One of the most memorable scenes from Nora Ephron's hit foodie movie for Columbia, Julie and Julia, was Julie trying to perfect Julia Child's boeuf bourguignon. That dish being such a challenge, here's lauded LA Chef Suzanne Goin on how to cook braised beef shortribs, a similar slow-cooked beef recipe that's a little bit easier. Here's the video featuring Suzanne Goin, and of course, Meryl Streep and Amy Adams:
Inspired by Julie & Julia (http://julieandjulia.com)
Braised Beef short ribs with mashed potato, swiss chard, garlic cream
Season the short ribs with 1 TB thyme and black pepper. Rub meat well. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.Remove from refrigerator an hour before cooking, to come to room temperature. After 30 minutes, season generously on all sides with salt.
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Heat a large sauté pan and pour in 3 tablespoons olive oil, and when the pan is very hot sear the short ribs in the pan until nicely browned.
Transfer them to a braising pan (or deep pan/dutch oven). They should lie flat, bones standing up, in one layer.
Turn the heat down to medium, and add the onion, carrot, celery, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves to the saute pan. Stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up all the crusty bits in the pan and cook 6 to 8 minutes, until the vegetables just begin to caramelize. Add the balsamic vinegar, port, and red wine. Turn the heat up to high, and reduce the liquid by half. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Pour the liquid over the short ribs. Tuck the parsley sprigs in and around the meat. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and a tight-fitting lid if you have one. Braise in the oven for about 3 hours.
When the meat is done, it will yield easily to a knife. Let the ribs rest 10 minutes in their juices, and then put aside. Strain the broth into a saucepan, pressing down on the vegetables with a ladle to extract all the juices. Skim the fat from the sauce and, if the broth seems thin, reduce it over medium-high heat to thicken slightly. Taste for seasoning.
Heat a large sauté pan over high heat for 2 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil to the pan and the mushrooms. Saute until lightly browned and add the Swiss chard, stirring the greens in the oil to help them wilt. Add a splash of water if the greens stick to the pan. Season with salt ground black pepper. Cook for a few more minutes, stirring frequently, until the greens are tender. Place the Swiss chard and mushrooms on a large warm platter, and arrange the short ribs on top. Spoon lots of braising juices over the ribs.
Serve with mashed potatoes and garlic cream on the side .
