What you don’t know
This is my first meme and although no one has tagged me it has occurred to me that memes have a life of their own and I’ve decided to feed this one. So even though you didn’t ask, here are five things you don’t know about me:
- I swear like a sailor. Most days start off rated PG-13 but I since PG-13 only allows one use of the f__k word I’m usually in R territory by 8:00 in the morning. I’m not proud of it, but it was a bad habit cultivated from years working in the containerized shipping industry and those boys have potty mouths.
- I am absolutely addicted to several television shows that we record and watch with mindless enthusiasm. They are (in no particular order) Heroes, Lost, Prison Break, House, Bones, Battlestar Galactica, Nip/Tuck, Dirt, CSI, The Office, No Reservations, The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, South Park, The Sarah Silverman Show, and Reno 911. I know that’s a huge list and thankfully they aren’t all on every week (although right now many are). When you eliminate commercials it is so much easier to watch TV.
- I’m usually reading at least three books, maybe more. I have a novel I’m reading…right now it’s Richard Ford’s Lay of the Land, and then I’m reading several cookbooks including The Baker’s Dozen, the Les Halles Cookbook, and Nose to Tail Eating, then there is a collection of short essays or stories that I turn to, right now its Hellboy: Weird Tales (I absolutely love Hellboy), and finally I’m reading several guidebooks about London in preparation for our trip next month.
- I love Hello Kitty. I know this is totally irrational and may destroy my credibility since HK is really girly, oh so pink, and stupid, but still… I adore Hello Kitty.
- I love to play to play video games. My favorite is Katamari Damacy but I also love Excite Truck, and a good shooter like the old-school Turok is still the best for family fun.
And now for the fun part. I’m tagging Scott at Real Epicurean, Melting Wok, Ros at Living to Eat, Annie at BonAppegeek, Lisa The Homesick Texan , and the lovely Vanessa of vanesscipes to carry on this meme…take it away bloggers.
Braised beef short ribs…it’s all about the sauce
We get a mixed quarter of beef from Larson’s Green Farm every year. The Larson family raises outstanding grass-fed, organic beef that tastes better than any beef I’ve ever had. There are always a few packages of beef short ribs in the mix provoking me to try my hand at crafting a delicious short rib feast. I’ve followed instructions from many including the notable enthusiast Bill Buford and yet the end product is less than delicious…usually just meh, as in not good, not bad, just…meh.
I got it right this time and now I know why. Last month GH and I ate at the restaurant Sardine in Madison. It was a perfect meal with each dish and each course perfectly prepared and served. We ordered braised short ribs and it came to the table in a soup plate, surrounded by a delicious, rich, brown sauce, and accompanied by a lovely side of polenta. The sauce was exquisite and that’s when I realized my short ribs failed because I failed to make a sauce to accompany them. Last week’s pork cheeks taught me to conquer the sauce so I knew I could do it again. You’ll notice that the braising liquid for short-ribs is similar to the liquid used for pork cheeks. The main difference is the seasonings and the amount of wine.
My sauce success resulted in the beefiest, most succulent, tender chunks of beef on the planet served with a delicious, perfect (GH concurs) sauce. Simple and oh so good.
Vanessa’s braised beef short ribs
4 rib bones of beef short ribs
2 small yellow onions, chopped in chunks
5 cloves of garlic, each halved with germ removed
3 Roma tomatoes, chunked
Salt / pepper
1 tsp Thyme
2 cups red wine
Stock to cover and to deglaze
Sear the ribs in a dutch oven over high heat. Add the the other ingredients, bring to a boil, cover, remove from burner and put the pot in a oven preheated to 325. Bake for 3 hours.
When they’re done, transfer the ribs to the preheated skillet, turn off the heat, and cover (this will keep them warm while you make the sauce). Transfer the pan juices and solids to a sieve suspended over a saucepan. Press all the juices out of the solids. Deglaze the dutch oven with stock. Skim the fat off the pan juices, add the deglazing liquid and allow this to reduce over medium-high heat until you have the consistency and amount you want. Taste and season accordingly.
Check out Ruhlman today…Anthony Bourdain writes a deliciously witty and concise review about the Food Network stars.
Chicken love
Roast chicken is so simple and easy. All you really need is a good, tasty chicken, a hot oven, and salt and pepper. Usually that’s all you need… but if you’re a pork crazed obsessive like me, with a few smoked pork jowls in the freezer, you might might want to cut some of that pork jowl super thin and slip it under the skin of that lovely pasture raised, organic chicken. Allowing them to rest on a bed of garlic and chat while they cook is a good idea too.
When they were done we got the rare treat of dinner for two. So we broke out the candles and wine. I served the porky, chickeny, chicken with my olive focaccia and some stir-fried green beans. It was delicious once those silly chickens quieted down.
The inspiration for putting pork under the skin of the chicken came from Ros at the fabulous food blog, Living to eat. Thanks Ros
