more minutes. Gradually whisk in the wine until smooth. Add the porcini mushrooms, thyme, bay leaf, and 1.5 teaspoons of salt.
4. Season the beef ribs with salt and black pepper, place them in the pot, and add water to cover completely. Trim a piece of parchment paper so that it rests on the surface of the meat. Cover the pot with a lid and transfer to the oven. Simmer until the meat is tender, about 3 hours.
5. Remove the meat from the sauce and transfer to a plate. Set the sauce aside for about 10 minutes, then skim off the fat from the surface. If the sauce is too thick, add a little water. Remove the bay leaf, season the sauce with salt and pepper, and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of cognac. Return the ribs to the sauce and keep warm over low heat.
6. Mince the remaining 1 clove of garlic, then mash it with 0.5 teaspoon of salt with the flat side of a knife. Add the parsley and chop. Heat the pancetta and the remaining rendered fat in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oyster mushrooms and button mushrooms and cook until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley mixture. Trim the ribs, arrange them on plates, pour the sauce over them, and add the mushrooms.