I don't know who picked up NYC and dropped it in Antarctica, but it is freezing out here. I mean, can't walk outside without a bank robber ski mask cold. I mean, ears falling off and hitting the pavement like ice cubes type weather.
Yes, I am from California. We don't do weather like this. Nonetheless it's an excellent time to practice recession recipes. What recession?!?! The one that's making hundreds of restaurants go out of business and cut back on overtime and staff. And forcing more people to cook at home and choose less expensive cuts of meat.
That kind of recession.
If you're like me and feeling the cold inside and out, then this recipe is sure to bring some comfort back in your life. It was one of those experiments that I would happily serve at my own restaurant and to friends and family. Beef short ribs are cooked best when braised at a low temperature over a long time. They are fatty and tough, so the slow cooking aids in turning blubbery sinews into mouth watering morsels.
At the supermarket there are normally two types of beef short ribs: 'flanken' cut which are short ribs cut across the bone into more manageable pieces or 'short ribs" which look like long logs of beef muscle on the bone.
I chose the normal short ribs for this recipe and cut them off the bone so I could keep the rib meat in one piece for half of the cooking time. My goal was not to have a mushy stringy pile of meat but actual pieces. After cooking the rib meat for an hour, I sliced it thick and returned it to the braising liquid for another hour. To finish the dish the braising liquid is de-fatted and a splash of balsamic vinegar and some fresh cherry halve are added to give a little sweetness and acidity to the rich red-wine beef sauce.
The buttermilk biscuits are from my thoroughly destroyed (torn with gooey fingerprints everywhere) 1975 copy of the Joy Of Cooking and I have yet to find a better a recipe. They are quick to whip up in a Cuisinart and simple to roll out.
And frankly, nothing compares to warm soft biscuits fresh from the oven – with or without the short ribs and sauce. This recipe was supposed to provide left overs. But it didn't. Everything was demolished – the best compliment of all! Serve with horseradish cream.
serves 4-5
3 beef short ribs, bone-in
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
2 cups dry red wine
4 cups veal stock (can substitute beef stock)
2 sprigs of thyme
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Bing cherries halved and pitted (as many as you want to plate)
Buttermilk Biscuits from The Joy Of Cooking
1 3/4's cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar (optional) 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup lard or 5 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup buttermilk
Preheat oven to 325˚F. Cut the bone away from the rib meat in one straight shot. Keep both. Trim any outer fat on the rib meat if it is thick and white. On the stove top heat a large oven-proof pan with olive oil on high heat. Generously Salt and pepper the rib meat. Sear the rib meat hard on all sides to brown. Remove the rib meat to a plate and if there is a lot of fat in the pan throw away all of it but three tablespoons.
Add in 2 of the bones and the carrots and onions. Sauté until soft then add the rib meat back to the pot. Pour in the wine and reduce by 1/3rd. Add in the beef stock, thyme, and bay leaf and place in the oven to braise for one hour. Check in to make sure things are happily braising and bubbling. After 1 hour remove the rib meat and cut into 1 1/2-inch slices. Place slices back into the braising liquid. If necessary add a little more red wine and veal stock to cover slices. Place a lid on the pot and continue cooking for another hour until the fat in the rib meat has rendered and the meat is tender.
When rib meat is done remove slices to a plate and keep warm. Throw away the bones, strain the braising liquid, and return it to the pot. Carefully spoon out as much of the fat as possible. If the braising liquid is thin – not yet thick enough to coat the back of a spoon – reduce on the stove top. Add the balsamic vinegar little by little until the sauce has a nice rich slightly acidic taste. Toss in the cherries halves to warm right before serving.
The meat can be reheated in the sauce right before serving too.
For the bisuits: Preheat oven to 450˚F. Put all the dry ingredients in a Cuisinart and blend for 2 seconds to evenly distribute. Add the butter or lard in cubes and blend with on and off pulses until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add the buttermilk and blend with on and off pulses until the dough just comes together. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead gently for 30 second.
Roll the dough gently to a thickness of 1/2-inch and cut with a biscuit cutter (I often use a water glass). Brush the tops (not the sides or they won't rise) with a little milk if you want glaze the tops. Bake on an ungreased baking sheet for 10-12 minutes until they are golden delicious.
