Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs

*Post by Angela.

I may be neck-deep in Thanksgiving recipe auditions, but that doesn't mean I'm not taking advantage of the cooler weather to make hearty fall dinners. This recipe for short ribs from the October issue of Bon Appétit is the perfect dish to snuggle down with on these rainy weekends we've been having lately.

List of ingredients:

• 5 pound boneless beef short ribs, cut crosswise into 2" pieces
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 3 medium onions, chopped
• 3 medium carrots, peeled, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 750-milliliter bottle dry red wine (preferably Cabernet Sauvignon)
• 10 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
• 8 sprigs thyme
• 4 sprigs oregano
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 2 fresh or dried bay leaves
• 1 head of garlic, halved crosswise
• 4 cups low-salt beef stock

First, I preheated oven to 350°F. I seasoned short ribs with salt and pepper liberally with salt and pepper, then cooked them in 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. I browned the ribs on all sides, then removed them a rimmed plate (to catch the juices). This is the kind of recipe that's designed to be made in a Dutch oven, so if you have one, use it. I do not have one, despite my many attempts to win one in any number of online contests.

I added the onions, carrots, and celery to the pot and cooked over medium-high heat for about 5-7 minutes, until the vegetables had started to soften and the onions were browned. Then I removed them to big bowl.

I heated the remaining 4 tbsp of oil over medium heat, then whisked in the flour and tomato paste, stirring constantly, until well combined, 2-3 minutes. The original recipe says to leave the veggies in and add the flour and tomato paste, but that never works out right for me - I never really get a satisfactory roux that way. So I like to remove the mirepoix (trinity of onion, carrot and celery) after I've cooked it down a little, then make the roux, then add the veggies back in. It makes for a thicker sauce in the end, so if you don't like that, then do as the original recipe directs.

Once the veggies were back in, I added the short ribs (with accumulated juices), then poured in the bottle of Cabernet. I brought it to a boil, then reduced the heat and simmered about 25 minutes, until the wine had significantly reduced.

I added the parsley, thyme, oregano, rosemary, bay leaves and garlic to the pot, along with the beef stock, and brought it to a boil. I covered the pot tightly (if you are using a Dutch oven, this shouldn't be a problem, but I did not, so used a piece of parchment paper to ensure a tight seal) and transferred it to the waiting oven to cook for 2 hours.

Once the meat was fall apart tender, I removed the pot from the oven, then plucked the meat out of the sauce and placed it on a platter. I fished out the various sprigs, bay leaves, and garlic peel, then seasoned the sauce with salt and pepper and spooned it over the meat. 

Whoo, boy. The first night we had this, we ate it with some (so-so) sweet potato mash and green beans with miso and almonds. And it was pretty great. But the true genius of this dish was highlighted the next night, when Mark talked me into making creamy mashed potatoes to eat with the (even more flavorful) leftovers. A truly wonderful autumn dish.

The Essential Chili for Football/Fall (aka Gerry Muller's Chili)

*Post by Angela. 

Fall is my absolute favorite season, without a doubt, even in Southern California, the land of unceasing sunshine. There's a bit of a chill in the air, which means I get to bust out my cute sweaters, Pumpkin Spice Lattes go back on the menu at Starbucks, and our Saturdays and Sundays are filled with lots and lots of football, my favorite sport to watch (though I don't get to watch my Redskins play very often, thanks to Time Warner). A crucial element of a perfect fall Sunday? Great chili. A few years ago, I was gifted with an absolutely fantastic recipe from a friend's father (thanks, Mr. Muller!). And while the original recipe is to-die-for, I made a few small tweaks based on this apparently award-winning recipe, which brings even more flavor (and beer!) to the party. It's a lot of ingredients and a ton of work, but the result is a huge pot of some of the best chili you'll ever eat.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 bulb of garlic, chopped
• 3 large Vidalia onions, chopped
• 3 large red bell peppers, chopped
• 3 large green bell peppers, chopped
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1lb ground turkey
• 1lb hot Italian sausage
• 3 28-oz. cans of whole peeled tomatoes with basil, drained
• 1 can beer (12 oz.)
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 3 Tablespoons chili powder
• 2 Tablespoons instant beef bouillon
• 2 Tablespoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons oregano leaves
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa
• 2 tsp dried sweet basil
• 15 jalapeño peppers
• Salt and black pepper
• 2 teaspoon cornmeal
• 2 teaspoon flour
• 2 teaspoon warm water
• Green onions, chopped (optional)
• Sharp cheddar, shredded (optional)
• Sour cream (optional)

First, I prepped all the veggies - make sure you budget some time for this, as chopping 3 onions, 6 bell peppers, 15 jalapeños, and a whole bulb of garlic can eat up a significant chunk of your afternoon/evening. I heated the olive oil in a very large pot over medium low heat, then added the garlic, onions, and green and red bell peppers, and cooked until vegetables began to soften (about 12-15 minutes).

