As summer comes to a close, it's time to start thinking of cooler weather and heartier dishes! Our Short Ribs and Beef Tenderloin with Mushroom is first on our list. Give our recipe a try and be sure to let us know what you think!
Beef short ribs
10 English cut, meaty, bone-in short ribs, rubbed with coarse salt
1 tablespoon coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 sprigs fresh rosemary, broken in half
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 large yellow onions, sliced about
1/2-inch thick
2 cups carrots, chopped into
1/2-inch pieces
2 cups celery, chopped into
1/2-inch pieces
4 bottles of Guinness beer
6 cups beef stock, low sodium
2 cups water
Arrange the short ribs in a loose layer on a tray or non-reactive dish. Sprinkle with course salt and cover loosely with waxed paper or plastic wrap. Refrigerate for one day. Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Pat the ribs dry with a paper towel, do not remove the salt, and sprinkle with pepper. Pour the oil into a 4 to 6 quart heavy braising pot, it should be wide enough to accommodate the short ribs. Place the ribs in the pot in a single layer, do not overcrowd. Sear the ribs on the stove over medium heat, browning until they are chestnut brown in color on all sides, about 4 minutes for each side.
Transfer the sear ed ribs to a separate large roasting pan and place them in one layer. Tuck the rosemary sprigs and bay leaves in between the ribs. Set aside.
Pour off and discard all but about 1 tablespoon of fat from the braising pot you used to sear the ribs.
If there are any charred bits in the pot, wipe them out with a damp paper towel, being careful not to remove the precious caramelized drippings. Return the pot to the stove over medium-high heat, add the onions, carrots, and celery and season with salt and pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring a few times until the vegetables start to brown and soften. Add the beer and bring to a full boil, boil for 2 minutes. Pour in the stock and water, bring it to a boil again and reduce the heat to a simmer for 10 minutes. Pour the liquid mixture over the ribs. If necessary, add a bit more water to make sure that the ribs are fully submerged in liquid.
Cover the roasting pan with the ribs with a sheet of parchment paper, pressing the paper down so that it nearly touches the ribs and hangs over the edges of the pan by about an inch. Cover with foil and place in a 300 degree oven and braise at a gentle simmer. Turn the ribs with tongs, being careful not to tear the meat, every 40 to 45 minutes until fork tender, about 2
1/2 hours. Check after the first 10 minutes to make sure that the liquid isn’t simmering too aggressively. If it is, lower the oven temperature 10 or 15 degrees. When the ribs are done, remove and set aside. Strain the vegetables from the pot and add the liquid back in. Tilt the pot to collect the juices in one end and skim off as much surface fat as you can with a large spoon. If the braising liquid exceeds a 1/2 cup, bring the liquid to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 10 minutes to reduce slightly.
To serve the ribs, brush them with the braising liquid to give the meat a nice color. Serve
on a plate with the Beef Tenderloin and drizzle both with the Mushroom Demi Glaze
Sauce (recipe to follow), top with a Haricot Vert Bundle and serve with Mashed Potatoes
Beef Tenderloin
1 whole Beef tenderloin
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Clean and trim any fat from the beef tenderloin. Cut the tenderloin in half lengthwise to create two longs strips. Tie each strip of tenderloin together with a string to hold its shape and brush it with olive oil. Sear the tenderloin on a hot pan or griddle for approximately 3 minutes on each side until browned. Place the tenderloins in a roasting pan and roast in a 375 degree oven until the internal temperature of the beef reaches 120 degrees, approximately 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven, cut the string off and let it rest for about 5 minutes.
To serve, slice into medallions and lay 2 to 3 medallions on each plate.
Mushroon Demi Glaze Sauce
Makes 1 quart
1 tablespoon butter
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 medium shallot, minced
1/2 cup brandy
3 cups chicken broth
3 cups beef broth
3 bay leaves
1/2 bunch parsley stems
1/2 small bunch fresh thyme
3 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 cup dried porcini mushrooms (boil in some water to rehydrate)
1/2 cup veal glace de viande (available in specialty stores)
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup soft butter
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, then add carrot, onion, celery and shallot and cook until tender and light brown, about 10 minutes. Add the brandy and reduce the sauce by half. If the flame catches to the brandy, you can wait while it burns
out and then continue reducing.
Add the chicken broth, beef broth, herbs, garlic and porcini mushrooms. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 to 2 hours over low heat. Strain the sauce, discarding vegetables, and put it back in the saucepan. Bring back to a boil, turn down to a simmer and add the glace de viande.
While this is simmering, mix together the butter and flour to create a roux and then whisk the roux into the sauce to thicken it. Cook over low heat for a couple minutes longer to eliminate the raw flour taste. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed. You can serve the sauce right away or cool it to serve later.
