Short-Ribs, Spaetzel, Brussels Sprouts
For some crazy reason, last night I felt like having a “comfort food dinner”. Maybe it was because I am feeling a little sad about losing my publisher or maybe it was just because I needed to cook something that took time and thought. Whatever the reason, it turned out pretty good, if I must say so myself.
The recipe for the short-ribs was written and I wanted to test it to make sure it was right. (It is.)
Braising Short-Ribs
The spaetzel recipe was one I learned from an Austrian chef I worked with in the early 80’s and was written in the little recipe book I started while working at La Vielle Maison in 1979.
My Book
Spaetzel
The beer braised Brussels sprouts came about because I had a lonesome can of beer from last October sitting in my frig I needed to use and thought it would go well with the sprouts. (It did.)
Beer Braised Brussels Sprouts
Oven Braised Beef Short-Ribs
Ask your butcher for large short ribs. Sometimes the grocery store has a package with 1 or 2 very large short ribs and 2 very small. Consistency in size is important when braising.
Serves 4
4 10 to 12 Ounce, Beef Short-Ribs
2 Tablespoons XVOO
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
Flour For Dredging Short-Ribs
2 Teaspoons Coarse Sea Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
6 Garlic Cloves
1 Medium Spanish or Vidalia Onion
4 Celery Stalks with Leaves
4 Large Carrots
1 Cup Good Red Wine
Zest of One Large Orange
3 Cups Homemade Beef Stock (Page) or Low Sodium Canned Beef Broth
1 Bouquet Garni Consisting of Several Sprigs Each of Fresh Thyme, Fresh
Oregano, Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley, 2 Bay Leaves
Preheat oven to 325° with the rack in the lower third of the oven.
Pat the Short-Ribs dry and season with some of the salt and pepper. Dredge the Short-Ribs in the flour and shake off any excess.
In a large pot, such as a Dutch oven that will hold the Short-Ribs in one layer without crowding, heat the XVOO and butter over medium high heat. When the butter stops foaming add the Short-Ribs and brown on all sides until a golden crust forms, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside.
Meanwhile, in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, add the garlic, onion, celery and carrots and process until the vegetables are finely chopped. Do this using the pulse button. You do not want to puree the vegetables or have a mushy consistency.
After you remove the Short-Ribs from the pan, check your XVOO-butter. If it is too brown and on the verge of burning, discard and add the same amount of XVOO and butter back to the pan. Once the butter stops foaming (that is if you added more XVOO and butter) add the processed vegetables, and the rest of the salt and pepper and sauté, scraping up the bits on the bottom of the pan, about 8 minutes. Add the red wine and the orange zest and reduce by half. Add the Short-Ribs and pour the beef stock over them. Pour enough to just barely cover the Short-Ribs. Add the bouquet garni and bring to a boil.
Cover the pan with a lid and place in oven. Cook for 2½ to 3 hours. The Short-Ribs are done when the meat is fork tender and almost falling off the bone.
Remove the pan from the oven and remove the Short-Ribs from the pan using a large slotted spoon or Chinese skimmer. You don’t want the Short-Ribs to fall apart when removing them. Set aside. Remove the bouquet garni, skim the fat off the top of the sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce until thickened, stirring the whole time, about 3 or 4 minutes.
Serve immediately topped with some of the sauce.
Hints and Tips: Use this same recipe for Osso Bucco using veal shanks and substituting white wine for the red.
Beer Braised Brussels Sprouts
Serves 4
1 Pound Brussels Sprouts, Medium in Size, Core Trimmed and Cut in Half Length-Wise
1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
1 Tablespoon XVOO
12 Ounces Lager Beer
1 Teaspoon Coarse Sea Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
In a sauté pan large enough to hold all of the Brussels sprouts in a single layer heat the butter and oil over medium high heat. When the butter stops foaming add the Brussels sprouts to the pan and sauté tossing around in the butter and XVOO. Add the salt and pepper. Toss to combine. As soon as the sprouts start to take on a little color deglaze the pan with some of the beer and reduce the beer by half tossing the sprouts around. Once reduced add more beer and reduce and toss again. Continue to do this until the sprouts are cooked and all of the beer is used. This should take about 15 minutes for small sprouts and 20 minutes for large. Transfer to a serving dish and serve immediately.
Spaetzel
Serves 4
1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Pinch Freshly Grated Nutmeg
1 Large Egg
½ Cup Whole Milk
3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
¼ Cup Chopped Flat Leaf Parsley
½ Teaspoon Coarse Sea Salt
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
In a medium bowl combine the flour, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper and nutmeg. In a small bowl beat the egg and milk together.
Make a well in the flour and add the egg/milk mixture all at once. Combine well with a wooden spoon and beat until small bubbles begin to form on the surface. Set aside and let rest for 15 minutes.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. To make the Spaetzel place a large holed colander over the water and pour the batter into the colander. Using a rubber spatula push the batter through the holes of the colander. Cook the Spaetzel for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often to keep the Spaetzel from sticking together. Drain and rinse with cold water. (I use a Spaetzel Press; a gift from the Austrian Chef who taught me how to make Spaetzel.)
In a large sauté pan melt the butter over medium high heat. Once the butter stops foaming add the Spaetzel and toss around in the butter. Cook until heated through. Add the parsley, season with salt and pepper and toss to combine.
Serve immediately.
For all of my cold weather friends and family this could be the last of the comfort food recipes for a while since your weather is getting more spring-like: For my friends and family in the South, it’s good once in a while to have a cold weather comfort food dinner before it gets blistering hot.
Enjoy the recipes and if you have any comments, suggestions or ideas, please feel free to contact me on this blog or you can always reach me by email at
camille@camillecooksforyou.com
Ciao For Now!!!!