From the Kitchens at Houmas House
Braised Beef Short-Ribs
SERVES: 8
"For me, there is something comforting about slow braised cuts of meat. This is the perfect cold weather dish. I like to serve these rich, fork tender, short ribs over creamy grits or mashed potatoes."
Chef Jeremy Langlois
INGREDIENTS:
6 pounds boneless beef short-ribs
8 slices bacon, chopped
2 large onions, quartered
3 stalks celery, quartered
3 carrots, sliced
8 cloves garlic, smashed
6 cups beef stock, bouillon or water
1 cup red wine
3 sprigs fresh thyme
6 leaves fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F. Season short-ribs well using salt and pepper. In a 10-quart Dutch oven, brown bacon to render fat over medium-high heat. Do not burn. Remove crisp bacon and set aside. In the bacon fat brown short-ribs, taking care not to burn bacon fat. Once all the ribs are brown add onions, celery, carrots and garlic. Sauté 2-3 minutes to tenderize vegetables. Add beef stock and red wine. Bring to a rolling boil and reduce to simmer. Add cooked bacon, browned short-ribs, thyme and basil. Season stock with additional salt and pepper if necessary. Return the mixture to a rolling boil, cover and place in pre-heated oven. Cook 3 hours, checking for tenderness. When ribs are fork-tender, remove from stock and set aside. Reduce stock by half. When ready to serve, strain stock, return ribs to the pot along with the sauce and re-heat in pre-heated oven. Ribs may be prepared up to 3 days in advance and remain in the stock until ready to serve.
