Format Change/ Cabernet Braised Beef Short-Ribs.

From this moment on, IIFY? will be only a food blog. I will not update my day-to-day anymore. I have found the current format to be tedious and boring. This will no longer be a daily journal of every single thing I eat. I have decided to only share recipes I make or dining out experiences.
Ok, now that's out of the way, let's talk about short-ribs.

If you folks in the DF-dub have not noticed, it's been raining a bit, just a bit. Now I know these wet, gray days have dampened quite a few of youse guys spirits, not me. It reminds me of Portland, and that makes me happy. This rainy weekend may have not been the first cold snap of fall, the one that sends me straight to the grocery and then the kitchen to make the first batch of soup for the season, but it came close enough to invoke a similar reaction. I got home from work, opened up the windows, and decided that I was gonna braise some ribs. Although a lengthy process, the end result is so worth it.

Cabernet Braised Beef Short-Ribs

Ingredients:

Bone-in beef short-ribs (i used about 3 pounds)
1 med. yellow onion, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1 sprig rosemary
1 sprig thyme
2 sprigs Italian parsley
1 bay leaf
1/2 a bottle full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon,
1/2 quart beef-broth (try to use one without a shit-ton of unnecessary ingredients, just the basics, I use Progresso's natural one)
2 tbsp. tomato paste
3 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
unsalted butter
kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper

Equipment:

A dutch oven, or a large heavy bottomed pot, with a lid, suitable for both stove-top and oven use
1 medium saucepan
a decent sized strainer
1 wooden spoon
a pair of tongs
some cheesecloth
some butchers twine

Now let's go step by step in the preparation of this amazing comfort dish.

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Lay your ribs out on a plate and season liberally with kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper.













Then start on prep. Always do all of your chopping and portioning before you actually start cooking, and you will notice a world of difference in the way you cook. Dice up your mirepoix (onions, carrots, and celery), mince your garlic, and measure out your tomato paste.









To make a bouquet garni, simply wad up your herbs in a square of cheesecloth, and tied it closed with a piece of butchers twine. Simple. It's like a little herb teabag.












Over medium high heat, heat up your pot. I always use my Dutch-oven. It is one of the most versatile pieces of cookware I own, and it is perfect for braising meat. Once hot, add a good amount of olive oil (2-3 tbsp.) Using your tongs, sear your ribs in the hot oil until you achieve a nice brown crust on all sides, turning when necessary. Once all browned, transfer the ribs to a plate and set aside.





Discard the fat from the bottom of the pot, but DO NOT wipe out or clean up the stuck on brown bits left in the pan.
This my friend is called fond, and it is pure flavor. Add some fresh olive oil back to the pan and heat over medium. Toss in your mirepoix with a pinch of kosher salt. The salt helps draw the natural liquids out of the vegetables,thus speeding up the cooking process.Toss in the minced garlic. Stir occasionally. Make sure you don't burn your fond!
When the mirepoix starts to soften, and the onions turn translucent, stir in the tomato paste. Once the paste is incorporated, it's time to deglaze.

Pour in the wine and scrape up the fond with the wooden spoon, then pour in the beef broth, and toss in your bouquet garni. Turn heat up to med high and bring the liquid up to a simmer. Toss the ribs back into the pot, making sure they are more or less submerged, cover, and place pot in preheated oven. Cook for at least 2 hours. This slow and low cooking approach breaks down the tough connective tissues in the ribs, making for fork-tender, succulent meat.

Pull the dutch oven from the oven, uncover, and using tongs, take out the ribs and place them on a plate. Cover loosely with foil. Take out the bouquet garni and discard. Strain the liquid from the pot into the saucepan, pressing on the cooked veggies with the wooden spoon to squeeze out all the liquid. Skim the layer of fat with a spoon and discard. Crank the heat up to high until the strained braising liquid comes to a rapid boil, then lower to med high for a rapid simmer. The point here is to reduce this liquid into a sauce. Keep simmering until the liquid has reduced into a syrup, not too thick though. If it coats the back of your wooden spoon, it's done. Take the sauce off of the heat and whisk in 2 tbsp. of unsalted butter (1 tbsp. at a time, room temp is best also) until completely melted and incorporated. Season with salt and pepper as needed.

To serve, place ribs on plate and spoon sauce over. These would go great with some roasted or mashed potatoes, some homemade mac and cheese, or just some buttered egg noodles. I prefer egg noodles, but was out so used some buttered campanelle instead, and a side of roasted asparagus. This may be in my top 5 of last day, death row meals. Meat that falls off the bone smothered in a rich silky sauce, this might be what Heaven tastes like. Serve with a full bodied Cabernet.

I do hope you immediately go out and buy a Dutch oven and make a batch of these meaty treats yourself. It may seem like a lot of work, but it's really not. Just put on a really good album you haven't listened to in a long time, and get into a groove in the kitchen. The prep is minimal, and that 2 hour cook time gives you plenty of time to perform other tasks, or entertain guests if you are having people over for dinner.

I may just make these again when that cold snap actually comes.


Ciao!!!