Braised Short Ribs

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Braised Short Ribs

It’s a rare occasion that I buy short ribs around here. They’re usually so expensive, I don’t even bother. But, last week they happened to be on sale – so I went ahead and treated us to a giant bulk package deal. As you can imagine, the men-folk in my life were ecstatic.

So I did what any other gal would do, and braised them in red win for a few hours. This recipe calls for making a vegetable paste by combining carrots, celery, and onion in the food processor. It seems weird, and you’ll question this odd step- but just trust in Anne Burrell. That veggie paste is the key to the awesomeness of the sauce. It breaks down, and  all the earthy flavors from the browned veggies just becomes a part of the rich, meaty sauce.

I went super simple for sides and served mashed potatoes and green beans to go with. But, I think something like a polenta to make a bed for the tender short ribs and sauce would be just phenomenal – and make it a little more special. This was a wonderful dish that I know I’ll be coming to again and again. A classic.

Braised Short Ribs

12 bone-in short ribs (about 3.5 pounds)
Kosher salt
ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 ribs celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 carrots, peeled, cut in 1/2 lengthwise, then cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 1/2 cups tomato paste
2.5 cups dry red wine (Merlot or Cabernet)
2 cups water
1 bunch fresh thyme, tied with kitchen string
2 bay leaves

Season each short rib generously with salt and pepper. Coat a pot large enough to accommodate all the meat and vegetables with olive oil and bring to a high heat. Add the short ribs to the pan and brown very well, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Do not overcrowd pan. Cook in batches, if necessary.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

While the short ribs are browning, puree all the vegetables and garlic in the food processor until it forms a coarse paste. When the short ribs are very brown on all sides, remove them from the pan. Drain the fat, coat the bottom of same pan with fresh oil and add the pureed vegetables. Season the vegetables generously with salt and brown until they are very dark and a crud has formed on the bottom of the pan, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Scrape the crud and let it reform. Scrape the crud again and add the tomato paste. Brown the tomato paste for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat if things start to burn. Reduce the mixture by half.

Return the short ribs to the pan and add 2 cups water or until the water has just about covered the meat. Add the thyme bundle and bay leaves. Cover the pan and place in the preheated oven for 3 hours. Check periodically during the cooking process and add more water, if needed. Turn the ribs over halfway through the cooking time. Remove the lid during the last 20 minutes of cooking to let things get nice and brown and to let the sauce reduce. When done the meat should be very tender but not falling apart. Serve with the braising liquid.

Source: adapted from Anne Burrell

Pork Tenderloin Marsala

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Pork Tenderloin Marsala

I love pretty much anything that’s been Marsala-fied. It’s such an indispensable item to have in your liquor cabinet. It’s got a wonderful, rich depth of flavor when used for cooking, and it’s shelf stable – meaning that you can open it up, and it’ll keep fine un-refrigerated for years (not that a bottle ever makes it that long in our house). It comes in two varieties – sweet & dry. I usually buy the sweet, then balance out that sweetness with lemon juice when I’m doing a dish like this. Sweet Marsala is also great in dessert and other sweet recipes as well. So if you don’t have a bottle, pick one up – it’s handy to have on hand.

Chicken Marsala is pretty much my favorite dinner, and has been for years. But, in an effort to get less chicken – and more “other stuff” into our weekly menu I thought a Marsala twist on a pork tenderloin would be fun. Turned out to be alot easier than chicken marsala too, as the pork didn’t have to be pounded out to an even thickness – then coated and fried. Instead I took cues from this recipe – gave the tenderloin a little soak in the wine, then seared it off in the pan, cooked the mushrooms, added the wine, and finished it all off in the oven. It turned out delicious, and like I said – it was so much easier than the chicken version. And probably healthier too!

Pork Tenderloin Marsala

1 1/2 cups Marsala wine
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 pound pork tenderloin
2 Tbsp olive oil
8 oz sliced mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tsp salt
4 Tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine 1 cup Marsala wine, lemon juice, and 1 tsp of salt in a large resealable bag. Add the pork tenderloin and marinate for 30-60 minutes.

In a large ovenproof skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Remove tenderloin from the bag (reserving the marinade), and sear on all sides until browned – about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside on plate.

Add the remaining olive oil to the pan, and add the mushrooms – tossing to coat with the oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are starting to brown on the edges and release most of their liquid – about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and the tomato paste to the pan and cook for an additional minute.

Slowly pour the remaining Marsala wine to the pan, along with the chicken stock and leftover marinade. Bring to a boil and whisk in the butter until smooth, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Return the tenderloin to the pan, turning once to coat.

Carefully place the skillet in the oven, and bake for about 15-20 minutes – until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 135 degrees.

