2 tablespoons olive oil
3 pounds Boneless Beef Short Ribs (about 14)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 onions, chopped
3 carrots, cut into small chunks
2 cups Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfindal
1 cinnamon stick
1 dried Ancho Chile, stemmed and halved
2 cups beef broth
The zest of one orange, cut into thick strips
1 ounce good quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
Season short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Saute short ribs in batches. Remove them to a plate when they are browned. Add additional olive oil to Dutch oven if necessary. Add chopped vegetables and saute until onion is softened.
Deglaze the pan with the wine. Add the cinnamon stick, Ancho chile, and orange zest strips. Bring to a boil and simmer until the wine is reduced by half. Add the chocolate. Stir to incorporate. Return the ribs to the pan and add enough beef broth to just cover. Bring to a simmer. Cover and place in the oven. Bake for 3 hours.
Remove meat from pot and place in serving casserole. Strain the sauce, discard the cinnamon stick and puree the strained vegetables, chili and orange zest. Bring the liquid to a boil and cook for 5 minutes to reduce it slightly. Add the pureed vegetables and stir to combine and thicken the sauce. Pour sauce over short ribs and serve.