Serve warmed short ribs over biscuits. Spoon over balsamic sauce and place cherries around. Serve with horseradish cream
Wow that looks delicious! I'm from So Cal so cold weather for me is like..30 degrees? Haha, well those biscuits sound just perfect for the weather right now.
Posted by: Simply | January 29, 2009 at 11:38 AM
Your post is yet another reminder of why I DON'T live in New England any more. But the recipe sounds delish...or is that too RR to say? Stay warm. I'll send you a pic of my blooming snowdrops, if that'll help (hehehe).
Posted by: SAS | January 29, 2009 at 06:23 PM
If one wanted to get larger cuts of short rib on the bone (like the one in the picture) what should we tell our butcher?
Posted by: Nicholas Paldino | January 29, 2009 at 07:10 PM
I think winter is worth the cold just to have the excuse to do braises - albeit not worth your kind of cold.
Posted by: kevin | January 30, 2009 at 07:02 AM
Looks fabulous, thanks! Question: In step 3, when popping in to braise for the 1st hour, should it be covered or uncovered?
Posted by: Jessica | January 30, 2009 at 09:25 AM
Ah! My dear Ms. Glaze. You keep on being my inspiration. I just drop by, as always, to read news from your life (I know it sound weird, I have one of my own! ;-) ) and "steal" one more of your yummi recipes. My friends and family keep asking again and again for your now-famous-among-my-inner-circle "Suprême de Volaille Farcies aux Champignons Sauvages". Now this time, i will surprise them with this new recipe, let them know its your new contribution to our small reunions, hopefully they also get inspired to start cooking and checing your blog as I do to find wonderful stories, incredible food and a fantastic woman. My best wishes to you, as always.
Posted by: Uber | January 30, 2009 at 05:04 PM
Wow! This is such a delectable meal to look at... Just a question, this food looks so good that I wanted to try making it on my own, but because of the beef, my cholesterol may shoot up. Do you have any substitute for beef, but still retain the same goodness of the food? Thanks!
Posted by: Kathy's Weight Loss Diary | February 01, 2009 at 02:14 AM
Wow, this looks amazing. I love any slow cooked red meat like this, and I have a major weakness for homemade biscuits. The cherries and balsamic is a great idea, I will have to try this out.
Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Sara | February 03, 2009 at 07:36 AM
Ms Glaze,
I am making Choucroute garni and brandade this weekend. Any tips?
Make more videos!
Posted by: john | February 03, 2009 at 07:46 AM
This is going straight onto the "to try" list. I've never heard of a dish quite like this one before!
Posted by: Scott at Realepicurean | February 04, 2009 at 11:47 AM
Amy,
out of curiosity, how are the family meals at work?
best,
Danny
Posted by: danny | February 04, 2009 at 11:25 PM
Looks like a 5 star restaurant great job.
Posted by: Lynette | February 05, 2009 at 06:48 AM
Looks like a 5 star restaurant. Great Job
Posted by: Lynette | February 05, 2009 at 06:49 AM
This looks amazing and perfect for the cold weather we have today...er, here in the Bay Area of California that means its in the 60's and I'm freezing!
Posted by: Mrs. L | February 05, 2009 at 02:59 PM
That looks absolutely yummy!!!
Posted by: Pam | February 05, 2009 at 04:38 PM
Ms Glaze,
is it Je suis desole?
Posted by: john | February 05, 2009 at 05:07 PM
Simply – I would do anything for 30 degree weather...
SAS – Can't wait for the pic ;-)
Nicholas – Beef Short ribs come in 3 different cuts at the butcher counter. They will either be "flanken" cut which dissects the short rib across the bone in 2-3" pieces or they will be the standard 6-7" short rib either on the bone or cut off of it. You might want the short rib already cut off the bone, but I am a firm believer that cooking this dish with the bones makes it taste better! Hope this helps?
