Thursday, September 27, 2007 4:18 PM
Cooking With Brewsky
Maybe it’s because I have Top Chef on the brain from last night (I’ll miss you and your cool hats, Malarkey), but I’m thinking about braising something for a dinner for 5 that I’m hosting this weekend. Not as ambitious or gamey as elk on an Aspen ranch, but something in the beef family. Like short ribs in the Le Creuset dutch oven that has been sitting empty on my stove for months. It will be my way of saying to friends at the table: “Let’s ring in fall…and get a little fatter for sweater weather.”
Here are a few tricks I’ve learned about braising:
*The longer you braise, the more tender your meat will taste. Most recipes call for overnight, but 3-5 hours works in a pinch.
*Braise short ribs in beer. My friend Bill showed me how on a whim with a bottle of beer from the fridge and a generous dose of honey. I’m going to use a recipe from Tom Valenti’s fabulous cookbook Tom Valenti’s Soups, Stews, and One-Pot Meals. Tom’s advice is to go with a dark or honey brown-colored brew, with a sweet flavor and zero bitterness. I’m going to try Sam Adams Winter Lager.
*Don’t throw out your drippings and mirepoix (that’s fancy for equal parts of diced carrots, onions, and celery) at the bottom of the pan. Let them reduce into a rich sauce that you can put in a small dish on the table.
For the full recipe, check out Bill’s food blog on fcamore.blogspot.com
Have you ever cooked with beer?
Posted by
Nest Riann
Filed under: Dinner