Braised Short Ribs

Easy Braised Short Ribs

Braising a tough cut of meat over a long period of time makes the meat deep, rich and delicious. With a small amount of preparation and a long cooking time these are easy to make and warms you up on those cold winter days. Make extra! You’ll want them for leftovers, you can make a ragu out of them, a pot pie or even a Shepherds pie for quick weeknight dinners. You’ll get more flavor out of the short ribs if they are on the bone, they will fall right off the bone after their long slow cooking so they’ll be easy to remove.

Serves 4

Olive oil
1/3 cup flour (or more as needed)
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
4 pounds short ribs on the bone
1 brown onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, roughly chopped
2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste (double concentrate from a tube-found in the ‘Italian’ section
2 tablespoons flour
¼ cup dry red wine
1 qt. beef stock, may use chicken stock
1 bouquet garni (1 bay leaf, 1 sprig thyme, 2 sprigs Italian parsley tied together in cheesecloth

Heat oven to 350°.

Mix flour, salt and pepper together in a shallow bowl or on a plate.

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat; add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan.

Dry short ribs well and dredge in the flour mixture, shake off the excess and place the meaty side into the hot oil. Do not crowd the meat in the pan or it will not brown properly. This is the most important step in braising so take your time. Remove the ribs, set aside and continue until all ribs are browned.

In the same pan, add more oil as necessary, add onions, carrots, celery to the pan and sauté until lightly browned.

Add tomato paste and stir to coat all the vegetables and cook the paste a little, about 2 minutes.

Add flour and stirring constantly cook for another 5 minutes without burning. The flour may turn a little dark but that’s fine.

Add the dry red wine to the pan and scrape the bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan. Let reduce and thicken slightly. Remove from the heat.

Return the ribs to the pan, cover with stock and add the bouquet garni. Put the lid on the Dutch oven and bake for 3 hours. Remove bouquet garni.

Juices may be thickened into gravy with a beurre maníe, roux or cornstarch slurry.

Beurre Manie, Roux, Cornstarch Slurry

Beurre Manie

Mix together equal parts softened butter and flour until it looks like thick butter and all the flour is incorporated.

Roux

Melt 2 Tb. butter in a pan, add 2 Tb. flour, whisk together and cook until lightly browned

Cornstarch Slurry

2 parts cold water mixed with 1 part cornstarch

Whisk any of these into your hot liquid, stirring until thickened. Don't over-cook the cornstarch slurry or it will start to break down and become thin again.

Marcella Hazan’s Tomato Sauce

9 / 7 / 15

Marcella Hazan’s Tomato Sauce

Serves 6, enough to sauce 1 to 1 1/2 pounds pasta

2 pounds tomatoes, or 2 cups canned imported Italian tomatoes, cut up, with juice
5 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, peeled and cut in half
Salt to taste

Combine the tomatoes and juice in a saucepan, add the butter, onion, and a pinch of salt.

Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, for about 45 minutes. Stir occasionally, mashing any large pieces of tomato with a spoon. Add salt as needed.

Discard the onion before tossing the sauce with pasta. Serve with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for the table.

Pan-Seared Scallops with Champagne Grapes and Almonds

7 / 28 / 15

16 large sea scallops, side muscles removed
5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1-1/2 Tablespoons minced shallots
2/3 cup Champagne grapes (4 ounces) or black grapes, halved
1-1/2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup slivered or sliced almonds, toasted
1-1/2 Tablespoons chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
Salt and pepper

Melt 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the butter until it is browned, about 2 minutes. Salt and pepper your scallops before adding them to the pan. Cook 2 minutes on each side and transfer to a dish, covering to keep warm.

Melt the remaining 2 Tablespoons of unsalted butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and grapes; sauce until the shallots are golden brown, about one minute. Stir in fresh lemon juice and any accumulated scallop juice from the plate of cooked scallops. Bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper. Stir in almonds and parsley.

