Braised Beef Short Ribs Inspired by Julia Child

Beef short ribs – bone in.
Let rest on counter so they aren’t not fridge cold.
Rub with salt, pepper and thyme.

Add to screaming hot cast iron frying pan. Add a bit of Crisco oil just before you add the meat.
You want them sizzling when you put them in the frying pan.
Do not crowd the meat, I used a 12”. If you crowd the meat won’t brown, it will steam.
Use tongs to turn meat to sear on all sides including ends.

Remove meat. Place on meat dish.
Add the diced onions, celery and carrots to that same frying pan. Salt, pepper and thyme. Cook until tender. You don’t need to add any more oil.
Once vegetables are tender, add Balsamic Vinegar to deglaze.
Add red wine and 2 international bay leaves. (I didn’t have PORT so I added some maple syrup)
Bring to simmer.
Add beef stock.
Reduce down. I may have had too much liquid it never really thickened.

Add the meat back in with vegetables and sauce.
Tightly cover pan with tinfoil.
Into the oven at 325 for 2.5 hours.
Remove meat, set in new casserole or pie plate, wrap in the tin foil and put back in oven for the last 30 minutes of cooking.

Place strainer over a large measuring cup. The strainer will catch all the veggies and bay leaves. Set aside (I did’t use them after this.) Allow liquid to cool slightly so the fat comes to the top. Skim fat off with large spoon. Pour into a sauce pan.

Mix half butter half flour paste. Whisk into liquid to thicken. Add a rounded tablespoon of tomato paste, taste to see if more salt and pepper are needed. This is the best time to season, at the end.

 

Horseradish Cream Sauce

I didn’t measure everything exactly, I did it to taste. REALLY good!!
1 cup well-drained prepared horseradish.
½ cup sour cream.
½ cup mayonnaise.
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice.
1 teaspoon kosher salt.
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce.
Few drops Tabasco sauce.

Actual Recipe from http://blog.outoftheboxcollective.com/recipes/braised-beef½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

(I didn’t make it exactly like this, as I didn’t have everything on hand.)
1 cup diced onion
1/3 cup diced carrot
1/3 cup diced celery
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1½ cups port
2½ cups hearty red wine
Your beef stock
4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
Your bunch of Swiss chard, cleaned, center ribs removed
Potato purée (recipe follows)
Garlic cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Garlic Butter ingredients
1/3 cup creme fraiche
1 cloves garlic(raw or softened)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Season the short ribs with 1 TB thyme and black pepper. Rub meat well. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.Remove from refrigerator an hour before cooking, to come to room temperature. After 30 minutes, season generously on all sides with salt.
Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Heat a large sauté pan and pour in 3 tablespoons olive oil, and when the pan is very hot sear the short ribs in the pan until nicely browned.

Transfer them to a braising pan (or deep pan/dutch oven). They should lie flat, bones standing up, in one layer.

Turn the heat down to medium, and add the onion, carrot, celery, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves to the saute pan. Stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up all the crusty bits in the pan and cook 6 to 8 minutes, until the vegetables just begin to caramelize.

Add the balsamic vinegar, port, and red wine. Turn the heat up to high, and reduce the liquid by half. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Pour the liquid over the short ribs. Tuck the parsley sprigs in and around the meat. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and a tight-fitting lid if you have one. Braise in the oven for about 3 hours.

When the meat is done, it will yield easily to a knife. Let the ribs rest 10 minutes in their juices, and then put aside. Strain the broth into a saucepan, pressing down on the vegetables with a ladle to extract all the juices. Skim the fat from the sauce and, if the broth seems thin, reduce it over medium-high heat to thicken slightly. Taste for seasoning.

Heat a large sauté pan over high heat for 2 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil to the pan and the mushrooms. Saute until lightly browned and add the Swiss chard, stirring the greens in the oil to help them wilt. Add a splash of water if the greens stick to the pan. Season with salt ground black pepper. Cook for a few more minutes, stirring frequently, until the greens are tender. Place the Swiss chard and mushrooms on a large warm platter, and arrange the short ribs on top. Spoon lots of braising juices over the ribs.
Serve with mashed potatoes and garlic cream on the side .