Monday, March 10, 2008

Braised Short Ribs with Celeriac Puree and Gremolata

Along with some of our other posts, this is more about a cooking technique than the actual recipe, although the recipe is clearly a winner. This recipe comes from our friends in Brooklyn, and for them it’s all about braising.

It’s my main reason for looking forward to winter and it produces my favorite comfort foods. Braising gives you the ability to take a tough, inexpensive cut of meat and turn it into something wonderful. It’s also great for dinner parties because you can make it in advance and then simply re-heat by popping it in the oven.

Braising is really hard to mess up as long as you follow a simple formula. The main ingredients are a meat, aromatics, cooking liquid, and patience, and the possibilities are infinite. For meat, it can be a shank, shoulder, stew meat, short ribs, etc; it can be veal, pork, chicken, boar, beef, rabbit, etc. The aromatics can anything from garlic, onion, celery, leeks, herbs, carrots, fennel, and all types of spices. The liquid can be any combination of wine, stock, water, and/or canned tomatoes. The last ingredient is patience, and it’s needed in two spots. First, you must be patient in browning the meat, which may have to be done in batches. When the meat is browned properly, you’re left with what the French call fond- the caramelized brown bits at the bottom off the pan. This is the base flavoring of the sauce. Then, like BBQ, braising should be done low and slow. I always do it in the oven as opposed to on the stove top.

Polenta, mashed potatoes, or a simple risotto are all great with braised meats; you want something that can absorb some of the delicious braising liquid. My favorite dish to serve with this is this simple, delicious celeriac puree. These short ribs are quite rich, so I find it necessary to cut it with a gremolata. This is best enjoyed on a cold, wintry Sunday evening. Enjoy!

Serves 2

Short Ribs

3 Short ribs (about 1½ pounds)
1 Red onion, diced
1 Carrot, diced
4-5 Stalks celery, diced
5 Cups beef stock
½ Bottle of dry red wine
5 Cloves
1-2 Whole star anise (depending how much you like it)
2 Bay leaves
Black peppercorns
Garlic clove, whacked (depending on how much you like garlic)
Thyme

Season short ribs well with salt and pepper. Sear in a heavy bottom pan or dutch oven until all sides are well browned- no shortcuts here. Remove to a plate.

Add celery, carrot, onion and sauté over medium heat 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and continue sautéing until soft, about 5-7 more minutes. Add the rest of the spices (bay, peppercorns, cloves, star anise) and the wine and cook until the wine is reduced by about half.


NOTE: If you are going to strain the sauce in the end, the garlic, thyme, and spices can just be tossed in. If not, you should chop the garlic and thyme and wrap the spices in cheesecloth so they can easily be fished out.

When wine in reduced by half, add short ribs and stock to the pot and bring to a boil. Cover and put in preheated 350 degree oven for about 2½ hours.

At this point, you have the option of straining out the solids for a more refined sauce. Cool everything down and then refrigerate until ready, preferably overnight.

Skim the fat off of the top of the sauce and reheat until heated through in a 350 degree oven, about an hour.






Celeriac Puree

1 Large celeriac (celery root), peeled and cubed
2-3 Small yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
Milk, enough to cover celeriac and potatoes
Butter

Add milk, celeriac and potatoes to a pot and cook until fork tender.

Remove vegetables from milk and puree in food processor until smooth, but do not over-puree. Season to taste with butter, salt, and pepper.

Gremolata

Inner, lightly colored leaves from celery
Parsley
1 Lemon
1 Clove garlic, minced

Zest and juice lemon. Mix in minced garlic and chopped parsley and celery leaves.

Serve the short ribs over the celeriac puree and top with the braising juice and gremolata.

Saturday, March 1, 2008

Veal Osso Bucco

There are few things in life better than a big hunk of veal on the bone. It isn't cheap, but it's well worth the price. This is a simple version of an amazing classic dish. You can substitute the veal for beef as long as you have a shank on the bone.

For the more adventurous eaters out there, make sure that you have some tiny spoons ready for the marrow. The marrow is great as a spread on toast also, which could make a great appetizer or amuse bouche.

Veal Osso Bucco

4 Veal shanks (~3-inches thick)
1 Cup chicken broth
1 Cup dry red wine
1 Cup water
4 Tablespoons flour
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 Cloves of minced garlic
4 Whole anchovy fillets
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
The zest from 1 lemon

Mix the flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Cover all sides of the shanks in the seasoned flour. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium pan over medium high heat and brown the shanks, adding more oil as needed.















Place the veal in the crock pot after browning. Deglaze the pan with the red wine and chicken broth.

Add the wine and broth mixture to the crock pot. Add the remaining ingredients, cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours.















After the veal has finished cooking place the shanks on a serving plate, they will be very tender so be careful when removing them from the crock pot. If the remaining sauce is too thin for your taste, reduce it in a small pot until it reaches the desired consistency. Season the sauce to taste and pour over the shanks.