Jfood Short Rib Recipe

[jfood]

Jfood modified significantly from a famous chef and through 5-6 changes came up with his favorite amounts and method.

Jfood's Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

This recipe needs planning. Jfood normally serves on a Sunday night. So he marinates the ribs on Friday night and prepares during the day on Saturday. Then around 5PM he starts Sunday dinner and these are ready to go. This recipe should feed 6 with sides.

INGREDIENTS
4-5 pounds beef short ribs, cut into 4” chops (this should give 12-14 pieces)
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 cups red wine
½ Cup sugar
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
3 sprigs fresh or heaping Tablespoon dry thyme
3 ounces oil
2 Cups small-diced onion
½ Cup small-diced celery
½ Cup small-diced carrots
6 ounces canned chopped tomatoes
2 cups beef broth
2-4 pounds cremini mushrooms
2 bay leaves

DIRECTIONS
Day 1
1. Generously season the short ribs with salt and pepper. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the red wine, sugar, garlic, thyme and a pinch of salt. Marinate the short ribs in the wine mixture for 12 hours in the refrigerator.
2. Slice mushrooms and sauté slowly until all of the liquid is evaporated and they just begin to brown. Remove to a separate bowl. This can be done day before and refrigerate.
Day 2
3. Remove the short ribs from the wine and allow the beef to rest for several minutes and come to room temperature. Reserve marinade.
4. Pour 3 ounces oil into a Dutch oven over high heat.
5. Place the meat in the hot pan. This may take two batches. Stir and turn the meat often, carefully allowing each piece to brown on each side before removing from the pan. When browned (will take several minutes per side), remove the beef from the pan.
6. Add the onions, carrots, and celery. Stir constantly and allow the onions to cook until mahogany in color, about 10 minutes; if onions are browning too quickly, reduce to medium heat.
7. Add the short ribs back to the pot along with the reserved wine marinade. Allow the wine to come to a boil before reducing the heat to a simmer.
8. After several minutes, add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil
9. Cover the Dutch oven and place in a 275 degree oven for about 4 hours.
10. Refrigerate over night
Day 3
11. Take the Dutch oven from the fridge and skim off the congealed fat.
12. Place the Dutch oven on the stove and bring the ribs to temperature.
13. Transfer short ribs to a dish and cover.
14. Season the short ribs and braising liquid with salt and pepper to taste.

[TrishUntrapped]

I make a very similar recipe for short ribs only WITHOUT sugar (and mushrooms because I don't like them). It's not at all necessary.

[oooYUM]

I happened across some ultra meaty short ribs the other day,
and LOVE LOVE LOVE Cremini 'shrooms, so this recipe seemed
like all-that and more !!!

I have a nice oval SLT 7 quart DO, so once I eyeballed the amount
of ribs I had marinating, I used that one.
The family was dying, smelling it browning and cooking yesterday....
I know it's going to be a huge hit, THANKS so much for the recipe !!!!!

Planning to serve it with garlic mashed potatoes and make a polenta too..
I agree right now I sampled a small bite and it tastes sweetish ~
but here in Tejas my fam likes sweetish 'Que,
so I think it will be popular at my table !!!!

Can't wait for dinner....
Oh, and incase anyone read through this entire thread
I didn't use any oil to brown down the Cremini,
I got a nice brown color and just scooped them out of their liquid when they looked done.
:-)

[gingershelley]

I am making these short ribs right now, but did not marinate (I want to eat them tonight!), and had less mushrooms - just an 8 oz. cup. Did not put in the sugar, and put in a splash of worstcheshire sauce to up the 'umami'...
Big difference, I am cooking in my Fagor pressure cooker; right now, set for 35 minutes on med. pressure, then plan on lowering pressure, turning them in the sauce, then back to med. pressure for another 35 minutes.... will let you know how they turn out. They smell FANTASTIC!
Here is to more braising in 2012!

[switzer]

this was excellent and i will make it again. i followed this recipe reasonably well. i doubled the carrots, onions, celery because i almost always do and cut back the mushrooms (though will cut back less next time). i used brown sugar and about half of what this recipe calls for. i really appreciate jfood sharing all of his thoughts and creating a ‘best of’ recipe from his point of view. it was a hit and will make my dinner menu for our annual big fancy dinner bash that we host every year. i think the day 1 soak in the red wine is a must as i really tasted the richness from the wine. this is really easy, and especially easy the day of feast – it doesnt get any easier than reheating. i also reduced a cup or so of the braising liquid, tossed in a little butter for some tasty glaze.

[monfrancisco]

So disappointing. Way too sweet! And this from someone who thinks that Mrs See could add a bit more sugar to her recipes and that jfood is altogether splendid.

[walker]

I agree, too sweet, but otherwise, really great. I started it Monday and had it last night, Wed. I doubled the carrots, used a Cab, don't like beef broth so subbed chicken broth. Otherwise, followed the recipe. Next time, I'll use only about 1 Tbl sugar.

[woodburner]

Say jfood, can you shed some light on the different cuts of meat that are referred to as short ribs? Looked at the beef industry website http://www.beeffoodservice.com/recipe... and there are a couple of different IMPS/NAMP numbers in play. Does it make a difference what you use?

