Chef Susan Goss
West Town Tavern
Chicago Bears

Ingredients

Pot Roast
4-9 oz. square-cut boneless beef short rib pieces
1/2 cup chopped, peeled carrot
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped red onion
2 large bay leaves
5 sprigs flat leaf parsley
1 cup Zinfandel wine
2 cups unsalted beef stock, or more to cover

For the Sauce:
4 cups good quality red wine vinegar,
pref. Zinfandel vinegar
1 ½ cups packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup dark raisins

Method

1. prinkle short rib pieces with salt and pepper to taste. Ideally, sear beef on a hot grill. Alternately, heat a small amount of corn oil in a heavy pan and sear beef on all sides until brown.
2. Place carrots, celery, onion, bay leaves and parsley in the bottom of a casserole just large enough to fit the short ribs snugly. Add wine and beef stock to cover meat and bring to a boil.
3. Remove pan from heat, cover with a lid or foil and braise in a preheated 350ÅãF oven 1 ½ hours to 2 hours until meat is very tender.
4. Let meat stand in the braising liquid until ready to serve. Pot roast may be prepared up to this point two days ahead. Reheat in braising liquid.

For the Sauce:

1. Combine the vinegar and brown sugar in a heavy saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer rapidly until liquid reduces to 2 ½ cups. IF in doubt about the quantity, pour sauce into heatproof measuring cup. Pour back into saucepan and add raisins.
2. Bring sauce back to a rapid simmer and reduce to 2 cups. Sauce should be black, syrupy and glossy. Be careful sauce does not over-reduce and burn. Let sauce cool slightly and serve with pot roast.
3. Sauce may be made ahead, it will keep indefinitely. Serve about 2 Tablespoons of sauce per serving, garnishing with the raisins.