Braised Beef Ribs

[Dom1183]

Okay so I'm making my usual braised beef ribs for some guests on Saturday and was wondering if anyone would like to add some suggestions to jazz it up. I serve the ribs with roasted garlic and parmeggiano cheese mash and some light dressed veg like stemmed carrots and asparagus.

Heres my beef rib recipe

Day before

All in the Le Creuset dutch oven....

- Season and brown the ribs on all sides, take out and put aside
- Saute some chopped carrots and scallions with a bit of butter and a squirt of anchovie paste
- Pour a whole bottle of ruby port wine and reduce to a thick syrup
- Add ribs back in the Le C and just cover beef with veal or beef stock
- Bring to a boil and after 15 mintes put the dutch oven in the oven and cook at 350F for 2 - 2.5 hours. Lid on.
- Cool and place in fridge over night.

Dinnner Day

- Take the pot out and place on simmer burner for 1 hour with the lid off to reduce while laddling liquid over beef ribs every so often.
- Make the garlic parm mash and steem the veggies.
- Serve ribs on mash and spoon the wonderful reduced sauce all over the beef and mash.

Anyone care to add some spark to this recipe?
The dish is fantastic and great for a large number of guests but I'm getting bored of it.

 

[kitchenelf]

What about some Stilton on top of those ribs after they are plated?

It does sound wonderful as is, but, I know change is good too!

Would you want to add a "heat" component to balance the sweetness of the Port? Maybe not in the actual cooking process, but, as a condiment? I'm just brainstorming here.

 

[Dom1183]

The stillton would be great if the mash wasn't made with parm cheese. Don't want mix cheeses in the dish.

The heat idea is great. I have some chopped roasted chilli peppers marinating in olive oil that I could put on the table for those that want it...like me.

 

[kitchenelf]

Oops - I didn't even think of the Parm cheese mash. Yea, that might not be the best thing!

I'm thinking Garlic Chili Paste when I think of the heat. This is a tough question 'cause it appears to be pretty tasty the way it is. I can think of all sorts of different sides - - but nothing for the actual ribs. And I'm starving so thinking about this is KILLING me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[giggler]

Wow, that recipe looks hard to "top"!

but I agree with KE here..looks like some salsa to "brighten" it up might help..

here is a thread that Jeekinz started for Grapefruit salsa:

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f19/iso-grapefruit-salsa-topping-53763.html

It is still wonderful grapefruit season now! If you can find Texas Ruby Reds, they are a real "treasure" from Texas!

Eric, Austin Tx.

 

[kitchenelf]

Eric - it does sound like a good idea! I fear this recipe is a bit too savory for a salsa. I'd be afraid the sweetness of the port wine would clash with the salsa.

I truly am so hungry - I need to stay out of this thread! It's cold and rainy here - a perfect day for a hunk of meat!

 

[Dom1183]

Eric - it does sound like a good idea! I fear this recipe is a bit too savory for a salsa. I'd be afraid the sweetness of the port wine would clash with the salsa.

I truly am so hungry - I need to stay out of this thread! It's cold and rainy here - a perfect day for a hunk of meat!

You're not going anywhere ! I'm hungry and its rainy in Toronto too.
I need more ideas !

Salsa is great but not for this dish. You are right. This is a meat and potatos dish and a salsa with grapefruit would not blend well.

What about a different liquid? Instead of Port wine, could I use something else? I know this recipe is perfect as is and it's hard to improve it.
People love it and practically lick the plates clean when they are done.
I think the cook first then marinating over night technique is what makes them so great.

 

[lindatooo]

Can I come to your house?

 

[powerplantop]

Anyone care to add some spark to this recipe?
The dish is fantastic and great for a large number of guests but I'm getting bored of it.

If you send me a batch it would give me some spark!

After I took out the ribs before I dropped in the veggies I would add some tomato paste and brown that. But then that might require a bit of something sweet to offset the acid from the tomato.

 

[FincaPerlitas]

By coincidence, I made beef ribs for dinner last night. Your recipe sounds great but the port wine reduction is too rich for me. My recipe is more traditional, but is absolutely delicious. For a change, you may want to give it a try. I cooked mine in a pressure cooker, but a dutch oven would work as well.

Braised Beef Ribs
2 or 3 slices bacon, diced
3 lbs beef short ribs, trimmed of excess fat if necessary
1/3 cup each of onion, carrot and celery, finely chopped
1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 pinch dried thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup dry red wine (such as cabernet savignon)
1 1/4 cups beef, veal or chicken stock
Flour (for dredging meat and thickening the gravy)

Cook bacon over medium-low heat to render the fat. Season beef with salt and pepper, dredge lightly in flour and brown in rendered bacon fat. Add onion, carrot and celery and continue cooking until limp and translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic, wine, stock and seasonings. Taste for salt and add more if necessary. Cover and cook until tender. In a pressure cooker, this takes 25 to 30 minutes at 15 lbs pressure. With conventional stovetop or oven braising, allow about 2 1/2 hours. You may need to add a little more cooking liquid for conventional braising, but not too much.

When done, remove from heat. Make a slurry of flour and water. Remove meat and bay leaf, turn heat to medium-high until the liquid is boiling gently. Stream in flour slurry with a whisk until the sauce thickens. Cook a couple of minutes. Spoon a little over the meat and serve the rest in a side dish. Serves 4.