[mcdcook]

I'm a total beginner, but this sounded wonderful. Tomorrow will be the big reveal, but it sure is smelling great as it braises. Some questions: (1) Was it okay to siphon off the liquid from the mushrooms instead of letting it evaporate? (2) At the end, the mushrooms weren't giving off anymore liquid and were brown, but given that my pan is dark aluminum, I'm not sure they were cooked properly, so I wondered if there's a guesstimate of how long it takes to do the mushrooms? (3) Now that I've saved all this liquid from the mushrooms, is there any use for it (it tastes good!) (4) I used a 5.5 quart pot and it's filled almost to the brim. Should I have used a bigger pot? Will a full pot affect the final product? I probably only have a little over 3 lbs of ribs. Many thanks, I'm looking forward to tomorrow.

[jfood]

1 - should not be a problem since the mushrooms will probably absorb the rich sauce
2 - usually take 20-25 minutes at a low heat
3 - someone will tell you to add it to vodka for a mushytini (only kidding)
4 - guess you'll tell us tomorrow night. :-))

make some mashed potatoes, or polenta and some good bread.

Enjoy.

[c oliver]

mcd, this dish is going to be great and you're going to get SO much praise. Hate to flatter the guy but you'll be hardpressed to go wrong if you follow jfood. He's walked many of us through newbie-ness. His goat cheese ravioli is to die for.

[jfood]

Thanks for the praise C. How come I have spent the last hour looking for a good vegetable soup recipe on line for Mrs J. Any thoughts? Some fresh pasta and Hazan Bolognese last night (still have 10 bottles left).

[c oliver]

Oughta be something here:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/6037...

I've recently made beef stock to join the chicken (feet and back) stock in my freezer. I just need to stay home long enough and stop getting sidetracked. Menudo today, pho tomorrow. Life is good.

[onceadaylily]

One of the local circulars has beef short ribs for $2.99/lb. Of course, an examination of the product at such a price may have me backing away from the cold case, but I choose to head to the market with optimism. This recipe looks wonderful. Long and slow is how my chosen approach with larger cuts of beef.

[mtomto]

JFOOD--In the 2nd step Day 1 with the mushrooms: Are you sauteeing in the Beef Broth? and Where later do you use the mushrooms? I not following that in the recipe, which I cant wait to try.

Thanks in advance should you reply.

[Norm Man]

When I made this recipe, I sauteed the mushrooms in oil (BTW, I browned the mushrooms on Day 2 while JFood does it on Day 1).

I added the mushrooms and the beef broth to the braise on Day 2, Step 8 -- "... add remaining ingredients ..."

I hope JFood approves.

[jfood]

Sautee in oil. the idea is to create a duxelle type finish in which the moisture has all left the mushrooms. whether day 1 or 2 does not matter other than it can take a little time and day 2 is already longer than day 1.

hope you enjoy.

[Norm Man]

JFood, "mtomto," asked "where later do you use the mushrooms?"

In my reply above, I said I used the mushrooms on Day 2, Step 8" under "... add remaining ingredients ..."

Does Jfood differ?

[jfood]

oops...correct, add with "remaining ingredients.

[mtomto]

Thanks for the clarify JFood and others!!!

[jfood]

NP...now if you could help jfood...what does mtomto means? :-))

[travelingon]

Just finished these. They were great! I'd say I'm not great at cooking beef, but this has made me think twice about that. Overall, the flavor was quite good, and the meat was tender and delicious. I believe next time I'd cut back on the sugar just a bit, but otherwise carry on. I will put this on the list to make again. Thanks!

[shaogo]

I'm going to try jfood's recipe.

In the past, I've made braised beef (not short ribs) with a semi-sweet wine called Sachem's Picnic, from the Hopkins Vineyard in Warren, CT. This wine, while far too sweet to drink except with a precious few foods, is perfect to get the sweet/garlicky/oniony thing going with the beef.

What's so good about jfood's recipe is that when you pay *that much* attention to, and expend that much time on, preparing a good cut of meat it comes out far superior to more quickly-prepared versions.

[The Oracle]

Question re: Day 3 - after skimming the fat - approx how long does it take to bring the ribs to temperature? I don't have a meat thermometer, so I'd be gauging it.

Also, after they are re-heated, do you reduce the braising liquid to serve by allowing it to simmer on the stovetop (covered/uncovered)?

TIA - my happy short ribs are sitting in the fridge waiting to be devoured tonight. It was my first go at it - my cast iron pot (which I assumed was a dutch oven) was TOO SMALL for 4 lbs. of ribs! I was concerned it would spill, so I ended up simmering them on the stovetop. I had to wait until some of the liquid reduced before adding beef broth.

[jfood]

Skim and then bring back to temp on the stove. Remember that the ribs were cooked for multiple hours so overcooking not in the cards. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes should do the trick.

[The Oracle]

Thanks, jfood! I appreciate all the practice and expertise you compile and share with the chow community.

This is only the 2nd time in my life I've cooked any sort of beef (I'm a baker - not a cook)- and I realized as I looked over the thread that I didn't brown the meat on all sides (UGH! I did it on the 4 (smaller) sides, but not the flattest 2 sides).

All the oil/fat popping/splashing around was a bit surprising and I some how figured it was all fat on those sides and not the meat - so I didn't need to do it. Beginners mistake, for sure. I also crammed all the meat into my 5q cast iron pot - mistake #2.

