280592 Mon Oct 31 14:01:22 -0800 2005 15 31 Home Cooking 0 1491181 Sorry, no picture this time. I was too busy hosting and eating. Quick report to say that the Zuni braised short ribs (recipe linked below) were very tasty and Zuni-licious! Super easy to make and will be even more welcomed on a really cold evening (well, as cold as possible in coastal CA!). I don't think this version is vastly superior to other short ribs I've made, but two things I loved: the mustard glaze that's broiled on top as a final touch and the braising liquid which had so many onions and NO carrot, celery, or tomato paste that it tasted like a rich French onion soup by the end. Made for a lovely loose gravy for the ribs and the celery root and potato puree I served alongside. For the puree, buttermilk was a great addition instead of heavy cream. I think a refined colcannon would be great for an accompaniment next time since it includes kale. Anyone have a great recipe for colcannon? What I would change for next time: Use mostly Chimay and maybe just a touch of broth. The honey grain flavors from the ale were too muted IMO. I will also add a trickle of cider vinegar and maybe a couple of star anise to the braising liquid. I also screwed up by letting it simmer too hard since I was busy w/ other cooking. I didn't realize that it should have been at the gentlest of simmers til I reviewed the recipe after the fact. It still was very tender and tasty after 2.5 hours, but I think a constant gentle simmer would have made it more evenly tender and succulent. Great braising takes some care and finesse, so "set it and forget it" isn't best. Happy braising! PS. Make sure to buy the short ribs that are cut across the bone into flat bands (my butcher labels them English cut) as opposed to the plate cut w/ just one rib on the side. Link: http://www.miseblog.com/2003_01_19_mise_en_place_archive.html Mon Oct 31 14:01:22 -0800 2005 0 Carb Lover 1 1491226 Sounds delicious and I'm intrigued by a mustard glaze with the beer flavor. Will try this soon. Mon Oct 31 17:10:39 -0800 2005 1491181 0 petradish 1 1491236 When I made short ribs, I was extremely disappointed with the (disgusting) 1/2" gelatinous layer inside (despite cooking *very* long & low). Maybe I purchased the wrong cut. Could you explain your cut to a "short rib neophyte"--I'm not picturing it. (Maybe I will give short ribs another try.) Mon Oct 31 18:12:25 -0800 2005 1491181 0 Funwithfood 2 1491240 Sounds like you may have purchased the plate cut, which I did my first foray into short ribs too. There's one long rib on the side and the rest is layers of fat, meat, etc. I didn't care for the result either. Here's a link to a photo of the plate cut: http://aggiemeat.tamu.edu/judging/2005%20District%20Retail%20ID/17%20Beef%20Short% The Zuni recipe (and most short ribs recipes) call for the ones pictured below. The bones are very short and there are usually 3-4 to a piece. Mine had a bit more meat than those pictured below (not to mention looked fresher). I trimmed off most of the fat on the side opposite the bones, and as you can see, this looks leaner than the plate cut. These didn't shrink as much as the plate cut (probably since there was more meat than fat) and didn't make the braising liquid as greasy. Give it another go using the Zuni recipe and see what you think. Image: http://www.grasslandbeef.com/catalog/ShortRibs_large.jpg Mon Oct 31 18:29:05 -0800 2005 1491236 0 Carb Lover 3 1491244 Noticed that the plate ribs link isn't working. Here's the photo below... Image: http://aggiemeat.tamu.edu/judging/2005%20District%20Retail%20ID/17%20Beef%20Short%20Ribs.jpg Mon Oct 31 19:05:16 -0800 2005 1491240 0 Carb Lover 3 1491245 Isn't this cut also known as the Flanken" cut? Mon Oct 31 19:05:19 -0800 2005 1491240 0 ChowFun (derek) 4 1491248 Yes, I believe so. Mon Oct 31 19:32:56 -0800 2005 1491245 0 Carb Lover 3 1491297 Aha...a picture tells a thousand words!!! Thank you :) (Do they ever sell this cut "off the