The Mountain Eagle
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Long, slow braise makes tough meat awesome






This photo shows the finished product. Braising is a wonderful and basic cooking technique that uses a slow, wet heat in a covered pot. It’s great for cuts such as chuck, flank, brisket, rump and round. (AP Photo)

This photo shows the finished product. Braising is a wonderful and basic cooking technique that uses a slow, wet heat in a covered pot. It’s great for cuts such as chuck, flank, brisket, rump and round. (AP Photo)

How do you transform a tough, less expensive cut of meat into something tender and delicious? You braise it!

Braising is a wonderful and basic cooking technique that uses a slow, wet heat in a covered pot. It’s great for cuts such as chuck, flank, brisket, rump and round. In fact, cooked properly, these cuts can be more delicious than more tender cuts. I’m using short ribs in this recipe, but the method can be used to wonderful effect on any other tough cut of meat.

Short ribs can be butchered three ways: English, flanken or boneless. In English style, the ribs are cut parallel to the bone, with one bone per cut. In flanken style — which originated with the Jews of Eastern Europe — the ribs are cut across the bone. With English style, you get relatively uniform chunks of beef. With flanken style, you get a sauce with more body and flavor because the cut bones enrich it.

You also can get boneless, which we used in this recipe. They cook a little faster than ribs with bones, and you get more meat for your money (you’re not paying for the bone weight).

We start by browning the ribs in a pan. During browning, the meat will give off juices that form tasty little brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Reconstituted with wine once the meat has finished browning, these bits end up enriching the sauce. I also brown the vegetables, which amps up their natural sweetness.

This recipe requires two bottles of beer, though you also could use a full bottle of red wine. But whether beer or wine, please choose bottles for which you feel some real affection. It doesn’t have to be expensive, but it also shouldn’t be the dollar special. You won’t end up tasting the beer or wine, but you will be astonished by and grateful for the soulful taste of the ribs, which will boast an acidity and depth they’d otherwise lack.

Combine the browned meat, vegetables, beer and chicken broth in a Dutch oven, covered tightly. I place a piece of kitchen parchment right on top of the meat to make sure no liquid escapes. Then it is cooked low and slow. You’ll know you’re done when the tip of a knife slides into the meat with no resistance. If you became antsy and try to speed up the process by boiling the meat, you’ll end up with hockey pucks for dinner.

Assuming you have the time, try to prepare this dish a day ahead, then allow it to cool off and chill overnight. It also freezes beautifully. Not only will the ribs taste better the next day, but by then the fat will have solidified at the top of the pan, allowing you to scoop it off with ease. Then you can warm up the contents and proceed with the recipe.

BEER BRAISED

BEEF SHORT RIBS

If you use bone-in short ribs, check the meat after 3 hours of braising. They likely

will need an extra hour of
braising.
Start to finish: 4 hours (1
hour active)
Servings: 8
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
5 pounds boneless beef
short ribs
Kosher salt and ground
black pepper
2 cups thinly sliced yellow onions
2 medium carrots,
coarsely chopped
1- 1/ 2 tablespoons
minced garlic
2 tablespoons tomato
paste
1 sprig fresh thyme (or 1
teaspoon dried thyme)
1 bay leaf
Two 12-ounce bottles
beer
4 cups low- sodium
chicken broth
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon
mustard
1/2 cup water

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Heat the oven to 325 F.
In a large Dutch oven
over medium-high, heat 1
tablespoon of the oil. Use
paper towels to pat the ribs
dry, then season them on all
sides with salt and pepper.
Reduce the heat to medium,
add a quarter of the ribs to
the pot and brown on all
sides, about 10 minutes.
Transfer them to a large
platter or bowl. Repeat with
the remaining oil and short
ribs, transferring them to
the platter or bowl when
finished.
Return the pot to the heat
and add the onions and
the carrots. Cook, stirring
occasionally, until golden
brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook
for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste, thyme and bay
leaf, then saute for 2 minutes. Transfer the vegetable
mixture to the bowl with
the ribs. Return the pot to

the heat and add the beer.
Bring to a boil and simmer
until the beer is reduced by
about three-quarters.
When the beer is reduced, add the chicken
broth and bring to a boil.
Return the meat and vegetables to the pot and cover with a piece of kitchen
parchment. Put the lid on
the pot and set in the oven
on the lower shelf and cook
until the meat is very tender,
4 to 5 hours.
Use tongs to transfer the
ribs to a platter. Let them
stand until cool enough to
be handled.
Meanwhile, strain liquid
in the pan into a bowl. Discard the solids and return
the liquid to the pot. Let
stand for several minutes,
then skim off any fat that
floats to the surface (or use
a fat separator).
In a small bowl, whisk
together the flour and water.
Set the pot over mediumhigh heat and bring the
cooking liquid to a boil. Add
half of the flour mixture in
a steady stream, whisking.
Bring the sauce to a boil,
check the consistency and
if you would like it thicker,
whisk in more of the flourwater mixture. Simmer for 8
minutes. Whisk in the mustard and lemon juice, then
season with salt and pepper.
Add the meat to the pot
along with any juices from
the platter. Cook gently,
just until heated through.
To serve, arrange some rib
meat on each plate and
spoon some of the sauce
over each portion.

.
Nutrition information
per serving: 620 calories;
290 calories from fat (47
percent of total calories); 32
g fat (13 g saturated; 0 g trans
fats); 170 mg cholesterol; 15
g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 3 g
sugar; 57 g protein; 820 mg
sodium.

.
Sara Moulton is host of
public television’s “Sara’s
Weeknight Meals.” She was
executive chef at Gourmet
magazine for nearly 25 years
and spent a decade hosting several Food Network
shows, including “Cooking
Live.” Her latest cookbook is
“Home Cooking 101.”


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