Braised Short Ribs & Speckled Butter Beans

I seem to do short ribs quite often as of late. These tender morsels are becoming a mainstay in my kitchen it seems. Whenever we venture to Eastern Market in downtown Detroit, it’s inevitable that we’ll end up in Gratiot Market, and we just can’t seem to pass up the short ribs and oxtails without coming home with a bag of each.

Add a slice of hot cornbread and it’s a done deal

So very, very tender

As usual, the short ribs were seasoned with salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, Kirkland’s organic no-salt seasoning and dried rosemary. Then seared in a very hot cast iron skillet

After the short ribs were seared and removed from the pan–in went sliced onion, and chopped celery (leaves included)–

Added fresh rosemary and sauteed these as those tasty bits were scraped up from the bottom of the skillet

After the onions were opaque, in went the chopped garlic. Continued to cook for several more minutes to let the garlic diffuse its flavors. I can tell you this–the aroma was awesome with the rosemary lending its bouquet of olfactory-pleasing ‘perfume’

The short ribs were placed back into the skillet over the onions & company

Added the beef broth covering about 2/3 of the short ribs. We don’t want to cover them completely with the liquid, just bring it to the top. Of course, salt & pepper to taste

Added a few more onion slices on top along with fresh rosemary, two bay leaves,  another pinch of dried rosemary, and more fresh chopped garlic…I Love Garlic!  Covered the skillet tightly with aluminum foil, placed the lid on top, and then she went–into a 350 F oven for just about 3 hours.

Served with white rice that was sprinkled with a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes — I must have that little spicy kick! Topped the rice with a tomato slice on top

The speckled butter beans were cooked with smoked turkey for a nice flavor, and went great with a nice slice of hot cornbread. Added scallions and fresh parsley to garnish

Onions from the braising liquid—my, my my…

Braised Short Ribs & Speckled Butter Beans

Seared Scallops, Seared Sirloin with Fava Bean & Mushroom Aioli

A quick, nice little Surf and Turf for a Mellow Monday. A few slivers of beef, a few scallops, and a few shrimp drizzled with a very tasty aioli is all that was needed to satisfy my surf and turf crave.

Fava beans, finely chopped mushrooms went into the aioli

Aioli Recipe;

4 large cloves minced or pressed garlic, 1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 3 egg yokes, 1/2 cup each vegetable oil and olive, and a little water.

In a blender, combine garlic, lemon juice, salt, and egg yokes. Blend until the mixture is smooth. Combine the vegetable oil with the olive oil. Continue to blend on high speed as the oil is added–just a few drops at a time at first; then when the mixture thickens, increase the oil to a slow steady stream (about 1/16 inch wide. Do not add so quickly that it puddles). When the sauce becomes so thick that the oil is difficult to incorporate, which usually will happen after about 1/2 of the oil has been added, then blend in 1 or 2 Tbsp water, then slowly ad the remaining oil. Stop adding oil if the sauce ceases to take up any more oil. At this point, I added the steamed fava beans, and blended well, then the chopped steamed mushrooms and blended those it. This changed the consistency, but I just had this idea of added the fava beans and mushrooms.

The sirloin was marinaded in extra virgin olive oil, chopped garlic, black pepper corns, rosemary, dash of garlic sea salt, and onion powder

Did a quick sear on the beef in a very hot cast iron skillet. No oil added as the oil from the marinade was more than enough.

Seasoned the scallops and shrimp with a little salt, fresh cracked black pepper, and Old Bay seasoning. Seared those for a few minutes on each side

Drizzled the aioli over top, garnished with a few steamed sliced mushrooms and steamed fava beans

And that’s how it went Monday–Seared Scallops, Seared Sirloin with Fava Bean & Mushroom Aioli

Can’t forget the Vino, a nice glass of red to wash it all down

Braised Short Ribs with Parsnip Mash

Meat with lots of bone makes an especially tasty and juicy stew, and you’ll enjoy nibbling at those bones! Generally when I cook short ribs, I’ll cook them on top of the stove. This time, I was going for that rich, dark color…and thus…more intense flavor.

The meat was ‘melt in your mouth’ tender and that’s what I was going for–richness, with a nice thick gravy, and plenty of flavor

Served over broad noodles

Ingredients:

5 pounds beef short ribs
Salt (Kosher preferred), fresh cracked black pepper
4 Tbsp vegetable oil or olive oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped– 2 cups; 7 white pearl onions
2 medium carrots, chopped, 2 celery ribs–chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 sprigs of  fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried

1  bay leaf , one bottle of red wine and 4 cups beef stock or low sodium beef broth

Short ribs are seasoned with salt, freshly cracked black pepper and a few other seasonings–onion powder & garlic powder

Lets chop up some onions, celery, carrots, and garlic. We have fresh rosemary bay leaf, and thyme

Begin by browinig the short ribs over high heat in a Dutch oven in the oil. You may have to do this in batches depending on how many short ribs you have and/or the size of your pot. Brown all sides

Browned very nicely on one side, flip and brown the other.