While vegetables were simmering, I added the beef, turkey and sausage into a large frying pan and cooked it all over medium heat until no pink showed. While cooking, I added a liberal amount of salt, black pepper and about a tbsp of the chili powder to the meat and broke up any clumps with my spatula. I drained the oil from the meat and added it to the pot with the vegetables.

I added the cans of tomatoes, using the spatula to break up the chunks, then poured in the beer and added all the spices and stirred well. I raised the heat to medium to bring the chili to a nice, healthy simmer.

I added about a third of the jalapeños to the pot. I threw the rest of the jalapeños in a small frying pan with a little olive oil and sauteed over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes, until just starting to brown, then added them to the big pot as well.

I lowered the heat and simmered the chili, covered, for at least 3 hours, stirring often, scraping bottom of pot to prevent burning. About an hour in, I tasted the chili and and added a little more salt and pepper, maybe a tsp of each. About twenty minutes before the end of the cooking time, I mixed together the cornmeal, flour and warm water in a small bowl until a paste formed. I stirred this into the pot to thicken the chili.

Once the chili had reached a perfect thickness, I spooned it into bowls and served it with green onions, cheddar, sour cream, and a couple of corn bread muffins. This is, hands down, the greatest chili I've ever had - meaty, with complex flavors and the perfect level of heat from the jalapeños. And it's even better when you reheat it the next day. It takes some work and patience, but once you're done, it's time to sit down with a bowl of this, a nice craft brew and the game on, and enjoy the beauty of fall.

Broccoli Beef

*Post by Angela.

Broccoli beef, that staple of greasy Chinese take-out restaurants, is a dish I ordered probably hundreds of times throughout college and law school, yet for some reason had never attempted to make until recently. It's a very quick and basic dish that pretty much anyone can make well, especially using this simple recipe from Jaden Hair from Steamy Kitchen. I didn't do anything to change it, other than to "Ang" the garlic (tripled it).

List of ingredients:

• 2 tsp + 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 4 tsp dry sherry
• 1 tsp + 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 3/4 lb beef, sliced thin
• 4 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 tbsp corn oil (or any other type of high heat oil)
• 6 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 3/4 lb frozen broccoli florets (obviously, you can use fresh broccoli - we just had frozen sitting in our freezer already)

First, I made the marinade, mixing together 2 tsp soy sauce, 2 tsp dry sherry, 1 tsp cornstarch and the black pepper in a small bowl, until the cornstarch was dissolved. I also defrosted the broccoli.

I added the meat to the marinade, mixed it thoroughly and let it sit for about 10 minutes. In a small bowl, I mixed the remaining tbsp of cornstarch with a little over a tbsp of cold water to make a slurry, and, in a separate bowl, I mixed together the 4 tbsp of oyster sauce, the remaining 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tsp dry sherry and the chicken broth to make the broccoli beef sauce.

I got out my wok, heated it over high heat, then added the corn oil, swirling it around a bit. Then I added the meat and let it sit without messing with it, for 1 minute.

 

I added the garlic, flipped the meat and let it cook just 30 seconds more.

I poured in the sauce (if you are using fresh broccoli florets, you should throw them in here) and brought it up a boil, then poured in the cornstarch slurry. I cooked another 30 seconds until the sauce had thickened.

I took the wok off the heat, added the broccoli and mixed it all up until everything was covered with the sauce. I served it over white rice. This is yummy, easy, and so very cheap to make - I wish I had tried it earlier in life, as I could have saved tons of cash and time spent waiting for the delivery guy.

Battle Brisket: Deliciouser Brisket vs. Balanced Belly's Mom's Brisket

*Post by Angela.