shelves", or is it a special request cut?) Tue Nov 01 00:18:37 -0800 2005 1491240 0 Funwithfood 4 1491301 This flanken or English cut is pretty common, but if your butcher only has the other cut, then you could make a special request. Shouldn't be too big of a deal. Just make sure they cut across the bone instead of between the bone. Tue Nov 01 01:31:50 -0800 2005 1491297 0 Carb Lover 1 1491318 Any Colcannon I ever had used cabbage, not kale, but here's a recipe: COLCANNON FROM SCRATCH (yield: 4 to 6 servings) 6 med. boiling potatoes (about 2 lbs.), peeled and quartered 4 c. finely chopped or shredded cabbage (about 1 lb.) 4 tbsp. butter (see divisions below) 1 c. lukewarm milk 6 medium-sized scallions, including 2" of the green tops, cut lengthwise in half and crosswise into 1/8" slices 1 tsp. salt Freshly ground pepper 1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley Boil the potatoes. Meanwhile, place the cabbage in a separate pot, pour in water to cover and boil for 10 minutes, then drain in a collander. Melt 2 tbsp. of the butter in a heavy 10" skillet. When the foam subsides, add the cabbage and cook, stirring constantly for just a minute or two. Cover and remove from heat. Drain potatoes, return to low heat to dry completely, turn off the heat and mash. Beat in the remaining 2 tbsp. of butter and 1/2 c. of the milk (2 tablespoons at a time). Use more milk, if needed, until the puree is thick enough to hold its shape in a spoon. Stir in the cabbage and the scallions, salt and pepper. Taste for seasoning. Sprinkle with parsley before serving. I've had this made from leftover boiled potatoes and cabbage from a New England boiled dinner, or corned beef and cabbage. It was a great way to use up leftover potatoes and cabbage in the old days in Ireland, quick and cheap. Tue Nov 01 09:08:43 -0800 2005 1491181 0 Deirdre 1 1491360 In my quest to cook my way through the Zuni book I made this recipe last week. It was very good, but I have to say that I like the recipe posted by galleygirl on this board better. The Zuni recipe made a very rich dish; maybe the ale made it a little sweet or something. Whatever it was, I prefer the other recipe. Tue Nov 01 12:26:21 -0800 2005 1491181 0 Pat Darnell 2 1491382 Can you or someone else link galleygirl's recipe? TIA. The flavor was "heavy", but I love French onion soup, so I really enjoyed the sauce. I think the onions gave it the sweetness. Using mostly beer next time would hopefully give it a little more bitterness. It could use an acidic element to brighten the flavor, so I'm going to add some cider vinegar next time. Most recipes seem to add tomato paste, and after trying Zuni's version without it, I think I prefer it without. Tue Nov 01 13:23:44 -0800 2005 1491360 0 Carb Lover 3 1491465 I was wrong...the post was from GG Mora (the two G's got me). I printed it out and stuck it in my recipe file. I typed in the URL but it doesn't work for me. The original post was on December 6, 2003. http:/www.chowhound.com/boards/general24/messages/93023.html Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/295210#1621500 Tue Nov 01 17:59:46 -0800 2005 1491382 0 Pat Darnell 4 1491783 I'm so glad you posted this recipe from GGMora. Somehow, I completely missed it the first time around almost two years ago... even though it was posted especially for me!!!!!! Sometimes I get so busy and miss reading Chowhounds for a few weeks at a time. GGMora - MANY BELATED THANKS for posting the short ribs with dates recipe back in Dec 2003. I'm going to try make it very soon. Thu Nov 03 12:34:35 -0800 2005 1491465 0 Celeste 5 1491853 Very cool that you were eventually united w/ a recipe that was posted for you! Long live CH! Thanks to Pat for linking the recipe...sounds very good, but I wish I liked dates more...(maybe I'll sub in prunes). Thu Nov 03 15:18:45 -0800 2005 1491783 0 Carb Lover 6 1491909 I have to confess that I've not used the dates when I made it. Thu Nov 03 18:41:46 -0800 2005 1491853 0 Pat Darnell