Hopefully, I don't have a bunch of boiled meat on my hands tonight. I know better next time, for sure!! Practice makes perfect, right?

[jfood]

Relax.....

1 - The crackle was the water content of the wine snapping in th oil...perfect that means the oil was hot enough.
2 - The browning of the meat adds a little flavor due to the maillard reaction (the meat equivilent of caramelization) and it does not change the composition of the end product.

The other item you will notice and you will know you did fantastic is the color of the beef itself when you cut into it. If it has almost a rare appearence you get 5 stars. It is an interesting phenomenon with braising (McGee has a few paragraphs on the subject) in that if kept in th eliquid long enough the color changes back from pale to rare-redish.

Sit back and enjoy later tonight

[The Oracle]

Thank you for all the helpful feedback!

One thing is for sure, regardless of outcome - tonight I will raise a glass and toast to you, jfood!

[jfood]

thank you and let us know how it goes.

[The Oracle]

OH.MY. Heaven on a plate came to my house, thanks to jfood! This was amazing - and, the flavors were to die for!! My hat's off to you, jfood.

I did not get 5-stars, as the meat did not have rare appearance - but, it may be because I reheated it too long in the oven (a little over an hour - as I was chatting away with our dinner guests).

But, that didn't matter - as the meat was tender and succulent! So good!!

A million thanks for all your help!

[sbp]

Just remember, what you've really learned is a very versatile technique. You can apply Jfood's basic instructions/ingredients to chuck roast, brisket, oxtails -- any of the "tough" cuts. And you can substitute various ingredients for entirely different takes on it: try white wine, mustard and loads of thyme. Instead of wine, soak a bunch of dried chiles in hot water, seed, then whir in a blender. Use that as braising liquid along with oregano, cumin, garlic, for a braised mole (you can dump in a thousand spices if you consult some of the more detailed mole recipes). Or skip the marinade and braise in coconut milk and red curry paste (add dried mushrooms, bamboo shoots, baby corn to the braise). There's a lot of leeway with a good braise.

[skingstone]

jfood or someone...I am making this now. I have never done braised short ribs. what does it mean....bring ribs to temperature on stove? What temperature?

[sbp]

It's the next day, and the ribs are cooked and have sat overnight in the fridge. You've peeled off the fat. At this point, you're just reheating, so it means heat over medium-low heat till warmed through. You don't want to boil the meat. (After removing meat and veg, you could boil it to reduce the liquid).

[jfood]

What sbp said

[skingstone]

ty ty!

[c oliver]

Once you've mastered this, his goat cheese ravioli aren't anything to sneeze at :)

[white light]

Sorry for the re-post but can anyone recommend what wine(s) would be best?

Thanks

[The Oracle]

I can't speak from experience from trying different wines. I made it for the first time yesterday and used an Old Vine Zinfandel.

[white light]

Thanks. I eventually realized this was a spin off the J. Besh recipe so I found that and saw he called for a zin as well.

[susancinsf]

I've been wanting to try this recipe for a while now, and finally got my chance a few weekends ago. My thoughts:

1. I used the boneless ribs from Costco mentioned elsewhere in the thread. Definitely make this an inexpensive dish, though (while I am usually a big fan of Costco meats) I thought they came up a little short in the 'beefy' flavor department. Think I'll try bone-in next time (although the boneless were admittedly very easy to work with).

2. I didn't think the recipe is all that labor intensive. Time consuming sure, but most of that time is in the fridge. I used jfood's suggested marinate on Friday, cook on Saturday, skim fat and heat on Sunday routine, and it worked out just fine in terms of timing. Would be a particularly great schedule on a rainy weekend. I followed the recipe pretty much to the letter as written above.

3. Results? for me, it was good but not great. Mostly, it was waayyyy too sweet. I should have known that the amount of sugar would be much more than I would want. To be honest, I think it would be fine with no sugar, or perhaps just a tablespoon or so.

The sweetness didn't stop us from enjoying it, but it did make the leftovers a little less appealing, at least to me (after a few bites I'd had enough sugar).

I will say that hubby did like the ribs even though he isn't a huge beef fan.

Don't get me wrong, I'd definitely make it again, but with modifications. (Less sugar, maybe more thyme, possibly some other herbs.

[Dax]

1/2 a cup to 12-14 short ribs plus all of the other ingredients does not sound like a ton to me? Is the recipe as is overly sweet? I want to make these within the next week.

[susancinsf]

obviously, YMMV, but yes, I thought half a cup was a ton for that many short ribs. I could taste the sugar as such. Of course, perhaps if the meat had been meatier it wouldn't have been as noticeable to me. Then again, I do not like much sweetness in my dishes.

[jfood]

Thanks for the feedback susaninsf and everyone makes modifications to recipes to suit their needs. jfood did as such when he developed this one so whatever works to make the people at the table smile, that is what it is all about.

Glad you tried jfood's derivation and hoping a less sugary one meets the palate better next time. Likewise jfood did the ribs once with costco ribs and he prefers his butcher with the bone better as well.

[white light]

What varieties of red wine work best with this?

[RGC1982]

This sounds delicious, but I doubt that I can give it two days after the marinade. Have you tried it on the first night? I know, I know -- it's kind of like brisket and will taste better the second day.

[jfood]

There is an old saying...

You cannot rush risotto, but people rush for risotto.

It is good, but the second day is perfection on a plate.

