Braised Beef Short Ribs

This is one of my favorite cold weather dishes.It takes a few hours to cook but it sure is worth the effort.Once the meat is done cooking I strain off the cooking liquid and fat then make gravy from it.There are many variations of this dish but most involve braising which is one of my favorite techniques.Hope you enjoy my version!

Ingredients:
3 to 4 pounds bone in short ribs
1 1/2 cup onion
1/2 cup shallot
1 cup carrot
1 cup celery
4 mushrooms (sliced)
6 slices bacon (diced)
2 bay leaves
3 cloves garlic
a few sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme
1 bottle of dry red wine
4 cups beef stock

Seasoned flour:
2 cups flour
1 tbls paprika
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp salt
combine all ingredients until well mixed

Roux for gravy equal parts melted flour and butter.The amount depends on the liquid you have left after cooking I use about 4 to 5 tbls.Use the seasoned flour from the dredge

1 piece of parchment paper cut to fit the inside of your pot




start by getting your mise en place together

next coat ribs with flour and pat off excess

now open the wine pour the whole bottle in and bring to a boil,once at a boil light it on fire but be careful! the flame was about two feet high but the picture didn't pick it up cause it was blue

reduce the wine by 2/3 the wine i used was menage a trois in the picture above it's a blend of cab sav,merlot and zinfandel,and it's really good to drink too..about 8 bucks

now set a heavy pot over med. high heat add a drizzle of oil then brown ribs on all sides

once ribs are browned add bacon and cook for about 2 minutes then add mirepoix and saute for 5 minutes more

now add reduced wine,mushrooms,bay leaf and herbs

saute a few more minutes more then put the ribs in and cover with stock and water if needed

now top with the paper,this acts like a lid but lets the liquid concentrate and helps caramelization as well.Pop it in a 350 oven for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until meat is fork tender

Here is the roux I made this while the ribs were in the oven then I set it aside

this pic is after 3 hours,look at how much liquid has evaporated and the dark brown goodness in the pot

remove ribs from pot and let rest covered with foil,strain liquid through a mesh strainer and let sit to let the fat come to the top then skim it off and strain again

heat the roux back up and slowly add the liquid little by little until well combined,whisk and bring to a boil,once it starts to thicken reduce to a simmer and cook a few minutes more,it will get thicker as it stands

here is a plated dish on a bed of riced potatoes topped with gravy and chives

this will have your whole house smelling wonderful!

Hot Wings

Hot wings are so good,super cheap and most people love them.This is more of a technique than a recipe,first I start off with a buttermilk and hot sauce marinade seasoned up with spices.The hot sauce which adds flavor but no heat is vinegar based and contains acetic acid a tenderizer and the buttermilk has lactic acid which is another tenderizer.These could be breaded and fried for a southern fried style but I cook them indirectly over a slow grill for about a hour to get a slight smokey flavor,then they are finished off in a deep fryer for a few minutes..this way produced some of the best wings I have ever made,fully cooked through,super crispy and delicious!


Ingredients:
1 big pack of wings(about 18 to 20)
1 quart buttermilk
1 16oz bottle of Frank's red hot sauce(or your favorite)
1 tsp cayenne powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 gallon of oil for frying
1/2 stick melted butter and 1/2 bottle of hot sauce mixed for coating the wings

combine all ingredients except chicken and whisk until well combined,put chicken in a plastic bag and cover with marinade,let sit overnight or at least a few hours,drain chicken and pat dry with paper towels,meanwhile start the bbq or oven at 350(bbq is best)

this is about 45 minutes in they are almost ready to go in the oil at this point.

just out of the oil,they only cooked about 2 minutes a batch.Look at that beautiful color and they are super crispy at this point and ready to be coated with sauce

after being coated with sauce.serve with blue cheese or ranch and celery!..Delicious!