Place scallops on individual plates and spoon the sauce over them. Serve immediately

Drunken Corned Beef

3 / 17 / 15

The Irish in All of Us

Not all corned beef recipes are created equal. We’ve all had ‘just’ corned beef and we’ve all had ‘ok’ corned beef. But how many have had that juicy, tender corned beef that melts in your mouth? Well, the difference lies in cooking techniques and a few chosen ingredients.

The brisket (which becomes ‘corned’ beef after pickling), requires long slow cooking to break down the tough working muscle. A crockpot will do nicely or a large, heavy cast iron soup pot. I use my Le Crueset 7 qt. pot for all my braising, stewing and soup making. I like that it can hold lots of veggies to surround the meats and I also like the way it distributes heat evenly. It also can go into the refrigerator (after cooling) and then back onto the stove eliminating several dishwashing chores.

Next, I use only Guinness ale and water to cover the beef with. The dark Guinness gives the corned beef nice flavor and the alcohol tenderizes the roast as it cooks, much like using wine in a beef stew. (Yes, you can use Guinness in your beef stew for even better flavor!)

I add aromatic vegetables to the pot for the initial cooking period, removing them only before I add the vegetables that will be served alongside the meat. I use them to flavor the roast and the broth. Don’t cut them in small pieces or they will be tough to fish out when the time comes. You could also tie them in a cheesecloth (a bouquet garni) and then simply remove it before serving.

You’ll want to cook the meat slowly for a long period of time. Again the crockpot is ideal for this if you have a large enough one. Bring the corned beef and bouquet garni to a boil, skimming any foam that forms on the top. If you leave the foam some may sink down into the liquid and cause the beef to become bitter as it continues to cook. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to a slow simmer and cook for 45 minutes a pound. Hard-boiling will separate the muscle tissue and make the meat dry and stringy. Add the vegetables the last half hour of cooking and the cabbage the last 15 minutes.

For something different use Brussels sprouts instead of cabbage. I like to use the smaller ones cutting them in half so they cook a little faster. Add them at the same time you add the carrots and potatoes. If you don’t like cooked cabbage at all, serve some cole slaw on the side instead.

Drunken Corned Beef

1 corned beef brisket, I like using the 'flat' cut
2 cans Guinness stout
1 quart chicken stock
For cooking and seasoning the beef:
1 large onion, quartered (leave skin on)
1 large carrot, peeled & cut into large chunks
2 celery stalks, cut into chunks
After removing the seasoning vegetables add:
2 large peeled carrots, cut in half and quartered
2 large russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 small head of cabbage cut into wedges, cut out the hard center

Place brisket, including package ingredients and vegetables that are cut into large chunks (the seasoning onion, carrot & celery) into a large soup pot. Add the Guinness and the stock to cover the meat, add water if the meat is not covered. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam that rises to the top, then turn heat down to a simmer. Cook for 45 minutes per pound. Remove the seasoning vegetables and add remaining carrots and potatoes. Simmer about 15 minutes then add cabbage last and simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes.

Paella

11 / 14 / 1412 / 14 / 14

Paella

1 package chicken thighs
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 shallot, minced or ½ onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped, reserve some for garnish
½ cup white wine
1 (15-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained and hand-crushed
4 cups short grain Spanish rice
6 cups stock, warmed with a generous pinch of saffron thread
1 dozen littleneck clams, scrubbed
1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1-2 pound mussels
1/2 cup sweet peas, frozen and thawed
Lemon wedges, for serving

Heat oil in a paella or sided sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to the chicken and brown skin-side down both sides. Remove from pan and reserve.

In the same pan, make a sofrito by sautéing the shallot, garlic, and parsley. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes on a medium heat. Add the wine and cook until it reduces some, about 5 minutes, stir in the rice and stir-fry to coat the grains. Add the crushed tomatoes and stock and simmer for 10 minutes, gently moving the pan around so the rice cooks evenly and absorbs the liquid. Add chicken, clams, mussels and shrimp, tucking them into the rice. Let the paella simmer, without stirring, until the rice is al dente, for about 10 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, when the rice is filling the pan add the peas.

Remove from heat and rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with parsley and lemon wedges.

