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!

Horses and such

In a bold attempt to fill up my days with activities that I enjoy, I now have so much to do that I am constantly busy! Not long after I arrived in Vegas, I googled "horse rescue" and found a place in Sandy Valley, not far from here. But when I put the address into Google Maps, it said that it would take me 1.5 hours to get out there and that was just too long a drive for me at the time. I didn't know whether my car (and I) would hold up to the desert drive.

Then earlier this year, there was a pet show called Pet-A-Palooza which I went along to, out by the UNLV stadium, and low and behold, Shiloh Horse Rescue had a booth! So I asked them first-hand how long it would take for me to get there and they all said "about 45 mins". Google Maps obviously assumes that everyone sticks to the speed limit!

So in May, I did my first trip out to Shiloh and when I got there, Elisa (the riding instructor) asked me if I wanted a lesson! Did I? I was so confused, excited and overwhelmed, that I said yes! And so began my step back into the equestrian fold.

I had a serious horse accident about 8 years ago and have only ridden once on a trail ride in Wales about 4 years ago. So although I was not nervous or fearful, there was definitely some trepidation there. Elisa leant me a pair of boots and a helmet and I rode Orlando in the arena for an hour or so. It was great. I didn't realize how much I had missed riding until that moment! But I also think that if I had started again when I wasn't ready, I wouldn't have had such a positive experience. 

My first lesson on Orlando

Since that first week, I've ridden Dude, Priceless and Cedar, and with each lesson, I get a little better and a little more confident. I have been riding Western, and I discovered after my last lesson, that for all the years that I rode in a Western saddle, I was using it like a dressage saddle! My seat was dressage but my saddle was western, so I am in the process of "retraining" to ride Western as it should be ridden. I would like to get to a point where I can do both Western and Dressage. Baby steps...

Last week I had my first horse related injury! I was tying Cedar up at the wash bay with a quick release knot, when she pulled back and my knuckle got pinched by the rope as I was tightening it. I iced it immediately, but it was sore, bruised and swollen for about 5 days. I'd rather have a many small injuries than one big one, that's for sure!

My second ride: out on the trail with Dude (I am in the middle on the chestnut horse)

Jill Curtis, who owns Shiloh, and her mom Sally both work out there every day. They are such kind people - they try to rehabilitate every horse they have; even the seemingly un-fixable. If magic wands existed, these ladies should have one. They rely on donations and kindness, and I don't know how they do it. They have hundreds of horses on the property, just living out their lives in comfort and only a handful of adoptable horses, that they train and sell on to good homes. The horses come from all over the country but mostly from feed lot auctions, where buyers are there to purchase horses for slaughterhouses and the horse meat export market. Jill bids against the people she knows are buying them for this purpose and gives these animals the chance to live out their lives as happy horses.

For more information about Shiloh Horse Rescue and Sanctuary, check out their website.