After all the meat is browned, add the chopped celery, onions, and carrots. Scrape all that short rib browned goodness from the bottom of the pot as we saute those veggies until the onions are translucent, about 8 minutes. Then add the garlic and continue until it becomes fragrant

Ready for the next step, which is…

… add the wine to the Dutch oven. We want to  bring this to a boil over high heat

Add in the rosemary, bay leaf, and thyme, then reduce the heat to low and simmer it until it is reduced to about 1 cup of the original volume

All reduced…the aroma is so very nice. I pureed about 1/2 half of this to give more body and depth of flavor to the sauce, and I left the other half intact as I wanted to have the texture and taste the  chopped vegetables. It’s common to strain out the veggies at this point and make a nice smooth gravy, but this way I get the best of both worlds…pureed and the fullness of the vegetables

Place the short ribs back into the Dutch oven on top of the vegetables in the reduced wine and add 4 cups of beef stock (or beef broth–low sodium) and bring it to a boil

Throw in the white pearl onions, and a little more fresh rosemary and thyme. Cover the Dutch oven tightly with aluminum foil, cover with the Dutch oven lid and place it in the center of the oven, and braise for 2 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender and falling off the bones

Afterwards, this is what we have. The meat is ‘falling off the bone’ tender. At this point remove the short ribs carefully with tongs,  remove the bay leaf, and  allow the liquid to sit at room temperature for a while until the fats solidify– or after allowing the Dutch oven to cool significantly–place in the fridge in order for the fats to solidify…in any event, we want to remove as much fat as possible. Any excess can be absorbed with paper towels

Dark and lovely flavor

The photo below is from the post Beef Short Ribs, that were cooked on top of the stove…note the different color and texture, but both were very tender

On top of the stove

To accompany the Short Ribs, Mashed Parsnips came to mind. They have such a gentle sweet flavor. Cleanse and peel the parsnips

Give them a chop, and cook them covered in about 2 inches of water ( or chicken broth) until tender–about 10 minutes, then drain, place into a food processor or blender, add 2 Tbsp butter, a little cream–about 3 Tbsp (or to your desired consistency), salt and freshly ground black  pepper

Parsnip Mash–so delicately sweet, and a great accompaniment to those Braised Short Ribs

La Queue de Boeuf a la Bourguignonne – Braised Oxtails

These “melt in your” mouth oxtails have a really nice, rich dept of flavor. I wanted to keep the sauce deep and savory, so I omitted the red wine this time around.

Braising is the general term for all those cooking processes in which meat is very slowly simmered in the liquid and vapor of a tightly enclosed vessel. The long, slow cooking produces a gradual and subtle melding of flavors through the medium of that lovely simmering liquid

So I got a request to cook oxtails for dinner, and of course I was not opposed. The last time I cooked oxtails, was the second week of February, when we hosted a luncheon for a dozen or so very good, close  friends. I was pleased that they enjoyed them. However, Mr. Hubbs didn’t get his fill (we generally let our guests enjoy the food when we host a luncheon) and he’s been wanting a nice plate of oxtails  since. Who am I not to oblidge?? So oxtails it was!

 Bourguignonne suggests that part or all of my braising liquid was red wine. However, this time around I omitted the red wine, settling instead for beef stock. I simply wanted the taste of the oxtails shining through without the hint of red wine. Thus, the deep color you observe

Served with Portobello Mushrooms stuffed with Thyme Mashed Potatoes & Black-eye peas…the cornbread was not far off

Ahhhh…there they are, the oxtails…washed and patted dry, ready to be seasoned

Seasoned with salt, pepper, onion & garlic powder, Kirklands no salt seasoning, just a tad of Tuscan seasoning, and fresh thyme. I covered them with plastic wrap, and place them in the fridge overnight…then the next day, removed them from the fridge and allowed to attain room temp before cooking

Into a hot pan to sear on all sides. Searing on high heat brings the interior of the meat to a desired degree of doneness. You’ll need a heavy bottom skillet or Dutch Oven that can go into the oven…unless you’re using a stove-top simmering method to cook them. I used a deep cast iron skillet. Generally I’ll dust the oxtails with a little flour before searing, but this time I omitted the flour

Flip and sear the other side. I also turned them to sear all surfaces

Removed from the skillet after searing

To the skillet, I added some sliced onion and shallots

Sauteed the onion and shallots while scraping all those bits of tasty goodness from the skillet left over from those oxtails

In goes chopped garlic (4 cloves), a few bay leaves, and a bundle of thyme…saute until the garlic is oh so aromatic…I can tell you this…the kitchen was smelling so good  :-)  Now this is the point where–if I was adding red wine, it would be right now. But I left it out this time, because I’m going for a dark, rich flavor devoid of the flavor that red wine would add. Besides..I most often cook with wine, so this is a nice differentiation

