For me, shopping isn't fun if I don't get a bargain. My grandmother
taught me well, "Never pay retail. If you want to be a good shopper,
you have to pay less than other people and still get as good." In our
neighborhood, Gelson's is the quality supermarket, carrying a full line of antibiotic-free, naturally raised meats. Which is great, except that they're pricey. The trick is
to buy the meat when its been reduced, when a rib steak that was
originally priced at $18.99/lb, is discounted to $7.99/lb. Any meat
that's been reduced is still fresh, but it needs to be cooked that day
or frozen.
Yesterday I stopped by and it was like my birthday.
There must have been a dozen packages of prime cuts of meat, all
reduced. I couldn't possibly eat all that meat in one day. But no way
was I going to walk away from those bargains.
I bought half a
dozen packages and prepped them for freezing. Years ago, after much experimentation, I learned a cool trick: if meat is marinated in olive
oil seasoned with sea salt and
freshly ground black pepper, wrapped in plastic wrap, and sealed in a
Ziploc freezer bag, it will stay fresh for months without any loss of
flavor. The olive oil appears to protect the meat from dehydration. The
plastic wrap and Ziploc bag protects against freezer burn. Our older
son, Frank, likes this system alot, since this way I can load up his
freezer with plenty of steaks.
I wasn't going to freeze all the
meat. I held back two packages of the beef rib bones. A simple braised
dish, this is 1-pot cooking at its best. All you'll need is a covered
Dutch oven or high-sided
frying pan to make an entire meal, complete with meat and a variety of
farm-fresh vegetables. The only special instruction is that it's a
2-day process. To get rid of the fat, the ribs have to be cooked one
day and eaten on another day. By cooking the ribs ahead, this is a
serve-anytime meal. Adding the vegetables at the very end, gives the
dish a delicious, just-cooked presentation.
Braised Beef Ribs with Vegetables
4 lbs. beef rib bones or short ribs, washed
5 cloves garlic, peeled, roughly chopped
2 medium onions, peeled, roughly chopped
3 medium Yukon potatoes, peeled, roughly chopped
3 broccoli crowns, washed, the florets cut apart
3 large carrots, peeled, cut into thick rounds
10 Brussels sprouts, trimmed, quartered
1 cup Italian parsley, roughly chopped
2 celery stalks, cut into 1" lengths
6 brown mushrooms, washed, sliced
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
4 cups water
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sweet butter
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
In
a Dutch oven or high-sided frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive
oil and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Brown the
ribs on all sides, then remove, and discard the fat. Put 1 tablespoon
of olive oil in the pan and brown 1 onion and 2 garlic cloves. Deglaze
the pan with the water, add back the ribs, cover, and put into a 400
degree oven for 1 hour. Remove the pan, turn over the ribs, and bake
for another hour. Check the ribs. The meat should be tender and almost
falling off the bone. If you're using short ribs, you may need to
increase the cooking time another hour and you may have to add another
cup of liquid.
Put the ribs into one container. Strain out the
onions and garlic and discard. Put the braising liquid into a second
container and refrigerate.
The next day, peel the thick layer of
fat off the braising liquid and discard. In the same pan you used the
day before, heat the olive oil and butter. Brown the potatoes,
mushrooms, and onions, then add the ribs and the braising liquid. Cover
and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, broccoli, parsley,
garlic, and Brussels sprouts. Cover and simmer another 15 minutes.
Serve the ribs in bowls with plenty of vegetables, the braising liquid, and a nice piece of baguette.
David Latt is an Emmy-award winning television producer who turns to cooking to alleviate stress. He shares his experiences with food and his favorite recipes on his blog Men Who Like To Cook.