Saturday, November 3, 2012

Beer Braised Short Ribs over Mashed Cauliflower

Hello there, friends!  I'm not even going to say anything about how much I suck at keeping up with blog posts lately, because you already know this.  So I'm just going to jump right in with some kick-butt short ribs and a shout-out to the new (are they new??) flavored butters from Whole Foods.
 
Short ribs are one of my favorite cuts of meat, but the really good ones can be expensive.  I always keep an eye out for when they go on sale, which is actually quite often, and then I stock up.  There are a million ways to make them, but one of my favorites is to slow cook them in beer or wine and then eat them on a chilly day with a side of beer or wine. 
 
This is super easy to make and the prep work is quick.  It does take a bit of time to cook, but once it's in the oven, the work is over, and you can concentrate on the leftover beer or wine that you might have after preparing the braise.
 
Anyway!  I served this over mashed cauliflower made with some shallot-saffron butter I found at Whole Foods.  I didn't know they made these flavored butters, but there are like a million (or six) different kinds and I can't wait to try them all!  Mmmmm, butter.
 
Enjoy!




Beer Braised Short Ribs
Source: Adapted from My Baking Addiction
 
8 whole Beef Short Ribs (bone-in)
Kosher salt & pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 whole medium onion, diced
3 whole carrots, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
2 cups good beer, any medium or dark variety
2 cups beef broth
4 sprigs thyme, leaves removed and chopped
2 sprigs rosemary, leaves removed and chopped, plus 2 whole sprigs

 
Salt and pepper ribs. Set aside.

In a large dutch oven, add the butter and olive oil and heat over medium high heat.

Add ribs and brown ribs on all sides, about 1-2 minutes per side. Remove ribs and set aside. Turn heat to medium.

Add onions, carrots, and celery to pan and cook for 4-5 minutes or until soft. Add chopped herbs.  Pour in beer and scrape bottom of pan. Bring to a simmer.

Add broth, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed. Add ribs to the liquid; they should be almost completely submerged. Add rosemary sprigs (whole) to the liquid.

Put on the lid and place into the oven. Cook at 350 for 2 hours, then reduce heat to 325 and cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes. Ribs should be fork-tender and falling off the bone. Remove pan from oven and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes, lid on, before serving. At the last minute, skim fat off the top of the liquid.  Serve immediately.




Mashed Cauliflower with Shallot-Saffron Butter
Source: My own

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 block low fat cream cheese
1/3 cup beef or chicken broth
2 tablespoons shallot-saffron butter (from Whole Foods, in the cheese section)
1 tbsp garlic powder
1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Salt to taste.  Add cauliflower and boil until fork-tender.

Drain cauliflower and leave it in the sink for a couple of minutes to allow it to drain completely (you don't want it to be too wet). 

Add cauliflower to the bowl of a food processor.  Add salt, pepper, cream cheese, broth, butter, garlic powder, and goat cheese.  Puree until almost smooth.  Taste, and adjust seasonings as needed.

Serve immediately.  Enjoy!

1 comment:

  1. We made this Sunday night and it came out so good. I could eat the cauliflower all the time.

    ReplyDelete