Recipe: Braised Short Ribs

One of my favorite dishes is Braised Short Ribs and this recipe is one that I've made repeatedly. When cooked low and slow, the meat should fall off the bone. Braised Short Ribs are rich, deep, tender, and so flavorful. My only gripe with it though is how labor intensive the entire cooking process is. The prep is not that bad but the cooking time is extensive and requires some babysitting while it's in the oven. After getting home from work, I can't cook it in one go unless I want to stay up all night. I keep in mind when I plan on eating it and spread out the steps over three days. I also never really make short ribs just for myself but always for a guest. However it's difficult to cook for a crowd because the French oven is only so large and while the meat shrinks down significantly, the bones take up a lot of oven space.

Braised Short Ribs
Inspired by Food & Wine and Simply Recipes
Serves 6

Ingredients
2 tbsp canola oil
12 beef short ribs, bone-in
salt and pepper
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
3 celery ribs, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, thickly sliced
1 750-ml bottle dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
4 thyme sprigs
3 cup chicken stock

Instructions
In a large French oven, heat the oil. Season the ribs with salt and pepper. Add them to the French oven and cook over medium heat, turning once, until browned and crusty. Transfer ribs to a plate.
Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic to the French oven and cook over low heat until soft and lightly browned. Add the wine and thyme and bring to a boil over high heat. Pour the marinade over the ribs or add the ribs back into the French oven. Let cool and refrigerate overnight, turning the ribs once.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Add the chicken stock to French oven and bring to boil. Cover and cook in the lower third of the oven for 1½ hours, until the meat is tender but not falling apart. Uncover and braise for 45 minutes longer, turning the ribs once or twice, until the sauce is reduced by about half and the meat is very tender.
Allow the ribs to cool in the liquid, then cover and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, remove the excess fat that has solidified at the top from overnight chilling. Cook the ribs over medium heat, uncovered, until the liquid has reduced by ¾ths. Continue to cook, spooning the sauce over the ribs, until the sauce is thick and ribs glazed. Serve over rice.

Roam Artisan Burgers Part 2

Roam Artisan Burgers is still a favorite. Always the French and Fries Burger, Sweet Potato Fries, and Allagash White.

French and Fries Burger; Tejano Burger; Sweet Potato Fries; Allagash White

Outside Lands 2013

Highlights: Pretty Lights, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the Unicorn next to me, Nine Inch Nails, and Red Hot Chili Peppers

Artichoke

I heart succulents.

My succulent, named Artichoke, is thriving.

Zazie Part 2

The best part about having summers off is that I can go to popular restaurants on weekdays when there's minimal wait for tables.

This was my second time having brunch at Zazie. I had major ordering dilemma when I couldn't make up my mind on what to get because everything looked so good! I try to get something unique when I go out to restaurants because I want to eat something that I can't make myself at home. Usually I steer away from ordering eggs but this time, I had a major craving for scrambled eggs. I ordered the New York Scrambled Eggs: wild smoked salmon, green onions, and cream cheese. It came with salad and whole wheat toast as well. My friend ordered a poached egg dish that looked good too.

The last time I came to Zazie, I got the Challah French Toast, so this time I wanted to try the other must-try. I think I ate most of it, but my friend and I shared a half order of the French Toast Tahiti: challah stuffed with caramelized bananas and walnuts. I left so stuffed.

French Toast Tahiti: challah stuffed with caramelized bananas and walnuts; New York Scrambled Eggs: wild smoked salmon, green onions, and cream cheese

Rosamunde Sausage Grill

sausage + beer = happiness

Grilled Wild Boar (Apple & Spice) Sausage on a French Roll with Beef Chili and Hot Peppers

Tacolicious

Tacos at the Tacolicious stand at Outside Lands. Have yet to go to the restaurant.

2 Traditional Carnitas Tacos and 1 Shot-and-a-Beer Braised Chicken Taco

Brunch Party

A complete team effort, brunch was a success. We did a massive grocery haul then got to work. I made a giant skillet of sausage scrambled eggs, sliced the avocado, washed and cut up all the fruit for the fruit salad with vanilla yogurt, and watched others make scones and cook up funky pancake shapes. Not so different from the work I do at the café to be honest.

Recipe: Blueberry Cornbread

I first made this recipe with frozen blueberries and then with frozen raspberries and frozen diced plum so the choice of fruit seems versatile. The sweetness and moisture of the fruit keeps the cornbread from being dry. I like to have a warm slice slathered with crunchy peanut butter for breakfast.

Blueberry Cornbread
Adapted from Joy of Baking
Makes one 9-inch loaf or 12 muffins

Ingredients
1 cup (120 grams) white whole wheat flour
1 cup (132 grams) cornmeal
1/3 cup sugar
3 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
lemon zest (optional)
1 large egg
1 cup milk
¼ cup canola oil
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.

In a large mixing bowl, sift and mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the lemon zest.

In a smaller bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, and oil until well blended.

Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture bowl and stir gently together with a spatula until it is about ¾ths mixed. Gently fold in the blueberries. Do not over mix.

Spoon batter into a 9x5 loaf pan lined with parchment paper.

Bake for ~30 minutes or until it is deep golden on top and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean.

Cool in pan for ~5 minutes, then turn out onto cooling rack or cutting board. Allow to cool further, then slice and serve warm or at room temperature.

La Mar

Fancypants lunch at La Mar. Peruvian food is really growing on me.

Pisco Sour; Cebiche Mixto; Empanada Sampler

Causa Sampler