Recipe ReRun: Beer Braised Short Ribs

Recipe ReRun: Beer Braised Short Ribs

I haven't done a ReRun recipe in a while and since I JUST purchased some nice Beef Short Ribs the other day, I figured I'd share this recipe for Beer Braised Short Ribs with all of you today. 

This recipe was first created a year ago, back in October 2012. It was a big hit then and it's no wonder; these ribs were FANTASTIC...FALL OFF THE BONE....TENDER...FANTASTIC! They do take quite a while to prepare, so this would make a perfect meal to cook over the weekend. Good things come to those who wait! 

I also wanted to let you know about a book signing I'm doing over the weekend. If you live in the northern NJ area and are looking to take the family out for a day of fun, stop by the Autumn Lights Festival on Saturday, October 12, 2013 in West Milford, NJ for their annual street fair. Music, entertainment and vendors galore...including yours truly. Stop by Section B-19 Booth B to say hello if you're in the area and have a wonderful weekend everyone. 

Beer Braised Short Ribs

I had run into the grocery store last week with a list of about 10 items and came out with a full basket spending close to $200. Has that ever happened to you? It does to me ALL OF THE TIME! I can't help myself. The grocery store to me is a world full of creativity, relaxation and imagination (no, I'm not crazy!). Every corner I turn I see something that is either on sale that I can't pass up or something new that I just have to experiment with. It doesn't matter how many items are on my list, nine times out of ten I will walk through the entire store, aisle by aisle, looking for that next ingredient that I can't live without. 

And this isn't something that just started with this blog. Oh no. Ask my husband. During my second pregnancy, I had complications which forced me to be bedridden at 14 weeks so he had to do the shopping. After going to the first aisle he realized that my list was in the order of the store...exactly. Row by row. (That's normal right?!). He will STILL tell this story every chance he gets because he thought it was so funny (i.e. ridiculous, insane, quirky...you get the picture!). 

My, my, my I went off on a tangent there! In any event, short ribs were on sale this particular time when I least expected them to be and of course, though I LOVE the two recipes I came up with so far for them, I just HAD to experiment with something new...hence using beer. These ribs tasted like "stew on the bone" as my oldest daughter so eloquently coined them. They were perfectly tender and melted in your mouth. I love braising for exactly this reason, which is searing your food at a high temperature, then finishing it off in a liquid. Perfect every time! 

Beer Braised Short Ribs
3 lbs. Beef Short Ribs
1 Bottle Beer (I used Sam Adams Winter Lager)
1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Garlic Cloves, chopped
1/2 c. Onions, chopped
1/2 c. Carrots, thinly sliced
2 Stalks Celery, thinly sliced
1 tbsp. Lemon Thyme, removed from stem
2 tbsp. Spicy Mustard (I used Kosciusko)
3 c. Low Sodium Beef Broth
Kosher Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Directions:
1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large pot, season ribs with salt and pepper; then add to the pot. 
2. Sear meat on all sides until browned; approximately 10 minutes. 
3. Remove the ribs, place on a dish and cover with foil; set aside. 
4. Add the garlic, onions, carrots, celery, lemon thyme, and mustard to the pot; then saute for about 2-3 minutes. Add in the beer, scraping the bottom of the pan to release the bits; then add in the beef broth. 
5. Bring mixture to a boil then remove from heat and add back in the ribs, making sure you submerge them in the liquid as much as possible. 
6. Cover the Dutch oven with the lid then place the entire pot into a 350 degree oven for 3 hours; stirring once every hour. 
7. Remove the pot from the oven and place on your burner; then remove the ribs to a serving platter and cover with foil to keep warm. 
8. Bring the liquid up to a boil and cook for approximately 15 minutes until the liquid has thickened. Pour over the ribs. Serves 4. 

Enjoy!

Mexican Beer Cheese Soup

I had seen a recipe in passing for Beer Cheese Soup and thought it sounded interesting, but I'm not a huge beer drinker/fan so I chalked it up to "if the need presents itself" category and locked it away in the depths of my brain. That is, until this past weekend, when we had an entire package of shredded Mexican cheese left over from a function at school and I was told to take it home. I figured, why not, I'll find something to make with it. So before it went bad, I decided that I'd make Beer Cheese Soup with it. The original recipes I found were fairly simple and called for beer, broth, cheese and heavy cream. Since I had this Mexican blend shredded cheese, I wanted to give it a little twist and what goes better with Mexican food than a nice cold Corona with lime (so says the hubby). And you can't have lime without cilantro, right? (Well, at least I think it goes perfect together!). I even lightened it up by using 2% milk instead of heavy cream since I'm trying to shed that extra holiday weight gain and it was so flavorful, I don't think you'd even miss the cream!

Mexican Beer Cheese Soup
1/4 c. Spanish Onion, chopped
1 Stalk Celery, chopped
1 tbsp. Butter
2 tbsp. All-Purpose Flour
1-12oz. Bottle Corona Extra Beer
2 c. 2% Milk
1 Lime, zest and juice
10oz. Shredded Mexican Cheese Blend (Mild Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Queso Quesadilla & Asadero Cheeses)
2 c.  Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
1 tbsp. Fresh Cilantro, chopped + some for garnish
2 tbsp. Cold Water
2 tbsp. Cornstarch

In a saucepan, melt butter and add onion and celery. Saute for approximately 5 minutes, then add flour to form a roux. Gradually add the bottle of beer and mix well. Add the chicken broth and cilantro and bring to a boil. While this is cooking, heat the milk, lime zest and juice and cheese together over low heat until the cheese has melted. Once melted, add to the soup mixture and reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Use your immersion blender* to blend all of the ingredients together. If it looks too "loose" and not creamy enough, simply mix together cornstarch & cold water to help thicken it to your liking. Garnish with fresh cilantro. Makes 8 cups.

*If you do not have an immersion blender, simply pour the mixture into a regular blender and puree until smooth. Just be very careful not to fill it too much to the top as it will be extremely hot and you don't want to pop the lid off of your blender!

Enjoy!