Few things are as comforting and appealing as tender, melt-in-your-mouth meat enveloped in a rich sauce, paired with a beautiful glass of wine. Come to think of it, this sounds like a special-occasion dish, and with Valentine’s Day just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to make Amphora Winery Zinfandel Braised Short Ribs. If the way to a person’s heart is through his or her stomach, this wine-country dish will do the trick!

This dish is best when made a couple of days in advance, which enables the flavors to marry and also frees you up on Valentine’s Day to simply heat up, serve and enjoy a lovely meal without doing any work. Make sure to grab a bottle of 2009 Amphora Winery Zinfandel to serve with this elegant yet hearty dish.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons room-temperature butter, divided

8, 3- to 4-inch-long meaty beef short ribs (about 4 pounds)

Coarse kosher salt

2 1/2 cups chopped red onions

2 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled parsnips

6 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

1 750-ml bottle Zinfandel

2 cups low-salt beef broth

1 tablespoon all purpose flour

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy large ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle ribs with coarse salt and pepper. Add to pot in single layer and sauté until brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer ribs to large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon butter to pot. onions; sauté until brown, about 6 minutes. parsnips; sauté until beginning to color, about 6 minutes. Mix in garlic, then rosemary. Add wine and broth; bring to boil, scraping up browned bits.

Return ribs and any accumulated juices to pot, arranging in single layer. Bring to simmer; cover and place in oven. Braise until ribs are very tender, about 2 1/2 hours.

Using tongs, transfer ribs to clean bowl. Spoon fat from pan juices. Boil juices until just beginning to thicken, about 10 minutes. Mix 1 tablespoon butter and flour in small bowl to smooth paste. Whisk into juices in pot; simmer until thickened enough to coat spoon, about 5 minutes longer. Season gravy with coarse salt and pepper. Return ribs to pot; spoon gravy over.

Serve with 2009 Amphora Winery Zinfandel, mashed potatoes or a crusty baguette and green salad.

DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Rewarm over low heat before serving.