I'm off the pork kick for at least one post. I've been searching for a recipe that will deliver bold, complex flavors without too many ingredients and too much prep, and while searching for a rye bread recipe I stumbled across the Smitten Kitchen. Deb Perelman's site is a fascinating read with a huge variety of recipes covering everything from light fare to the most rich and decadent food ever created. Her recipe for braised beef spare ribs is certainly one of the outliers on the rich and decadent end of the graph. This dish has it all. Tender meat braised in a rich sauce, oven roasting, swiss chard (if you go whole hog), and smashed potatoes to soak up the pan sauce. Seriously, one of the most excellent meals that I have ever cooked for myself. You'll need:
6 beef short ribs, about 14 to 16 ounces each (ask for 3 bone center-cut) - I used one package of ribs which contained 4 small to medium sized bone in ribs
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon thyme leaves, and 4 whole sprigs thyme
1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
3 dozen small pearl onions
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup diced onion
1/3 cup diced carrot
1/3 cup diced celery
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 cups port - I didn't have any port, I substituted apple cider (the unfiltered kind) to great effect
2 1/2 cups hearty red wine
6 cups beef or veal stock - I didn't have any beef stock either, so I used some home made chicken stock
4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
2 bunches Swiss chard, cleaned, center ribs removed - I used the red stuff (Doc, how's that for aesthetics?)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method:
The day before you'll need to sprinkle the ribs with the thyme and black pepper rubbing the spices into the meat with your hands. Before cooking the ribs you'll want to allow the ribs to come up to room temperature by letting them sit on your counter for 30 or so minutes giver or take. Preheat the oven to 425˚, toss the pearl onions in 2 tbs of olive oil, sprinkle them with salt, pepper, and a tsp of thyme, and spread them out onto a baking sheet. Roast the onions for ~ 15 ish minuets, until tender. Remove the onions and turn the oven down to 325˚.
Sprinkle a healthy amount of salt over the meaty side of the ribs after they've warmed up to room temp. In a dutch oven, or heavy frying pan, heat 3 tbs olive oil over medium high heat. When the oil shimmers and is nearly smoking add the ribs. This is one of the more important steps. Brown the meat on all sides, don't be impatient, and don't crowd the pan with too many ribs. After they're browned transfer the ribs to a plate and let rest. Return the dutch oven to medium heat and add the onion, carrots, celery, bay leaves, and thyme sprigs. Cook the veggies for a few minutes, stirring often, until the onion begins to caramelize. Add the port, wine, and balsamic to the pan and increase the heat to high. Bring the works to a boil stirring and scraping up any browned bits of fond on the bottom of the pan, and reduce the volume of liquid by half. Add the stock and return to a boil. Place the ribs into the dutch oven, they should be nearly completely submerged, bone side up with the parsley sprigs nestled between the ribs. Cover the pot and place in the oven. These should cook for anywhere between 2.5 and 3 hours, mine were done in about 2 1/4 hours, but I left them in the braise a bit longer for good measure. The meat is done when a knife is easily inserted, or when the bone falls out and the meat shreds itself. Let the ribs rest for a few minutes before transferring them to a baking sheet. Increase the oven temp to 400˚, and roast the ribs for 10-15 minutes. You're looking to add a crispy texture to add a dimension to the overall eating experience. I was nervous about braising these all day and then burning the crap out of them at the last minute. They'll look pretty black, but, trust me, there's more than enough fat to self baste these things. Strain the braising liquid, removing the veggies, into a sauce pan, and skim the fat from the juices. You can boil to reduce the sauce, or serve it as is. I chose to reduce the sauce by almost more than half, and still had more than enough for both of our meals plus left overs.
I left the stalks intact on my chard as that's never bothered me before, it's more of a texture preference than anything else. Heat up 3 tbs of olive oil in a pan over medium high heat and stir in the pearl onions. Add half of the chard and stir frequently cooking until the leaves wilt. Add the remaining half with a splash of water, a quarter teaspoon of salt, and a dash of black pepper and cook until the leaves are all wilted and tender.
Plate the ribs on top of the chard and spoon the pan sauce liberally over the whole works. Serve this with some smashed potatoes to soak up the sauce and you won't be disappointed.
Seriously, I loved this dish, and I think it would be a killer way to braise a brisket.