[c oliver]

I found that it was labor intensive enough that the timing allowed me to recover enough to enjoy it to its fullest.

[jfood]

Labor intensive? You joke Ms C. You want labor intensive? Go for the Cannelonni.

[c oliver]

I'm waiting for our first real snow. And alanbarnes and family to visit.

[Scagnetti]

Day 2
8. After several minutes, add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil

Question: Does "add remaining ingredients" include the mushrooms from Day 1? If not, do the mushrooms get added during final prep on Day 3?

[jfood]

Add them with step 8.

Enjoy

[Scagnetti]

2-4 lbs? That's a LOT of mushrooms no?

[jfood]

jfood loves mushrooms and you will not believe how they reduce once you get the water out of them. Start with 2# and eye it in the sauce. While it is braising and you want more you can always do batch #2 and add while braising. It's a living recipe. The first three batches did not have mushrooms, then jfood bought a big bin at Costco and said to himself that they would be a nice addition.

[Scagnetti]

2 lbs it is then.

I've recently turned into a braising fool so this recipe is right in my wheelhouse.

[jfood]

Timing is everything. :-))

[Diane in Bexley]

J, just bought some short ribs and with the weather getting so cold already, was planning to make your recipe for a family 'do next Labor Day weekend, as I need something I can prepare ahead.

Question - is the sugar really necessary? 1/2 cup of sugar seems like a lot and we have a couple of family members who are diabetic (and would rather spend their sugar carbs on dessert - LOL!) If I left out the sugar, would the sauce suffer? Any ideas on how to sub? Could use Splenda, but is it really necessary? Thanks!

[jfood]

Jfood really does not know the answer on how it will effect the end product. There are two aspects that he sees. The sugar may increase the browning of the meat since this will create a caramelization factor, and two it may balance the other flavors.

Jfood is sure there are other braising recipes that have no sugar in them and they are probably fantastic.

Would jfood recommend adding the sugar at the expense of a great dessert? nope...jfood always keeps room for dessert.

Enjoy

[Diane in Bexley]

J, will redeuced the sugar to 2 T instead of 8 (1/2 cup) and use a medium dry red wine. Wll let you know the results next week, thanks!

[onrushpam]

Okay, I"ve been wanting to try these for months... waiting for cool weather. It's not cool, yet, but Publix has short ribs on sale for $2.99 lb this week. So, I think I'll try them!

I have a question... Has anybody done the 2nd day (braise) is a slow cooker? I could wait until next weekend to do these, but thought maybe I could buy/marinate them tomorrow, braise in the slow cooker Monday, finish/eat them on Tuesday?

[jfood]

Sorry On

Jfood does own a slow cooker so cannot give any advice. He did make a big batch last weekend that are now in the freezer waiting for the autumn moon to arrive.

[Bat Guano]

I've done them in a slow cooker. See my substitutions above; they were delicious. Go for it!

[fern]

Well now, this was delicious. Just delicious. My husband made mashed potatoes, I made slaw, son is cleaning the kitchen as I write. Had to let you know how much we all enjoyed this dish! The meat could not have been more tender, and that sauce! I can't think of anything served atop my mashed that I've enjoyed as much. Really, jfood, this was wonderful. I made 4 lbs and am going to freeze the leftovers before we get a chance to eat them up. So nice to know there's something in the freezer that is ready to go and GREAT. (plus, it gives me a chance to use the foodsaver. love that thing.)

Many thanks for taking the time to write this all out. Looks like you've made many of us very happy, indeed! I am lying on the couch thinking "I can't believe I ate the whole thing." while being very glad that I did. ;)

Hope you're having a lovely celebration at your house, too.

[jfood]

jfood's pleasure.

He just finished the dishes after a lovely time as well.

Little jfood forgot the gazpacho and chocolates so off he goes on a delivery run.

[dklipscomb]

Thanks again to Jfood for the recipe. My new favorite. Happy Mothers day to all! Funny-I knew awhile back this would be the mothers day dinner. A beautifully rich dinner. Can't wait-I know how good it is. I do have to be careful not to make it so often and let it be a treat.

[fern]

They are in the oven right now driving me wild. Thank goodness we aren't eating at home tonight, they wouldn't make it until tomorrow.

By the way, I agree that it's not a big deal to make these and judging by the smell, worth every bit of it. There's not much active time so if you just remember to place them in the marinade and pop them in the fridge for the next day you've got it knocked.

Thanks for the recipe. I'll be off duty tomorrow and we'll have a great meal.

[jfood]

Off duty from work and on duty for pleasure....

Happy Mother's Day and enjoy

[fern]

Exactly! Thank you, Jfood!

[c oliver]

Yeah, it was a snap. My husband prepared the marinade and I handled the mushroom part. Popped it in the fridge before we went to bed. I DID have to have a little nibble on day two (hey, wouldn't want to poison anyone, right?). I think this is just about the richest dish I've ever eaten. Happy Mother's Day, Fern.

[fern]

Putting the family first, I did a safety check, too. Delicious. I cannot wait to spoon the sauce onto some smashed potatoes. I think everyone will love it.

Happy Mother's Day to you, too!

[Bat Guano]

I made these over the weekend with the following substitutions: oyster and dried shiitake mushrooms instead of cremini; no celery, no beef stock (hey, it's what I had). And I cooked them in the crock pot, after browning them well. I did use some excellent bone-in local grass-fed ribs, though.

