Braised Short Ribs

Whenever I find thick and meaty beef short ribs at the market, I grab a few pounds and make some braised short ribs. It’s so easy and requires very little attention. The main thing is to cook it low and slow in the oven.

This recipe calls for a 300-degree oven, but if you have lots of time, do it at 275 degrees for four hours. I serve mine with a garden salad and steamed rice.

Ingredients

·         BEEF SHORT RIBS, 2 to 3 pounds

·         BEEF STOCK, 1 can

·         CARROTS, 2 large, diced

·         ONION, 1 large, diced

·         CELERY, 1 stalk, diced

·         GARLIC, 1 clove, smashed

·         GARLIC SALT, ½ teaspoon (or more to taste)

·         BLACK PEPPER, freshly ground to taste

·         FLOUR, 2 tablespoons

Directions

1.       Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

2.       Place short ribs in a Dutch oven and pour the beef stock over.

3.       Add the carrots, onion, celery, and smashed garlic to the pot.

4.       Add salt and pepper.

5.       Cover and bake in oven for an hour, turn the meat, and return to the oven for two more hours.

6.       Make a slurry with the flour and a little bit of water, whisking well.

7.       Remove the meat from the pot, skim off the excess fat, slowly drip in the slurry, whisking over a hot stove until gravy has thickened.

8.       Return the ribs to the pot and let simmer for a few minutes before serving.

Creamy Cheesy Broccoli Chicken

This is so easy to make, a little bit of knife work on some veggies, pop open a couple of cans of condensed soup (I use Campbell’s but you can substitute your favorite brand), brown the chicken, sauté the veggies, combine everything and cook slowly on top of the stove.

I made up this recipe when I was in college and had to cook for my roommates.

Ingredients

·         CHICKEN THIGHS, 8-12 whole, bone-in

·         OLIVE OIL, ¼ cup

·         WHITE WINE, ¼ cup

·         CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP, condensed, 1 can

·         CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP, condensed, 1 can

·         CHEDDAR CHEESE, sharp, finely shredded, 1 cup

·         ONION, 1 large, sliced

·         MUSHROOMS, 8 oz, sliced

·         BROCCOLI, florets, 1 cup chopped

·         GARLIC SALT, to taste

·         BLACK PEPPER, freshly ground, to taste

Directions

1.       Combine the two soups in a mixing bowl, set aside.

2.       Butterfly the thighs, trimming the extra skin and fat away.

3.       Brown the chicken in the olive oil, take out of pan and reserve.

4.       Drain off the excess fat, deglaze with the wine.

5.       Sauté the onions, add to the condensed soup mixture.

6.       Sauté the mushrooms, add to the condensed soup mixture.

7.       Add the cheese to the soup mixture.

8.       Add a little bit of water to the pan and steam the broccoli until slightly tender. Add the broccoli to the condensed soup mixture and combine thoroughly.

9.       Replace the chicken in the pan and cover with soup mixture.

10.   Salt and pepper to taste, bring to a simmer over high, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 45 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

11.   Serve over steamed rice.

Sirloin Strips with Sweet Peppers

I was watching Rachel Ray on TV one day and saw her make something like this, except that she added fish sauce to the gravy and tossed the dish with whole wheat noodles at the end, creating a kind of Thai dish. This is my version, definitely not Thai cuisine.

It’s very economical and very easy once your slicing is done and your mise en place is set up.

Ingredients

·         SIRLOIN STEAK, 1 pound

·         SWEET PEPPERS, 3, red, orange and yellow (or any combination thereof)

·         ONION, 1 large

·         EDAMAME (SOY) BEANS, ½ bag, shelled, frozen

·         BUTTER, 2 tablespoons (vegetable oil can be substituted)

·         BEEF STOCK, ½ cup

·         CURRY PASTE, 2 tablespoons

·         CORN STARCH, 1 tablespoon

·         SOY SAUCE, ¼ cup

·         GARLIC SALT, to taste

Directions

1.       Slice the sirloin into very thin strips about two to three inches long on a bias against the grain of the meat.

2.       Seed, de-vein and julienne the peppers.

3.       Slice the onions into half-moons and separate the layers.

4.       Thaw the frozen edamame beans.

5.       Combine the beef stock, curry paste and corn starch into a thin slurry.

6.       In a large pan over medium heat, cook the onions until soft but not browned. Season with garlic salt and set aside.

7.       Turn the heat on high and sauté the meat in the butter, removing the liquid into the slurry bowl.

8.       Add in the sweet peppers and stir until the peppers are heated through.

9.       Add in the onions and edamame beans and stir thoroughly.

10.   Add the curry slurry and soy sauce to the pan and stir to thicken the sauce. Season to taste.

11.   Serve with steamed rice.