Why haven't I made these before? It's as easy, if not easier, than making beef stew. Excellent with the spinach gnocchi. I should have taken pictures. Served it to Mom and Dad for an old-fashioned Sunday dinner. Pairs nicely with Jim Beam.
Braised Beef Short Ribs
2 lbs beef short ribs (bone in)
¼ C flour
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 lb cremini mushrooms, cleaned and thickly sliced
¼ C dry red wine
Veal demi-glace, dissolved in ½ cup warm water
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 300. Bring short ribs to room temperature. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour. Brown in olive oil on medium high heat in heavy-bottomed steel roasting pan in batches, about 10 minutes total per batch. Remove to plate. Add onion, carrots and celery and cook a few minutes on medium. Deglaze pan with red wine; scrape browned bits. Add mushrooms and diluted demi-glace and bring to low boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Remove from heat and cover tightly with foil. Roast in 300 oven for 2 ½ to 3 hours. Check once each hour to make sure liquid covers the bottom of the pan. Serve with the pan sauce and veggies, or strain the veggies out of the sauce.
Spinach Gnocchi with Sage Browned Butter
1 lb potatoe gnocchi (the on-the-shelf kind, not the frozen)
1 bag prewashed baby spinach
3 or 4 sage leaves
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 T unsalted butter
Salt and pepper
Fresh grated nutmeg
Grated Parmiagiano Reggianno
Bacon bits
Bring large pot of water to boil for gnocchi. Meanwhile, heat oil and butter in saute pan on medium low heat for about 4 minutes until it just starts to brown. Add salt and pepper. Add sage leaves, letting them crisp. reduce heat to low to medium low.
Boil the gnocchi in salted water for two minutes.
Add the baby spinach to the browned butter and saute. When gnocchi is done, ladle gnocchi into the spinach sage butter mixture with a slotted spoon. It's fine if a little pasta water splashes in. Stir together. Add nutmeg, cheese and bacon bits. Cover and keep warm to serve with the short ribs.
