Cooking Classes

15.2.10

Braised Beef Short Ribs with Creamy Mashed Potatoes

I bought Cooking Light this month and there were a number of interesting recipes.  They didn't at all look like diet food.  Today I made the Braised Beef Short Ribs.  I adapted their recipe and added a few interesting ingredients I had on hand.

Short ribs are a less tender cut of beef and also less expensive.  They benefit from a slow, moist cooking method.  All of the connective tissue becomes tender and the collagen breaks down offering the dish a nice richness.  There was a lot of fat in my short ribs so I cut a lot out before cooking and then after cooking, I chilled the resultant sauce and skimmed off any fat that hardened on top.  The result is relatively low fat.

To keep with the low fat theme for dinner, I made whipped Yukon Gold potatoes with plain yogurt rather than sour cream or butter.

To top off the meal, I made No Knead Bread and used this Robin Hood bread blend.  It was delicious.  I used the bread blend (with multi-grains) cup for cup for the white flour in the recipe.  I cooked it in a Pyrex casserole with a lid this time.

Braised Beef Short Ribs

about 2 lbs of beef short ribs
1/2 c flour
salt, black pepper
2 T olive oil
1 celery rib, diced
2 large carrots, diced
1/2 large yellow onion, diced
1 leek, white part only, diced
1 garlic clove
10 whole black peppercorns
5 juniper berries
2 bay leaves
3 fresh thyme sprigs or 1/2 t dried thyme
2 T veal demi-glace
1 c water
1/2 c robust red wine
1 T Apple Quintessence 

 Season beef short ribs with salt and pepper and dredge in flour.  Sear them a few at a time in a large ovenproof casserole.  Sear on all sides and set aside.

To the same pot, add the celery, onion, carrot, leeks and garlic.  Saute for 5 minutes or until softened.  Add the remainder of the ingredients.  Add the beef.

Bake in the oven at 350F for about 2 hours or until fall apart tender.

Remove the beef from the pot and remove any excess fat.  If all of the liquid has evaporated from the pot then add one or two cups of water and bring to a boil.  Strain to remove all the vegetables and other solids.  Chill the broth so you can remove any fat that hardens on the top.

After de-fatting, you may thicken the sauce if you wish.  Add one tablespoon of flour or cornstarch, whisk to incorporate and bring to a boil.  Pour this sauce over the short ribs.

Serve with creamy mashed potatoes or mushroom risotto.

14 comments:

  1. mmm perfect comfort food. I love using red wine for stewing meat; it brings out wonderful flavors.

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  2. How weird that we both cooked the exact same meal yesterday! However I did more of an Asian-style braising sauce with mine. It was pretty good, though rather fatty, since I didn't have the good sense to like you, trim my ribs first. D'oh!

    It worked out though, as we were able to skim and save the rendered fat from the ribs and just today made a homemade suet cake for the birdies. :)

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  3. Thanks for stopping by Jackie! Michelle, great minds think alike! Suet for the birds - I have never done that. Great idea and I hate wasting anything.

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  4. YUM! Those ribs look amazing!!! I can't believe they came from Cooking Light! I should make this so that I can use up my alcohol-removed red wine hahaha. Your photos are getting better and better.

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  5. Thanks, Memoria, for the comment on my photos. I find it so frustrating. This one was especially difficult. I am still not in my own house so I don't have many props. I bought a tripod, a light and a new lens but, honestly, I can't see the photos getting better. Fewer are being accepted at Foodgawker & Tastespotting.

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  6. Pure and simple.... comfort food.

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  7. I think your recipe looks amazing... and I really am lusting after the apple quintessence. As for the photos.... some of the ones I like best FG & TS hate... go figure. Sometimes the harder I try the worse they are! When I got the new camera it was a disaster because I was more worried about the camera than the picture. My friend told me to pick what was most important and feature it... good advice that I try to follow but don't always succeed (like the last photo when I got carried away with how pretty radicchio was). You are a great chronicler! Your pictures are good, so phooey on them!

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  8. I've been noticing lately that Cooking Light has really changed up their use of fat in ingredients. I'm not sure what to think of it other than they've finally discovered that "good fats" are fine to include in recipes... FINALLY.

    Your braised short ribs look fantastic!

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  9. Hi Sarah,
    I'm so glad I popped into your blog today! First, my DH ♥s short ribs & I haven't made them for him for years due to the high fat. I will try your method!
    Second, I didn't even know that Robin Hood made a bread blend. How easy is that?? I followed your link to the no-knead & have copied down the recipe. I can't wait to go shopping to see if I can find the RH blended flour here in Ohio.

    Thanks for your sweet comments on my book review post for Food For Thought.

    The grape-walnut jam is very easy...you just add crushed walnuts to any grape jam recipe. My grandmother made it like that & so I continue to do so, in honor of her memory.

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  10. I love braised short ribs - perfect cold weather food.

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  11. Your short ribs look amazing! Red wine and a cheap cut of beef always make for a delicious meal :-)

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  12. That looks so so good; my kind of food; melt in your mouth and in Cooking Light! wonder if I could make that in my slow cooker.

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  13. Sage - I think it is a perfect crockpot recipe.
    Rettabug - thanks for the info on walnut grape jam.
    Deana at lostpastremembered - it comes from Montreal so not that far from you.

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  14. Yes, short ribs are everywhere this week! Your sauce on the short ribs looks great, and your loaf of bread must have been delicious!

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