Summer Ceviche

9 / 24 / 1412 / 3 / 14

Ceviche with Avocado and Tomato Broth

Serves 4, approximately

1          pound white fish halibut, red snapper, sole,
2         teaspoons mild or hot pepper
2          tablespoons cilantro, minced
1          tablespoon shallot, minced
1          large rib celery, cut into a small dice
1          medium tomato, cut into the same size as the fish, squeeze out the seeds
1/2      cup freshly squeezed lime juice, or enough to cover ingredients
1          splash olive oil

Tomato Broth

1          slice white bread
1          can whole tomatoes, with juice
1          cucumber, peeled, rough chopped
1          small shallot, rough chopped
1          cup tomato juice
1          tablespoon red wine vinegar
1       tablespoon olive oil
1          pinch garlic powder
Salt and pepper
1       pinch sugar

To Serve:
2 Haas avocadoes, peeled, cut in half, pit removed
1 lemon or lime zested

cilantro sprigs, for garnish

Ceviche:

Chop the white fish into small dice, add to a mixing bowl and set aside.

Clean the pepper of stems, seeds and ribs and mince into a fine dice. You may want to wear glove to do this.

Mix all ingredients together well; making sure it’s all covered by the lime juice and olive oil. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Tomato Broth:

Place the bread into the bowl of a food processor and process until you have coarse crumbs. Add remaining ingredient and process until pureed. Chill for 30 minutes before serving.

Ladle some tomato broth into a cup or bowl. Place avocado into center of bowl, place ceviche into the center and top wit

Potato and Ham Quiche

2 / 22 / 14

Ingredients

Crust

1 1⁄4 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 stick butter, cut into pieces

2 – 3 tablespoons ice water

Filling

1⁄4 cup finely diced ham

2 -3 Yukon Gold potatoes

1 1⁄2 cup shredded cheese, such as Chedderella

4 large eggs

1 1⁄2 cups heavy cream or half and half

1 – 2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper

Preparation

Crust

Add flour and salt into the bowl of a food processor; pulse a few times to incorporate all the ingredients.

Add the butter and process until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is pea size.

Place the mixture into a wide bowl and add water 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture comes together. Don’t overwork the dough or it will be tough, not flaky. Once the dough comes together in a ball, divide it into two pieces, flatten into disks, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400° while the dough is chilling.

Dough can be wrapped well at this point and frozen for up to three months. Let the dough defrost overnight in the refrigerator before using.

Roll one chilled disk out on a floured counter or rolling mat, lifting and moving the dough every few rolls to help prevent sticking. Add only enough flour to the counter to keep the dough from sticking.

Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the tart pan.

Place your pan on top of the dough to make sure it is the correct size, it should be slightly larger than the pan, then roll the dough onto your rolling pin and unroll over your pan. Gently lift and lay the dough to fit the pan, never pull the dough to stretch it.

Lightly press the dough into the pan, roll your rolling pin over the top edge of the tart or pie pan and remove excess pastry. Prick the dough well with a fork.

Cut a piece of foil a little larger than the tart pan, butter the shiny side and place butter side down onto the dough. Press so the foil lays against the dough snugly, add another piece of foil if it doesn’t cover the entire crust.

Bake the crust for 20 minutes, remove beans and foil, bake another 5 minutes. Remove from oven and cool before filling. (Leave oven on).

Filling

Boil potatoes until knife tender (when a knife can slip into the potato effortlessly with a little resistance). Drain and let cool until you’re able to handle them. Slice into disks or chop into a medium dice.

Heat a medium sauté pan, add oil until it covers the bottom of the pan, add potatoes and season with a pinch of salt and grind of pepper. Sauté potatoes until lightly browned, add ham and cook for about 2 minutes or until browned. Add potato mixture to the bottom of the cooled crust. Add cheese on top of the potato mixture.

Whisk together the eggs and cream, add a little seasoning of salt and pepper, pour over potato and cheese mixture, bake for 30 minutes or until puffed and lightly browned.

Let cool before serving.