Friday, January 22, 2010

Cooking Class #1.5

Ok, so I had to make it 1.5 because this recipe was done concurrently with the chicken and used exactly the same technique. This short rib recipe is a "Jet Special" and it, unlike my recipe post from Sunday, needs no alterations. And taste? Unquestionably awesome!

Short ribs are a dish that I had never had before I came to the US, along with a whole list of other amazing foods, if I'm being completely honest. There are so many ways to cook them, but the first time I ever had them was at a steak house here in Vegas and I was so amazed by the way the meat just fell from the bone, how the fat just melted in your mouth, and how the flavor was so rich and robust. Yet the presentation was so simple and unassuming: a pair of saucy ribs sitting atop some buttery mashed potato. Just writing that paragraph made me salivate.

Now that I understand the basic principles of making short ribs, I've found another recipe that I am going to try. But not this week - my new mantra is "portion control" and I have no control whatsoever when it comes to ribs so twice in one week is a bad idea for my waistline!




Jet Tila's Braised Short Ribs

2 lbs natural beef short ribs, cut 1.5 inches thick and trimmed
kosher salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
vegetable oil, as needed
1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 cup port wine
1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon (or any non-fruity, dry red wine)
2-3 cups beef stock or water
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste


Preheat oven to 350F. Season ribs with salt and pepper and set aside.

Place a large ovenproof braising pan over medium-high heat. Add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the ribs and brown all sides. Remove the meat and most of the fat from the pan. Add the onion, carrot and garlic to the pan. Saute the vegetables until they begin to brown. Add the peppercorns, bay leaf and thyme. Add both wines and the oyster sauce to the pan and reduce the liquid until half of the volume remains. Cover the ribs with tomato paste and return them to the pan then add enough stock to just cover the meat. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.

Cover and place the pan in the oven. Braise 3-4 hours or until the meat is tender and just begins to fall off the bone.

Remove meat from pan and let it rest for about 24 hours before reheating and eating!

*Some important notes*
Because we added oyster sauce which is very salty, you might want to use a little less salt than you would normally.

It's important to brown the meat first to give it that lovely rich color. Otherwise technically you are just boiling the meat, and it loses some of the depth of flavor and richness of color.

The technique where you apply a sauce (in this case tomato paste) directly to the meat after browning has a name. It's a French term called "pincer". The tomato paste is used to caramelize the outside of the meat, create a richer flavor, and to tenderize the meat and aid in the breakdown of the muscle.

And don't forget to read my previous blog entry about braising to get some cooking tips!


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