Cherry Coke Beef Short Ribs with Fresh Figs
Cherry Coca-Cola was first introduced to a test audience by Pink Floyd at the World’s Fair in 1982. That makes us both 27 years old, and despite the fact that I don’t drink soda, I still cook with it. The syrupy sweet cherry flavor combined with the classic cola flavors (vanilla, cinnamon, and licorice) makes for a nice braising liquid. I found some awesome beef short ribs at the market that were well marbled and about three inches thick. I love adding some sweetness to my shortribs because it gives them a glossy, sticky texture and it balances out all of the slow cooking richness.
Even though there was enough fructose in the soda to give me a cavity, I added some organic black mission figs to the pot because they were in season and looked extra plump. After getting a nice sear on the ribs, I started off by layering flavors in the pot to build my braising medium; starting with carrots, celery, onion, and garlic.
Once everything was soft, I added the Cherry Coke, beef broth, and figs to the mixture before I popped it into a 325 degree oven and said goodbye for about two hours. The low oven temperature is key to braising because you want the liquid to stay at a constant simmer; slowly breaking down the tough fibers in the meat. The end result should be a mouth-watering, fork tender bite that literally dissolves in your mouth while delivering a wallop of concentrated flavor.
In order to balance out the sweetness in the sauce, I paired the short rib with some cipollini onions with thyme, and some baby carrots. The plain wild rice was really good for sopping up the sauce too.
Sometimes when I’m looking for wines to pair with food, I think about the descriptions of certain grape varietals and break down their typical characteristics. Cabernet Sauvignon, especially when grown in California, tends to be fruity, powerful, and rich; very similar to the short ribs.
The 2006 Foreman Cabernet Sauvignon was a match made in heaven for this dish because it was ruby-red in color and tasted like black currant, cassis, licorice, spice and fig. It was a little less powerful than most Cabernets that I am used to but that is probably because the winemaker decided to do most of the fermentation in stainless steel tanks.
Leaving the carbonation behind, the wine had a lot of similar qualities to the Cherry Coke. The entire meal was rich and hearty; perfect on a cold, winter night that felt like the Dark Side of the Moon.
