This recipe for Pale Ale Braised Short Ribs is one that I shared with a magazine I wrote for a while ago, but it happens to be my husband’s favorite dish, and is just the perfect Valentine’s Day dinner so I wanted to make sure all of you lovely readers had the recipe at your fingertips.
This dish came from a cookbook called Fresh & Honest, and its author Peter Davis is one of chefs that converted me to eating seasonally, locally, and to know your farmer. He is based in Cambridge, MA, so his knowledge of local food was very close to us here in Portsmouth, NH. His recipes and all show how to make great food from simple ingredients. Seriously, this dish is a few veggies, a good cut of meat, some beer and some flavorful broth. And the end result is a stick to your ribs flavor bomb.
When I got his cookbook (signed by him at his restaurant!) we had just gotten our first half cow from our friendly Vermont Farmer and I was looking for a way to use the short ribs. Thus began my love affair with short ribs. They are actually pretty easy to cook once you get the basic formula down, and don’t have that many ingredients. Brown them on all sides, create a flavor base in the drippings with aromatics and herbs, and add some flavorful liquids. Then cook them low and slow.
I have made short ribs many ways, with red wine, with stout, but the Pale Ale is my favorite – it gives it such depth of flavor. We used to make this with Sierra Nevada until the Tributary Brewing Company Pale Ale stole our hearts but any high quality beer will do, there are so many in New England right now!
Honestly the only thing I have eaten that outshines these are the braised lamb shanks in Paris in our magical night out there (they’re at the very end of the post).
I hope you find yourself a window this weekend to make these! It will be the best smelling 2-3 hours of your life, and the results will reward you greatly.
Happy Valentines Day!
xoxo Katie
Pale Ale Braised Short Ribs
Ingredients:
4 Tablespoons canola oil
4 short ribs
salt and pepper to taste
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 medium sized onions, chopped
1 cup of Pale Ale beer
2 bay leaves
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup of veal or beef stock
Directions:
Place the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Season the ribs with salt and pepper and place in the oil, browning on all sides. Remove the ribs from the pan and add the chopped vegetables, lightly browning. Pour the beer over the vegetables and reduce by two-thirds. Add the bay leaves, Chicken stock, and veal/beef stock and place the ribs back in the pan.
Cover the pan and cook lightly, simmering until the ribs are tender, about 2 to 3 hours.
Remove the ribs from the liquid, pour out the excess grease, and reduce the liquid until it coats the back of a spoon. Strain the sauce. When ready to serve, heat the short ribs in the sauce and transfer to a plate.
Recipe from Fresh & Honest
No Comments