I'm not Jewish, but whenever I hear the word "Passover," I have a Pavlovian drool response - my mind immediately goes to brisket. I need it. So this Passover season, I put the word out to my people for the very best brisket recipes. The two I received made me crazy with hunger just reading them. From my good friend Adam (who I like to imagine is my Jewish grandmother), I got an adaptation of a Smitten Kitchen recipe, which I've entitled "Deliciouser Brisket" with his approval. From fellow food blogger (and friend of a friend Amy, of Balanced Belly), I was gifted with her mother Arlene's brisket recipe - funny thing, Amy is virtually vegan and doesn't eat sugar, but she swears that if she was going to go back to meat, this would be her first meal. HUGE thanks to both of them for a wonderful meat heavy Easter Sunday.

This might get a little confusing, but for the most part, the following recipes are word for word what Adam and Amy sent to me.

 

List of ingredients for Deliciouser Brisket:

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 large carrots, chopped
• 4 stalks celery, chopped
• Few pinches of salt
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 1 cup red wine
• 2 cups beef stock
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoons black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (adjust to your heat preference)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 8 lbs brisket

In a 3-4 quart or (bigger pot), heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the chopped onion, carrots, celery and salt and saute until they are soft.  Add the garlic and cook for another minute. 

 

De-glaze the pan with the wine (make sure you scrap all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan).  Add the beef stock and then the salt, paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, cayenne, oregano and thyme, bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes.  Pull off the heat and let cool a bit.

While the sauce is simmering, it's time to caramelize some onions.  In a 12-inch fry or saute pan heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the sliced onions.  Cook until caramelized 15-20 minutes stirring occasionally. Take off the heat to cool.

 

Place brisket in a slow cooker, spread onions over the top, then pour sauce mixture over the entire dish. Depending on the size of your brisket you might have to cut it in half to fit into the slow cooker.  That's fine, just make sure you get the onions in between the layers.

Cover with the lid and cook it on LOW for 10 hours. (I like to start it before I go to bed, and process it in the morning to rest over the course of the day in the fridge.) When the brisket is cooked but still hot, use a spoon to scrape off any large fat deposits adhered to the top and bottom of the brisket. (This part is easiest to do when hot (*Angela's note: I left on a little of the fat on for flavor purposes). The sauce will be de-fatted after it has chilled. Transfer the brisket and all of its sauce to a baking dish. Chill entire dish in the fridge for several hours and up to one day; this resting time will significantly enhance the flavor and texture of the meat. An hour before you’re ready to serve it: Preheat your oven to 300°F, and remove the dish from the fridge. Remove all of the fat that has solidified with a slotted spoon for a less oily finish. Carefully remove the meat from its sauce and place on a large cutting board. Cut the brisket into 1/2-inch slices.

 

While the brisket is out of the sauce you have a few options.  1) For a thinner chunkier sauce, leave it as it is and put the sliced brisket back in.  2) For a thicker sauce do the following: Move 1/2 - 3/4 of the sauce to a blender and blend. 

 

Pour that and the rest of the sauce into a pot over medium heat.  Bring to a simmer.  Take a teaspoon of corn starch or arrowroot and put it into a small bowl or liquid measuring cup. Add 1/2 cup cold water and stir.  Add the mixture to the sauce while stirring the sauce.  Simmer for a few minutes. 

 

If you want your sauce thicker, add more corn starch/arrowroot mixture (*Angela's note: I added about 1 tbsp + 1/4 cup water more).  You could also blend the entire sauce for a no-chunk sauce.

 

Carefully place the sliced meat (moving it in large sections with a spatula helps keep it together) back into the sauce and spoon the sauce over the meat. Replace the lid or cover the dish tightly with foil and reheat in the oven until it is bubbling at the edges — this usually takes up to to 30 minutes.

Now for Brisket #2!

List of ingredients for Balanced Belly's Mom's Brisket:

• Five pound first cut brisket
• One box of Lipton onion mushroom soup mix
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup of ketchup
• Aluminum foil

Rinse brisket and pat dry. Take two 3 1/2 ft pieces of foil. Place perpendicular on top of one another. Place brisket on top of foil.

Pour one package of Lipton mix on top. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly on top of brisket.

 

Squeeze ketchup on top   Drizzle from one side back and forth until it's covered.

Close the foil and seal it tight. Bring two top pieces together and roll them down and fold down like a present, so it's air tight. Do same thing w foil piece number 2, so the brisket is closed in all directions.

 

Put in oven at 300 degrees for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. (*Angela's note: I was not as diligent as I should have been here - there was some leakage). When it comes out, let it sit for half hour to let flavors blend. Open carefully, take out meat and leave seasonings in foil to cut.

