Day 2 of my vacation was also good. I really wouldn’t have thought that yesterday’s dinner could top the one before it, but it did, or at least it was certainly a close call. Yesterday was raining, not just raining, but pouring almost all day long. So it was time for winter comfort food and a fire, and yes I realize it is August. It was a lazy day all around complete with book reading and a Gossip Girl marathon so this cooking was almost all the exercise I got. Actually I guess I did make it outside for a quick 20 minutes jog\walk around my favorite loop during our brief interlude from rain. I downloaded a little app for my phone and it distance-clocked the run for me. It was over 3K so yeay me.
I had made short ribs once before which were good but not fabulous. They are a beautiful piece of stewing meat so I decided to treat it just like I would a lamb shank. Brown it, sweat some mirepoix, reduce some wine and braise for hours. Rather then eat the ribs right off the bone I removed the bones myself and shredded the meat with a fork to transform it into a luscious pasta sauce. The results were a huge success, and the leftovers for lunch today were even better. If I had of had time I would have done the ribs the day before so I could fully skim the fat off.
Our household is currently in love with beets and I have been trying to prepare them in all sorts of different ways. One thing I hadn’t done yet was really do much with the beet greens. I consulted Marcella and followed her method of cooking them and dressing them simply and they were lovely. Also nice were the beets themselves baked with garlic, balsamic and marjoram which was inspired from a Jamie Oliver recipe. My marjoram plant is out of control so any excuse to use it really.
Because of my use of the whole damn beet I am entering this post into this week’s Weekend Herb Blogging from Kalyn’s Kitchen. This week’s host is Katie from Thyme for Cooking. I know there are a lot of beet haters out there but really you are missing out. If you are unsure try the Roesti that is nice and entry level. Then try these beautiful baked ones. The greens are very much like kale or spinach, you could probably not even tell people they were beet greens if you had to.
2.5 lbs short ribs, washed and patted dry
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ onion, diced small (about 1/2C)
1 stalk celery, diced small (about 1/2C)
1 handful carrots, diced small (about 1/2C)
½ leek, diced small (about 1/2C)
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup red wine, (used a malbec)
1 small can crushed tomatoes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 sprigs rosemary
5 sprigs thyme
Heat your oven to 400F. Toss the ribs in a baking pan with salt, pepper and the vegetable oil. Bake for an hour or until browned – turn halfway through.
Heat a large dutch oven to medium and add the olive oil, carrots, onion, leek, and celery. Add a healthy dose of salt and pepper. Sweat the vegetables for 5-8 minutes or until translucent. Meanwhile remove the short ribs from the pan and set aside, remove the fat from the pan and put over a burner on medium-high. Add wine and reduce, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon to dislodge all the yummy brown bits. Stir in crushed tomatoes and herbs. Add the liquid to the rest of the vegetables and stir. Add the beef into the dutch oven bring to a simmer and put in a 350F oven for 2 hours.
Remove the bones from the ribs and the rosemary and thyme sprigs and discard. Skim fat from the sauce (ideally refrigerate first to allow to congeal). With two forks shred the meat into bite sized pieces. Taste and correct for seasoning. Serve over pasta, garnished with rosemary.
Baked Beets with Garlic and Marjoram
(serves 4)
1 lb beets, washed, trimmed and peeled
10 cloves garlic, unpeeled
fresh marjoram or oregano leaves, a few sprigs worth
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 400F. Take two 3-foot long pieces of aluminum foil and lay them on your counter to form a cross. Place the beets, marjoram, salt, pepper, and garlic in the center. Fold it up without sealing it and add the balsamic and olive oil. Seal and place on a baking sheet. Bake for an hour. Open and serve at the table.
Aren’t they just the most beautiful things? We had a mixture of red and yellow. This is what the looked like before they went into the oven.
Also check out my recipes for Beet and Potato Roesti and Beet, Walnut, and Goat Cheese Salad.
Beet Greens with Lemon and Olive Oil
(serves 2)
Beet greens, from a lb of beets
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 half lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Break the stem away from the leaves. Wash really thoroughly. Break all the stems into thirds (or about 2 inches each)
. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add a teaspoon of salt and when it returns to a boil add the stems. Boil for 8 minutes then add the leaves for another 5. Drain and cool until it is just barely warm. Toss with lemon juice, salt, pepper, and olive oil.
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
It all looks gorgeous!
I’ll come and spend a rainy day with you anytime!
If I ever find raw beets I’m trying both of these!
love, love, love beets!
In salads, soups, pastas (like your idea of goat cheese!), and even mashed with potatoes.
must be my Russian upbringing
Katiez – Thanks, maybe we can even hang out on a sunny day
Olga – Mashed with potatoes? That is BRILLIANT!
Oh wow, that looks absolutely delicious! That would make a great rainy day dinner. Oh heck, why wait?
I really like the sound of using braised short ribs to make a pasta sauce.
The beets are beautiful. I love it that you used marjoram. I hardly ever see recipes using it.
Beets are great no matter what anyone says about it. I just try to avoid staining things with it.
Bridgett – I am all for that too, when you need comfort food who cares what the weather is like?
Kevin – There is a restaurant near me in Vancouver that does it which was my inspiration.
Kalyn – It is hard to find recipes using it, and my plant is so prolific.
Jude – Avoiding staining can sometimes be challenging.
Makes me wish for a rainy day! Thanks for sharing.
It is a rainy day, And I’m very happy I found this recipe.
Thank You
Mary – There is nothing better than a big bowl of braised meat on a rainy day!