Verdict: They couldn't have suffered too much from the subs; they were delicious, with flavor deep enough to dive into. From the high board. Really looking forward to lunch today, where the leftovers await me.

[steve h.]

love the short ribs.
took the leftovers tonight, cut the meat thin, placed it on a slice of good italian bread and topped it with some taleggio cheese. added a few zuni pickles then pan fried it up like a grilled cheese sandwich. a little fresh slaw on the side.
be warned: a little of this goes a long way.

[jfood]

glad you liked it steve. that leftover idea sounds great as well.

jfood gonna try the zuni pickle recipe this weekend.

[chef chicklet]

Is there a place or can someone paraphrase the zuni pickle recipe please?

[jfood]

http://projects.eveningedge.com/recip...

just google zuni pckle and you get a few hits, a couple of blogs have pictures as well/

[JoanN]

There are a few different kinds of pickled vegetables in the Zuni cookbook, but I'll guess that steve h. is referring to the zucchini pickles. Recipe here:

http://www.latimes.com/features/print...

[steve h.]

howdy,
the pickled red onions that judy rodgers serves at zuni work great with a short rib/taleggio grilled cheese sandwich. put them on top of the cheese before grilling. they cut through an otherwise heavy dish. half a sandwich is more than enough. a little slaw on the side and a cold beer would put a smile on any churl's face.

the zuni cafe cookbook is one of our goto cookbooks. zuni cafe is one of our goto lunch/dinner spots in san francisco.

[JoanN]

I'm a huge fan of the Zuni pickled onions as well. Always have some in the fridge.

Here's a link for red pickled onions:

http://thechickendumpling.com/recipes...

[steve h.]

love the zucchini pickles, too.

rodgers rocks.

[steve h.]

modest follow-up:

deb has a new pro-grade waring meat grinder. she followed rodger's zuni burger recipe to a "t". the boneless chuck was cubed and salted on saturday and ground today. i had some ciabatta bread we used as rolls. zuni pickles were the sides (red onions from one jar, zucchini pickles from the other).

perfect end to the second day of the nfl draft. we'll do this again.

[c oliver]

The last hurray for now. I had enough j-ribs left for one more dinner for two. But yesterday I created some broken eggs. So I made a quiche for tonight with j-ribs, arugula, chives and cheese. Still have some sauce left, however. I was t;hinking about thinning with and having as soup. Waste not, want not.

[Diane in Bexley]

Short rib aficianados, big question - don't the boneless short ribs from Costco lack the same flavor that cooked bone-in short ribs have? I too have a Costco membership and for years have been making my brother schlep me bone-in ribs from Sam's Club, because I perceived that boneless would taste inferior? Shy CHers, your thoughts?

[sbp]

I'd be interested to hear what people who have tried both think. I would assume the boneless lacks that ring of connective tissue that joins the meat to the bone. This is loaded with collagen, which adds so much richness to the braise. Though it is essentially gristle and, when I make chili, for example, I remove it AFTER braising. Which is a ridiculously labor intensive practice. My braising liquid turns to jelly in the refrigerator -- does the boneless rib braise get that gelatinous?

[steve h.]

there is a difference. the bones add to the braise. further, they add a margin of error to the overall cooking time. find a good butcher and have him/her cut the ribs to your specifications. longer (at least six inches) is good. it makes a difference.

[jfood]

Jfood has made both and the last batch were the boneless from Costco.

When he used the boneless, he also added a couple of pounds of creminis that he turned into duxelle, so the richness of this ingredient was also a variable. The bones may give some delta of flavor but with all the other ingredients braising in the oven for multiple hours, jfood would be hard pressed on a blind taste test. And the level of the jelly that appears in theovernight cool-down was slightly less but it did not go from 1" to 1/4" in depth. And the length of the pieces were 4-5" and two pieces were more than enough per person.

But to use the words inferior taste with the boneless would be an injustice. they were outstanding.

Hope that helps

[steve h.]

jfood,
we have a dutch oven in the fridge filled with a chianti-braised batch of short ribs (bone in - it really does make a difference). that's for tomorrow. judy rodgers' zuni burgers tonight. complete with with the correct pickled veg. deb salted the chuck cubes last night and we'll cope with the new grinder.
keep on cooking.

[jfood]

po-tay-toe, po-tah-toe steve h. As long as it is all good it is all good. :-))

[steve h.]

still waiting to see if the lights go out after we plug in the new grinder.

it's all good.

[jfood]

jfood just had a brown out when he was plating the carbonara. was that the grinder?

[steve h.]

it was so cool!
yes, had to have been the grinder.

[steve h.]

follow up:
burgers were good. pickled vegetables were of zuni quality. more work is needed on the burgers. not much, just a bit. deb's aioli was outstanding. the ciabatta bread i substituted for the zuni focaccia held up pretty well. i don't have an answer for the zuni fries.
at the end of the day, judy would have been proud.

[jfood]

s

are these the recipes you and deb used?

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/z...

TIA

[steve h.]

jfood,

cribbed them right out of the zuni cafe cookbook. pickles and all.

zuni cafe is my home away from home. we even bake the zuni chicken at our little rental apartment in rome.

judy rocks.

[sbp]

I do a very similar recipe with a few differences.