Kevin – Recession cooking, what can I say?!?! ;-)
Jessica – Normally braised dishes are covered, but I really wanted the broth to slowly cook down so I left it uncovered until it was reduced by half during the first hour. I omitted adding flour (like in a beef stew or beouf bourgouingon) to thicken the sauce. It's also great because as it cooks down you can taste it and add more red wine or beef stock depending on your taste
Uber – Thanks for your note! I'm so glad that recipe works for you. It's one of my favs and it's always pretty to serve. Have you tried it with Morels when they're in season?!?!
Kathy – Great question and I'm afraid I don't know the answer. I'll have to do some experimenting on your behalf. Braising is commonly used for fatty tough pieces of meat. And the richness of this sauce depends on it. However, there are plenty of other animals out there that are less fatty in general and they all have tough and tender parts. I'll get back to you on this...
Sara – Thanks for your message! Braised beef and biscuits are hard to resist!
John – I"m sorry I didn't get back to you sooner! I've never made chacroute garni, but brandade I have. There are many different versions of it. Email me and I'll give you my version plus any tips.
Scott – Thanks and I hope you give it a shot! Let me know how it turns out for yoU!
Lynette – Merci Bien ;-)
Mrs L – Oh to be back in San Francisco with my wind breaker and not this jacket that resembles a down sleeping bag
Pam – Thanks!!!
John – Sorry for...?!? I hope nothing is wrong?!?!
Posted by: Ms. Glaze | February 05, 2009 at 07:56 PM
aw man you didnt answer me! ;[
Posted by: danny | February 05, 2009 at 08:53 PM
Ms Glaze,
You may not have seen my post under your last Dec 30 article. My comment was not for me, but you. I. despite my feelings about a program that has demonstrated a lack of insight and class. watched it last night and then today saw an account of it on the site of, well. a prominent chef. It was a good progran. Ahhhhh! But it lacked the savoir faire a certain Parisian trained chef would have bought, not to mention one who could have fileted rather than shredded a fish.
Posted by: john | February 05, 2009 at 09:24 PM
So can I send you a photo directly, or do I have to put it on Flickr and send you a link? Don't see an actual email anywhere on your site...
Posted by: SAS | February 06, 2009 at 05:34 PM
This is stunning!!!
I love the idea of cherry balsamic cutting the richness of the short rib. It sounds exquisite!!
I'm looking forward to giving this a try soon. Thank you!!!
Cheers,
~ Paula
Posted by: Paula Maack | February 07, 2009 at 10:07 PM
O.K. I know this is over a month late (Hey, I'm recovering from ankle surgery...and still managing to somehow work a few times a week...on crutches...in a kitchen...making cakes and pastry...AAAAAHHH!).
This is a great tip for those who want to do this type of braise but not have it turn out so fatty on the plate:
Make the braise the day before and refrigerate the meat separately from the sauce. During braising, about 90% of the fat in the meat will render out into the sauce. Chill down the sauce thoroughly, and the fat will solidify and float to the top. Allowing you to skim it off and discard it. Now you have a relatively low fat dish that won't send you into a cardiac fit.
Also, the texture of the braised meat will improve tenfold after a thorough chill down and gentle reheat in the sauce.
Posted by: Roxanne | March 26, 2009 at 03:57 PM
hello,your recipes are so cool,I hope it taste the way it looks I am a chinese food amateur and like cooking the dish myself,I'll try it,I hope I could cook this dish as yours,thanks for sharing again.
Posted by: chinesebeefrecipes | April 16, 2009 at 06:40 PM
I love your blog so much, and there are just some differences with others'. Hope there will be more wonderful things in your blog. Happy every day! http://www.star-trek-dvd.com/star_trek/The_Next_Generation/index.html
Posted by: Next generation star trek | May 03, 2009 at 07:59 PM
I just wanted you to know that I was inspired by this post (even though I haven't made your recipe, yet), and credited you as my inspiration in a recent blog post of mine (Braised Deckle of Brisket - 2 Ways) that was featured on Serious Eats and has been picked up by a few other blogs. I like to give credit where it's due, including sources of inspiration. :)
Thank you for the beautiful post and delicious sounding recipe.
Cheers,
~ Paula
Posted by: Paula Maack | May 06, 2009 at 05:52 PM