SPOILER ALERT: What's for Dinner October 15?

Red Wine Braised Short Ribs with Peppercorn Demi-Glace

There are certain dishes that seem to know when summer is over.

Red wine braised short ribs are one of them.

Slow, deeply savory and unapologetically suited to a bottle of red wine on the table, they're the kind of dinner that makes the first cool evenings of fall feel worth waiting for.

And this year, they're also making an appearance at the annual Mahan Family Wines wine-pairing dinner.

On October 15, Mahan Family Wines joins Bartlett Park District at Villa Olivia for an evening built around something Mahan has always believed: wine becomes considerably more interesting when there's food beside it.

So consider this a spoiler.

One of the evening's featured courses will be:

Red Wine Braised Short Ribs
Peppercorn Demi-Glace

But you don't have to wait until October 15 to put something similar on your own table.

WHY SHORT RIBS AND RED WINE WORK

Short ribs reward patience. Long, slow braising transforms a relatively substantial cut of beef into something remarkably tender while building the kind of concentrated, savory sauce that calls for red wine.

The wine isn't simply something to pour alongside dinner. It becomes part of the dish itself.

As the braising liquid reduces, fruit, acidity and savory flavors concentrate alongside the beef stock and aromatics. The result creates a natural bridge between what's on the plate and what's in the glass.

FROM THE MAHAN KITCHEN

here are the basics:

Red Wine Braised Short Ribs
Beef short ribs, red wine, beef stock, onion, carrot, tomato paste, thyme and rosemary.

Peppercorn Demi-Glace
Use the strained and reduced braising liquid as the foundation, finished with cracked peppercorns.

At the table: serve with something restrained enough to let the short ribs and wine remain the stars—potato purée, roasted root vegetables or another simple seasonal accompaniment.

WANT SOMEONE ELSE TO DO THE COOKING?

The real version arrives at the table October 15, when Bartlett Park District and Mahan Family Wines gather at Villa Olivia for the annual wine-pairing dinner.

Seats are limited and still available.

RESERVE YOUR SEAT →

https://bartlettparks.org/event/mahan-wines-harvest-dinner-autumn-uncorked/

What are you celebrating next?

Because sometimes the best reason to open a bottle is simply that everyone you wanted around the table made it there.