A Weekend of Braising

I was watching one of my favorite new Food Network shows, Five Ingredient Fix, the other night and Claire made Red Wine Braised Short Ribs. The dish looked AMAZING and seemed really simple. I can't believe I've never BRAISED anything before! I guess I always thought that you had to use one of those fancy (and expensive!) Le Creuset pots (which I totally intend to put on our Wedding Registry BTW!) but after some research I found that any non-stick heavy pot will work! I decided that Friday night would be a good "first time braising night" so I went and bought a good slab of pork ribs. After browsing through an endless number of Braised Ribs recipes, I finally put together my own. It was a total success! In fact, Greg loved it SO much that I decided to create another "braised meal" Sunday night. This time I bought some beef back ribs and added onions and mushrooms. I also experimented with different flavors by adding some cumin and curry to the mix. SO good! Both nights, I served the meat over a very simple polenta, which soaked up some of the sauce and was a wonderful pairing to the tender meat!

Ingredients: (2 servings)


2 lbs pork ribs
1 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp crushed garlic
2 bottles dark ale (I used Sierra Nevada)
1/2 c red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 c BBQ sauce


Prep:


1. Cut ribs into individual pieces and sprinkle each liberally with salt.


2. In a large Dutch oven, cook the garlic and oil on medium-high. When the garlic begins to sizzle, add the ribs and brown each side (2-3 minutes per side). When the ribs finish browning, transfer them to a plate.


3. Add 1/2 cup of the ale to deglaze the pot. Add back the ribs and pour enough of the remaining ale to cover the ribs. Add the vinegar, syrup and sugar and stir well. Bring the pot up to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, and cook for an hour.

Ingredients: (2 servings)


2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 lb beef back ribs, cut into 4 pieces
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 c beef broth
1 c dry red wine
1 large onion, diced (2 cups)
1/2 c slice mushrooms
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp curry powder


Prep:


1. Season short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat oil in s Dutch oven over high heat. When oil is hot and sizzling, brown the meat about 5 minutes each side. Remove to a plate.


2. Add onions and cook until browned, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.


3. Return beef to the pot along with mushrooms, broth, herbs and wine. Allow mixture to come to a boil; reduce heat, simmer over very low heat until meat is fork tender and nearly falling off the bone, about 1 hour.


Easy Creamy Polenta Recipe


Ingredients: (4 servings)


2 c water
Salt to taste
1/2 c yellow cornmeal
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 c sour cream
1/4 c Parmesan cheese, grated


Prep:


1. Heat water lightly seasoned with salt to a boil over high heat, about 5 minutes. Quickly whisk in the cornmeal until fully incorporated.


2. Lower the heat to a low simmer, add the butter and allow the cornmeal to cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.


3. Finish by stirring in the sour cream and Parmesan.