Remove from the oven and remove tenderloin to cutting board. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing into 3/4-inch slices and serving with the sauce.

Truffled Deviled Eggs

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Truffled Deviled Eggs

Well, Easter is upon us again, as well as the ever present question that goes along with it – what do I do with all these eggs? My answers are always pretty simple – egg salad, sliced up and put on top of a salad, or of course everyone’s favorite remedy: deviled eggs.

My friend Jen makes the best deviled eggs, they’re smooth and creamy – with a good amount of tang from Dijon mustard. It’s usually my go-to version for cookouts. But, it’s Easter – so it’s nice to do something a little more special. And,what better to do that with than white truffle oil? It’s expensive, but the stuff is magical. I purchased a bottle a couple of years ago, and I’m still working through it. It’s insanely delicious just drizzled over roasted potatoes or some greens. Such a great ingredient, and worth every penny in my opinion!

Truffled Deviled Eggs

12 eggs; cooked, cooled, and peeled
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp white truffle oil
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
ground paprika, for garnish

Halve the peeled eggs length-wise. Remove the yolks and place in a medium bowl, set the egg whites aside. Using a pastry blender, two forks, or a potato masher – break apart the egg yolks. Add the mayo, Dijon, truffle oil, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Continue to mash until completely smooth, and season to taste with salt and pepper. A food processor works well for this application too!

Using a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip, or a resealable bag with the corner cut off – pipe the yolk mixture into the egg white halves. Garnish with paprika or fresh dill, if desired.

Skillet Asparagus with Grapefruit

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Skillet Asparagus with Grapefruit

Gorgeous asparagus can be found in virtually every small town grocery store this time of year, for a great price. I get so excited when I see those thin, green stalks go on sale – because I know that Spring is finally here!

This recipe comes from the Lee brother’s new cookbook “Charleston Kitchen”. I purchased it in Charleston, and had an opportunity to talk to the brothers for a few minutes. They are just as warm and welcoming as you’d imagine! It was definitely one of the highlights of my trip. I was planning to make shrimp & grits as the first recipe I’d try out of the cookbook – but when I saw that asparagus was on sale this week, and grapefruits too – I couldn’t help but move this recipe to the forefront.

It was so delicious, and so different! The sweet earthiness of the asparagus, paired with the bite and tang from the grapefruit was out of this world. And the vinaigrette? Lord have mercy. I’ve had a batch in the fridge at all times since then. To-die-for on a watercress and arugula salad. And aren’t those grapefruit segments so pretty? I used a standard “red” grapefruit to cut up for the salad, but then sliced into one of the Texas Rio Star’s I’ve been hoarding to see the color difference (I used it in the background so you can see the difference for yourself). Wowza, totally see what all the fuss is about now. So much redder, sweeter, and larger – they were about 3x the size of a standard grapefruit. I’ll have to cut a deal with Shawnda to ship me some next year, because I had a hell of a time finding them up here!

So if you’re looking to put a few fun, fresh twists on your Easter table this year – I’d highly recommend this asparagus. It’s super-duper easy and quick, delicious, and special.  Thanks to the Lee Brothers for another new family favorite in our home!

Skillet Asparagus with Grapefruit

1 grapefruit, preferably a ruby variety
Kosher salt
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp canola or veggie oil
1 pound medium asparagus, trimmed of any woody ends
Freshly ground black pepper

With a zester, scrape some grapefruit zest from the skin of the fruit for garnish, and reserve. Segment the grapefruit, removing any pith and membranes, catching juice in a bowl. Once you’ve extracted all the citrus segments, squeeze the membranes to release any remaining juice and then discard the membranes. Gently strain the segments, reserving segments and juice in separate bowls. Add ¼ teaspoon salt, the vinegar, 1 tablespoon of water, and the mustard to the bowl with the grapefruit juice and whisk to combine. Pour in the olive oil, whisking to emulsify.

Pour the canola oil into a large skillet over high heat, and when it smokes, add half of the asparagus and ¼ teaspoon salt, and cover. Cook, partly covered, until the asparagus is blackened on one side, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the asparagus in the pan, cover, and cook until the asparagus is thoroughly blackened, 3 minutes more; transfer to a serving platter. Repeat with the remaining asparagus, adding another teaspoon of oil to the pan (if it’s become too dry) and seasoning with salt.

When all the asparagus is on the platter, scatter the grapefruit segments evenly over the asparagus. If the dressing has broken, whisk to re-emulsify, pour it over the asparagus, and grind some black pepper over the top. Garnish the platter with the reserved zest, and serve.

Source: barely adapted from The Charleston Kitchen by Matt and Ted Lee