Place the seared oxtails on top of the sauteed onions, shallots, and garlic

Add beef stock (or broth). Just enough to come up 3/4 way of the meat…not covered over the top.  Cover tightly with aluminum foil, place the top on the skillet, and into a 350 preheated oven for about 2 1/2 t0 3 hours…or until those oxtails are nice and tender

All done. Remove them from the liquid and place on a platter. Now the braising liquid will have a good amout of fat or clear oil on top of the heavier elements. We want to get rid of of much of this as possible…we want to “degrease’ the braising liquid. Frankly, fat plays a valuable role during the braising process. It improves the flavor and helps keep the meat moist while its cooking. In any event, as you can see here, the liqid fat is lighter than the stock and floats to the surface and must be removed to ensure that the sauce will taste good and not be greasy. To collect the fat from the surface, you can spoon/or ladle away shallow fat by tilting the pan enough to allow the fat to flow onto a spoon, while being careful not to drain off any of the braising liquid. Another method is to allow the liquid to chill, then lift off the solid fat with a spoon. Either way, you want to remove as much of the fat as possible from the braising liquid. Blot off any remaining fat by folding some paper towels together and lay it briefly over the surface of the liquid. You will notice the absorbtion

Remove the bay leaves and bundle of thyme

Cook down a tad over medium heat. At this point, you can add about 1 Tbsp of flour or jussssst a little more, stir while cooking, and then add more stock (broth or water) to stretch it out more. Usually just before this point I’ll strain out the onions, garlic, etc., to make a smooth sauce (or you can puree any veggies uses and add back), but again with this time around I did some omitting. I wanted some texture to the sauce. I’m going for that thick, rich, dark flavor for these oxtails. I did add about1 Tbsp of flour, thinned with plain’ol water because the flavor was really concentrated. Salt & pepper to taste

Braised Oxtails–served with black-eye peas and Portobello Mushroom Caps stuffed with Thyme Mashed Potatoes

La Queue de Boeuf a la Bourguignonne, sans vin rouge (without red wine)

Burgundy Beef Stew – “Saute’ de Boeuf a’ la Bourguignonne”

On a cold day, during the wintry months, and especially  if you live where “old man winter” is quite active–there’s nothing like a hearty stew to warm you up and satisfy your hunger.  A nice one-pot meal such as this is just the ticket.

The Beef is marinaded with plenty of herbs and flavorings, then simmered until tender in red wine and stock.

Ingredients;

• 1/2 c flour
• 2 lbs Beef ( I used a large beef roast, cut up)
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion chopped
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp marjoram (the herbs were tied in a bouquet garni)
• salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 c Burgundy or other red wine
• 4 c beef broth
• Several pearl onions, carrots cut up, potatoes cubed

Cut and season the beef. I seasoned with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and a few other spices and refrigerated for 24 hours. Dredge the meat in the flour. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot until hot, add the beef and brown on all sides. When the last batch is remved, add the onions and sweat for a few minutes and then add the garlic and saute a few minutes more. Next add the red wine, the beef and the bouquet garni. Add the beef broth, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, allspice and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until the meat is tender. Add the tomato paste and stir in, continue to simmer. Add the carrots, simmer until tender, next the potatoes and of course simmer a little longer until the potatoes are fork tender.

In another pan, heat 1 tbsp butter and saute the pearl onions with the celery, until the onions are slightly carmelized. Add to the beef stew.

Beef Short Ribs

Meat with lots of bones always make an especially tasty meal.

Short Ribs are tender and meaty, but fatty, therefore its good to chill (or allow to reach room temperature for a while) after cooking so as to remove the fat before serving.

Served with Mustard & Turnip Greens, and White Rice

 For this recipe I used;

• 4 lbs of beef short ribs
• 4 tbsp canola oil
• 2 large onions sliced
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp marjoram
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 celery rib
• salt and fresh cracked black pepper
• several small white mushrooms

A little trip to Eastern Market (Downtown Detroit) to secure our Short Ribs

Give them a good rinse under cold running water to clean and remove any bone fragments

Seasoned and refrigerated overnight—allowed to reach room temperature

Sear in a hot cast iron skillet until nicely browned

 Let’s brown side two

Reduced the heat, added onions and garlic–saute until nice and fragrant while scraping all those tasty bits in the pan–although not shown, the pan was deglazed with red wine

Add the Short Ribs back into the pan on top of the onions, add beef stock, fresh onions, celery, garlic, bay leaves, marjoram, salt and pepper, cover and let simmer over a moderately low heat until the meat is nice and tender and falling off of the bone. The mushrooms were added after the heat was turned off

A little sprinkle of scallions and parsley, a slice of cornbread for the Greens and it’s time for dinner – the Short Ribs had actually seperated from the bones and were so very tender

Filet Mignon with Sauvignon Blanc Mushroom Cream Sauce

And that was dinner!

Nothing like a nice good Filet Mignon if you have a taste for steak. This is my favorite, well one of my favorite cuts of beef. Cooks up really nicely and so tender you can cut it with a butter knife…better yet…I just used my fork.

Served with Spinach and Garlic Scalloped Potatoes