Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Easy Short Ribs

“And while you’re at the store, see if they have some nice looking short ribs.” Twenty minutes later: “How many short ribs do you want?” “About two pounds.” And my cooking partner came home with three ribs totaling two and a half pounds. I’m used to seeing them cut into three- or four-inch lengths, but these were nine-inch whoppers. Good thing I have my Everyday Pan.

We had the ribs with whole green beans and potatoes mashed with parsley and dry mustard. Mm-mm.
  1. Start the pan on high heat for browning.

  2. Grind enough garam masala to coat the ribs.

  3. Add a couple tablespoons of oil (I used sesame) to the hot pan.

  4. Rub the ground spices on all sides of the ribs.

  5. When the oil is very hot, start browning the ribs. Brown on all sides. Take your time: about 30 minutes overall.
    (Most recipes remove the ribs at this point and brown chopped carrots, onions, and celery. Considering those veggies are already in most recommended broths, it seems double duty to me).

  6. Add liquid.
    I used about 20 oz. of water and a couple tb. cream of balsamic. Use your imagination: do a wine reduction; veal stock is recommended; other stocks work, too.

  7. Cover and simmer for 2 hours
    OR
    Cover and bake at 350ยบ for 2 hours.

  8. Add pared vegetables. Potatoes, carrots, onions are common.

  9. Cover and cook for another ½ hour.

  10. Remove ribs and make a pan gravy from the juice.