I buy bone-in (haven't seen boneless), and wonder if the boneless has enough collagen to give body to the sauce. After it's cold, is the sauce gelatinized? Certainly handier dealing with boneless.

Also, I prep at night, pop it into a 250 degree oven at about 11pm and let it cook overnight for about 8 hours. In the morning, I separate the meat and vegetables from the sauce and refrigerate. This makes it easier to remove the fat, which forms a single disk on top of my container.

Finally, when I reheat for serving, I first strain and then cook the sauce till it reduces substantially. This makes a very thick sauce even though no roux or other thickener is involved.

[c oliver]

We're going to have to have a dinner party! The ribs are so good but so rich. So amazingly rich. We just served with egg noodles and little French green beans. Even Mr. O couldn't eat all of his and he always eats all of his :) So we'll invite friends over to share. I have to share with you that I believe the ribs were maybe a little old. Without the sauce they had a slightly off flavor. Not like it was going to make us sick but just a smidge not right. But with that sauce, ooh la la. And the mushrooms? So wonderful. Definitely a keeper. Thanks, kid.

[jfood]

7AM, one sip of coffee and jfood came to check to see how you enjoyed them. Glad it worked out. And the mushroom addition really adds that earthiness to Besh's base.

Jfood going to give your chicken technique a whirl in the next few hours

[c oliver]

Re chicken, now I'M the one who will be checking back. It's not gourmet fare like these ribs but a quick, easy and tasty piece of chicken. Later.

[c oliver]

We've nicknamed them "j-ribs." Becca the Elder (our older daughter) will be here for a couple of nights this week. Maybe serve them to her. Mmm.

[c oliver]

Just want to give a status report. I've just put this in the oven and I already know how good it's going to be! Last night I sliced and sauteed the mushrooms while Mr. O assembled the meat and marinade. This morning I did all the browning, slicing and dicing. After browning the meat (I really liked that larger amount of oil) I had to pull off a little piece of browned fat and it wass already good. Then HAD to taste the vegetables after cooking them. Then the marinade after it had come to a boil and finally the uncooked sauce. jfood, every step so far has been SO delicious. At one point I actually said out loud "oh my, this is so good." ('Course I talk to myself alot anyway!) Good thing I'm making kattyeyes Reuben soup for dinner or I'd be tempted to not wait until tomorrow. A friend of mine isn't eating meat until Easter so I'm going to take her some to break her fast. I'll report back later but wanted to write while this is all fresh in mind. Thanks alot for sharing this.

[jfood]

Jfood's pleasure.

Five days solo with the dog. Chicken Parm tonite.

[c oliver]

My avatar did a great job licking the floor in front of the stove after I did all that browning :)

Re being alone, I describe it as I enjoy the opportunity to miss him. Sincerely.

Don't hesitate to share Chicken Parm recipe and anything others. I haven't failed with you yet. Made raviolis a second time. Just as good and I wasn't even skeered :) Oh, and used leftover filling (after breaking the pasta roller) as a spread on crackers.

[jfood]

The only thing jfood does special is a technique he learned from a great Italian restaurant in NYC.

1- pound the breast (the chicken, not your own at this point)
2 - bread and fry the breast in a saute pan
3 - lay mozzy on top of the breast
4 - place the sauce AROUND the chicken, not on top
5 - place under broiler until cheese melt
6 - slide onto plate
7 - eat
8 now you can pound your breast. :-))

[c oliver]

Made me snort but no wine this time :)

[c oliver]

Taste test: wonderful Dinner tomorrow :)

[c oliver]

Do you saute the mushrooms in butter or oil? Too lazy to reread all 61 replies so pardon if already answered.

[jfood]

EVOO.

The duxelle is when ALL the liquid has come out and evaporated.

Sorry for the delay but this did not come up on MyChow.

[gourmet wife]

I tried Jfood's method of marinating the ribs overnight, I normally do the two day method instead. The result was great.

[dklipscomb]

I made it this weekend! And followed the recipe to the letter (which I tend not to as a rule) other than I had bone in. My gosh was it good!! Even my biggest critic (my 17 year old) -loved it. Thanks Jfood for posting it. I was mistaken when I thought I didn't like short ribs!

[choco_lab38]

I've also made this John Besh recipe many times (which this recipe is, aside from mushroom amount and simmering method). It requires some planning, but it's fairly simple, the results are delicious and unctuous, and I enjoy the fragrance that permeates the house for 5 hours.
(I simmer uncovered on stovetop, as the original instructs, use reconstituted porcinis and their broth, and reduce the braising liquid down before serving.) An old vine zinfandel works well in this recipe and I always prefer using bone-in to boneless ribs, as the bones can only add more flavor and body to the braising liquid.

I've also used the Besh recipe with bison short-ribs with great success.

[jfood]

CL

Jfood does not know your motive for such a post, but jfood has posted the Besh recipe many times and gives rave reviews to it. He also feels these changes make it better. Aren't all recipes based on something else?

But don't you think it would have been easier to just post a link to the Besh vesus the deltas? Here, let Jfood help you and others find it in case anyone wants to use John's versus Jfood's.

http://www.esquire.com/features/recip...

Ciao

[Robin Joy]

I've seen many short rib posts, but the cut is unknown to me here in the UK. Does anyone know what we call it please? Is it the ribs and meaty attachments which can be cut away from a rib roast?
Thanks.

