Braised Short Ribs and Shanks, Yum!

Well it is cold and rainy here, what could be better than a meal of braised beef?  We have some short ribs and some beef shanks in the freezer.  These are some of the last bits of the quarter cow we bought last year, and today seemed like the perfect day to cook them.

I learned this method of braising at Röti, a restaurant that was in the financial district of San Francisco for many years.  I think it was closed and re-branded in 98 or 99. 

Röti was a pretty special place, we had a great team, really good food and wonderful atmosphere.  

Anyway, on to the method:

I haven't ever written down this recipe as it will change depending on the amount of beef that you are braising.  Remember we are looking for the tough meat that is right next tithe bone.  The stuff with a bunch of flavor.

I start out by seasoning the pieces of meat liberally with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. 

Next dredge each piece in flour.  Since my family is gluten-free, I use rice flour, in the past all purpose flour was the choice.  

Once the pieces have been seasoned and dredged, it is time to sear it.

When I first learned how to braise, we used a minimum of oil in this process, at Röti we nearly deep fried it!

We used so much oil I was initially repulsed, but the final product won me over.  I swear by it now.

In a sauté pan with high sides pour in about 1.5"-2" of oil.  Really, I mean it.  I use my EV/canola blend.  Bring it to about 375F or until when you drop in a small pinch of flour it bubbles in the oil.

Place the dredged meat into the oil carefully, remember, there is a ton of oil in the pan and it's hot.  If your not careful you could easily burn yourself.  

Let the meat roll in there until it is really browned like this.

Turn the shanks/short ribs over and repeat as you did on the first side.  When the second side is equally browned, remove them from the oils and set aside while you continue the process with all of your remaining pieces.

Line the bottom of the pan with a yellow onion diced large, a couple carrots and a few cloves of garlic that you have crushed with the side of your knife.

The liquid I use for this preparation I use beef stock and chicken stock in equal proportions.  

Traditionally this recipe uses only beef stock but I use the mixture so that I have a finished product that is not as heavy as the all beef stock version.

Pour in your stock.  I also add some whole black pepper and bay leaves.

Cover the pan tightly with foil and place it in a 300F oven.  The braising process should take about 3-4 hours or until the shanks/short ribs are very tender.

Once you have achieved a tender product, pull the meat from the pan and pour off (or ladle) 2 quarts of the braising liquid into a sauce pan and reduce on medium to high heat.

Return the meat to the pan to hold it and allow it to stay moist while you reduce the braising liquid to make your sauce.

Now that the sauce has been reduced by at least half, place the meat onto a platter (or on individual plates if you are not serving family style) and pour your sauce into a bowl with a small ladle.

It's dinner time!  Yummy stuff and well worth the effort and time.