Valentine's Dinner at La Finesse

A long time ago, pre-kids for our friends, we used to get together with them and take turns making Valentine's Dinner at our homes. We would go to extreme lengths to make the meal and in one iteration our friends called their abode, La Finesse. In a nod to them, since they and their two teenage children are on their way to Ecuador, we decided to invite our vineyard migrant-worker friends, for a La Finesse redux.
So, the invitations were sent out by email on Feburary 10 and all that remained was to determine what the menu would be. Yikes! Then, my husband was on the Wine Beserker's Epicurean Exploits forum and found a beautiful recipe, just in time to quell the rising fear of culinary indecision. When he showed me the beautiful photo of the port infused short ribs, the menu came together!

We began our dinner with a few appetizers, smoked salmon, soppressata, a soft and a hard cheese, and a crudite platter and paired it with a bottle of Egly-Ouriet. The back of the label said that the disgorgement date was in 2006. We normally are in love with this champagne, but when we opened this bottle, the color was dark yellow and we were a little concerned that it was oxidized. The fact that it poured out with little to no bubbles confirmed our fears. It drank more like a still wine.
After lingering over our appetizers, my husband served up his port infused beef short ribs which topped a stack of sauteed Swiss chard and spinach, layered with mashed potatoes and covered with the braising liquid sauce.

We paired our entreé with a 1993 Ridge Monte Bello. It was a beautiful marriage of beef and Cabernet Sauvignon!

Our friends contributed to the menu, bringing a chocolate mousse as well as a beautiful and delicious apple tart tatin for dessert.

All in all, we had a wonderful time, great company and in a relaxing atmosphere. I think La Finesse had a rebirth.
How to make the Port Infused Beef Shortribs:Cooking preparations began at 11 a.m. on Friday morning with my husband doing all the preparations. He prepared the mirepoix, a mixture of chopped celery, carrots and onions which he sauteed in a pan. In another pan, he browned the beef in duck fat, then removed the browned beef. To this pan, he put one bottle of red wine and two bottles of port and brought it to the boil, scraping up the browned beef bits into the liquid. He added a head of garlic with the top cut, along with fresh thyme to this liquid. He put the meat into a disposable aluminum pan and covered it with the wine/port liquid and braised the meat in the oven set at 325 degrees for 1-1/2 hours. The beef that is exposed to the oven temperature will get a brown crust. Turn it over into the liquid and cook for another 1-1/2 hours, 3 hours total, or when the meat begins to fall off the bone. Use the liquid and make a sauce, separating the mirepoix and the fat. While the beef is almost done cooking, wilt the Swiss chard and fresh spinach in chopped garlic and set aside. Make mashed potatoes and set aside. To serve, place Swiss chard/spinach on the bottom, top with mashed potatoes and top with beef short rib. Pour sauce over the tower of treats!