[Bat Guano]

Does the term flanken cut mean anything to you? I've heard that in Britain the short ribs are cut differently, and it's called a flanken cut here, but I don't know if that's the term used in the UK.

I don't think the short ribs are the same as the part of the ribs from a rib roast, but I could be wrong. Seems to me they're a tougher cut that is usually braised; closer to the chuck, perhaps?

[MMRuth]

There is a big thread on the GT board about this - searching is tough right now, but I know that Harters, greedygirl and I all participated.

Edit - http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/514230

[Robin Joy]

Thank you both.

[Bat Guano]

Oh, wow, I got it totally wrong, then. Thanks for the link.

[steve h.]

leftover beef short rib makes for a killer grilled cheese sandwich. pair the shredded beef with taleggio cheese on some nice italian bread. "grill" in a tiny bit of butter in a cast iron pan until the cheese melts. some pickled red onions on the side make things even better. beer is the drink of choice but suit yourself.

[zamorski]

"3 sprigs fresh or 1 heaping Tablespoon dry thyme" in the short-rib recipe: The fresh amount sounds about right, but 1 heaping TB of dry thyme seems a bit heavy-handed. Am I right?

[jfood]

lot of big flavors to begin with, so a T was not too much

[alwayscooking]

Thanks for the recipe and technique. It will be on next week's menu. This week is CI's cassoulet recipe I've been asked to test. It's also a 3-4 dayer and only one of those is allowed per week.

[jfood]

The CI recipes they have asked jfood to test have been pure crap.

[alwayscooking]

hmmm - this one was one of the first that looked halfway decent (I pass on nearly all). I've never made cassoulet or the duck confit - that's the allure. Should I just pass on this one as well and do my own thing?

[jfood]

Yeah, this weeks was a lemon torta withthe torta made with white bread. Blech.

[c oliver]

Who's asking y'all to test recipes? I'm impressed.

[alwayscooking]

Oh my -

Didn't get that recipe and hope it never sees the light outside the test kitchens! Did it use RealLemon as well?

[jfood]

no, at least it used real lemons

[Joebob]

Have you ever tested the addition of some pitted dates to your recipe? I saw such a recipe, tried it, and the result was quite good.

[mr jig]

jfood.
i have come to respect your posts BUT this quote is meaningless.:

4-5 pounds beef short ribs, cut into 4” chops (this should give 12-14 pieces)

What do you mean? "chops"?
Chops????
Your recipe is wonderful, i have used it forever, though i do add msg and a generous splash of soy.

Do mean that you trim one end of the rib so that it looks like a chop?

[jfood]

jfood buys them in 8-10" boneless strips. Then he cuts in half, so they are 4-5" strips about 1-1.5" thick and 2" wide.

Sorry for the confusion.

[steve h.]

not on the bone?

[monku]

I get boneless short ribs from Costco.
I thought he meant short ribs (with bones) in his recipe too.

[steve h.]

yeah. we use anne burrell's recipe these days for wine-braised short ribs. i have my local grocery store butcher cut the ribs into six-inch lengths. we make it a day in advance and serve with creamy gorgonzola polenta and mushrooms. i can't imagine braising without the bone. that would be a totally different animal.

here's a link to anne's recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/an...

[chef chicklet]

I've made this dish a lot, I do a bit different but I too started with the John Besh recipe and did my own thing. I don' t marinate like jfood ( I keep forgetting!) I'm usually going for dinner and to eat the ribs that night, so I lack jfoods patience. I dredge the ribs in seasoned flour shake, and brown.
I would support jfoods plan to use boneless, because after braising and the cooking time, these babies just slip off the bone anyway!

[steve h.]

the meat does indeed slip off the bone! still, the bones add both a dimension of flavor and an increased margin of cooking error when braising. i'll stick with the bones for now.

re: creamy polenata. truffled mushrooms really put this dish over the top.it's a staple at scott conant's restaurant "scarpetta". good stuff.

[jfood]

jfood made boneless last weekend and loved them.

[steve h.]

jfood,

osso bucco in the oven as we speak. it will be a monday night dinner. the house smells really good.

i hate winter but i love the braises. back to rome next week. i suspect we'll be cooking far more than dining out this go-around. judy rodger's "zuni chicken" is a favorite. we get the chicken, bread, fennel, etc. at the campo de' fiori. i know she's a favorite of yours. keep cooking.

[jfood]

jfood is beat. he's watching NC-Duke and relaxing. Trying to figure what to eat. Little jfood may bring a pizza from Joe's and hang out, grill some food for her apartment and go home.

Quad batch of both Hazan bolognese and Raos, two lasagnes, 40 meatballs and a chocolate cake.

BTW - recentlythe osso have been not so tender and jfood is beginning to lean to lamb shanks recently. Any reason you know why he has been disappointed with the veals?

Safe trip

[steve h.]

spaghetti and meatballs gets my vote. that's our dinner tonight. deb browned up a bunch today. must be something in the ct air.

lamb shanks are outstanding. stamford's ferrante restaurant does a great version with colorado lamb. i hope they make it through the recession but i'm not holding my breath. we've replicated the recipe at home. the key is the colorado part in the equation. it really makes a difference.

i hope the trip is slightly bumpy - makes things interesting. i've emailed chowhounder mbfant for some shopping/cooking advice. i understand she has opinions. :-)

[jfood]

Little jfood just left after grilling some chicken and veggies for the next few nights and roasted some potatoes.