 

Slice in 2 different directions to find out the right way. The wrong way it looks like marble and you can see the fat. The right way you just see meat.

 

(*Back to Angela).  Aaand I'm the worst judge in the world. I really liked both - I really loved how hearty the Deliciouser Brisket was - it's truly a meal unto itself, and I love the texture that the slow-cooker simmer gives the meat. But I also adored the flavor of Balanced Belly's Mom's Brisket, sweet, tangy and salty. Plus, it was so, so much simpler than the other recipe. So for me, it was a toss-up. In any event, Mark and I spent the week eating brisket (for every single meal), which was delicious, as the flavors of both briskets improved with age, but interesting, intestinally. In any event, I now have two go-to recipes for incredible brisket, so I think everyone's a winner...

Ribeye Steaks with Miso Butter and Garlic Sauteed Spinach

*Post by Angela.

Mark and I have been on a mission to eat cheap as of late, which has led to a lot of meals thrown together out of our fridge and cabinet. After the third or fourth time "pasta and pesto" came up as an option, I decided I wanted to do better. So we took a good look at what we had in the fridge and planned out a series of 5 or 6 meals that we could make using what we already had, plus the products from 1 trip to the grocery store. Given the results of this experiment, I think it's something we should probably adopt more generally in the future. This was the first, and definitely the most expensive of the planned meals, due to the steak, but it still only came to about $25 for both of us for an easy, quick and delicious meal that probably would have run us $50 or more on a night out.

List of ingredients for the miso butter and steak:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 tbsp + 1 tsp miso (I used yellow miso because it's what I had in my fridge, but most recipes use white miso, which is sweeter)
• 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley or chives (I used parsley, again, because it's what I had lying around)
• 2 tbsp finely chopped garlic
• 2 ribeyes, at least 1" thick
• Fresh ground black pepper
• Kosher salt
• 2 sweet onions
• 2 tbsp olive oil

First, I set the butter out for a couple of hours, until it came to room temperature. Then I mixed it together well with the miso, parsley, and garlic, really squishing it to make sure that all the ingredients were evenly distributed throughout. I spread the butter onto plastic wrap, molded it into log, then wrapped it up and stored it in the fridge.

On the night of dinner, I took the steaks out of the fridge, rinsed them, patted them dry, seasoned them liberally with salt and pepper, and let them sit about an hour. This is a pretty important step, as the Steamy Kitchen lady will tell you.

I also peeled the onions, sliced them in half, slathered them with oil, and seasoned them with salt and pepper as well.

As much as I love the idea of a meal consisting entirely of meat, butter and onions, I felt like maybe we should add a little green to our dinner. We had some spinach in the fridge and we always have garlic, so picking the Barefoot Contessa's Garlic Sauteed Spinach recipe was a no-brainer.

List of ingredients for the spinach:

1 1/2 lbs baby spinach

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp finely chopped garlic

2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1 lemon

First, I rinsed the spinach and shook it off (I don't have a salad spinner, and will probably never have a salad spinner, since I just don't get it). I heated the olive oil in a pot, and sauteed the garlic for about 1 minute.

I added the spinach, salt and pepper and tossed until all the leaves were covered in oil. And let me say, not for the first or last time, if you think you're using too much spinach, you're wrong. It wilts down so small. 

I covered the pot and cooked the spinach for two minutes. Then I uncovered it, turned up the heat and cooked for one more minute to evaporate some of the extra liquid. I removed the spinach to a bowl with a slotted spoon, stirred in the butter and a squeeze of lemon juice, and topped it with a sprinkle of salt.

 

Back to the main attraction!

First, I rinsed the steaks off and patted them dry. I heated 2 tbsp of olive oil in my grill pan over medium high heat, then threw the onions on for about 5-8 minutes a side, until grill marks had formed and the onions were nice and softened. I made sure to slide the onions around a lot to flavor the pan for the meat.

I removed the onions to a plate, then tossed the steaks on there, cooking about 6-8 minutes a side for a nice medium rare.

I removed the steaks to their respective plates, topped them with a fat pat of miso butter, and let them rest about 10 minutes before plating them with the onions and spinach and digging in. GAH. So good. The salty, luscious, umami-laden miso butter could improve just about anything and was more than mouth-watering atop a juicy ribeye. Add the sweetness from the onions and the garlicky freshness of the spinach, and we had ourselves a balanced, fantastic meal we would have been happy to get at the fanciest of steakhouses, for half the price.