She opted for the speghetti and meatballs. Jfood was nervous since he was a bit tired after on the road all week and then 24 Cups of red gravies yesterday so he decided to bake the meatballs. Wow, they had a different texture, much lighter and fluffier.

So after 53 years of frying meatballs jfood is now a convert to baking them. Whoda thunk it?

[steve h.]

we old dogs can always learn a few new tricks.
it's all good. naches? yeah, that's it.

[c oliver]

Ah, boneless. I was just assuming bone-in. Going to Costco (50 mile drive) tomorrow or Tuesday. Will pick some up. Maybe they'll have those mushrooms also.

[jfood]

the ones at CT Costco were boneless. 399/lb

[monku]

This is going to sound stupid.....they're boneless so you aren't paying for the weight of the bones if you bought them with bone.
Does it make a little sense?

[c oliver]

Are you talking to me or jfoodThe recipe that I've used for years (and a totally different technique) is bone-in ribs. His recipe is for boneless. So I want to now buy boneless and try his recipe. Are *you* even more confused? :)

[jfood]

you can use bone-in or boneless. same recipe. The ones he bought were boneless at $3.99...great deal.

[c oliver]

Definitely a great price. The bone-in ones are that much.

[jfood]

jfood is seeing bone-ins for $6.99, boneless at $3.99, jfood almost made 9 pounds

[c oliver]

Do these generate a good bit of fat/juice? I was wondering about taking the ribs out of the pan, putting the sauce in a bowl so that the fat can be lifted off more easily the next day. Any thoughts on that?

[jfood]

short ribs, by nature have an amount of fat that will render slowly during the braise.

Jfood places the whole braising pot into the fridge overnight, that way the ribs stay with their flavor buddies. Then when you take them out of the fridge the next day, the congealed fat is easy to scrape off like icing on a cake.

Jfood thinks if you separate them the meat may dry out and not have as much flavor the next day.

[monku]

Talking to you c oliver.
My Costco doesn't sell bone-in short ribs.
I was adding my 2 cents that it seems like a better value than buying bone-in because you aren't paying for the bone, but you still get some of that great connective tissue around the bone.

[jns7]

jfood,

If using bone-in ribs, what weight should I use?
Thanks.

jns7

[jfood]

jfood buys them with the cut across the bone and figures 2-3 bones per person or about 3-4" strip per person if you were to lay them end to end..

[jns7]

jfood, thanks!
jns7

[Stuffed Monkey]

Sound yummy.... and what does he like to serve with it?

[steve h.]

a creamy gorgonzola polenta is the perfect side at our house. yes, two days before the first serving. leftovers are even better. as an aside, i have our butcher cut the ribs into six-inch lengths.

[jfood]

Mid winter, he likes a mushroom risotto. Then as the weather gets better he moves to garlic mashed potatoes or fried polenta.

[monku]

3 days? Don't think I could wait that long.

jfood, I'm not debating you because you sound like a better cook than me....just asking. I've never marinated any meat that I'm going to braise figuring anything in that pot is going to be infused into the meat. Also I skim off most of the fat when its done cooking and seems fine, although some things do taste better the 2nd day.

[jfood]

Marinating the first 12 hours adds a flavor to the meat that is not present with just the sear and braise scenario.

Jfood never serves braises (including brisket) the same day as cooking. Likewise when he takes it out of the fridge he scrapes that congealed fat off the top as well.

[monku]

OK....I don't think I've seen any braising recipe call for marinating the meat.
Like I said, I can't wait 3 days.

[MMRuth]

Goin's recipes for beef braises definitely call for seasoning the meat with various ingredients and leaving it over night.

[monku]

Just shows how well read I am.

[MMRuth]

Well, to be fair, her recipes don't include any liquids overnight!

[monku]

Yes, I saw that recipe.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/13/din...

[Agent Orange]

I believe John Besh's popular short rib recipe calls for overnight marinating in wine. In fact, from memory jfood's recipe looks pretty similar to that of Besh (which is delicious by the way.)

Edit: after rereading the OP and other posts in this thread, the Besh inspiration is noted. I'd love to try jfood's alterations, but here in Florida "summer" has surely arrived. Perhaps next Decemeber or January, or in a future life when I'm not incarcerated in the oppressive tropical flatlands, I will give it a go.

[MMRuth]

Yes, I believe he has said elsewhere that his is adapted from Besh's recipe.

[CDouglas]

Isn't Beef Bourguignon traditionally marinated in red wine and herbs, preferably overnight? Most likely, given the time, this would be an ideal preparation for any braise.

[monku]

Don't know.
I've never made beef Bourguingnon.

But, when I saw the red wine in jfood's recipe, I wondered what the difference between beef Bourguignon and his short rib recipe was except for the cut of meat.

You tell me.

[JoanN]

Not necessarily. Made BB for a party a few weeks ago and researched a bunch of different recipes. Julia doesn't marinate the meat. Richard Olney does, but only for 3 hours. James Peterson marinates for 6 to 12. Don't recall seeing any that recommended marinating overnight.

[CDouglas]

This site uses a recipe close to what I remember making, minus the grappa:

http://fxcuisine.com/Default.asp?lang...