Mimi’s Beef Gulyas “Vienna Style”
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
6oz wide egg noodles
4 oz cottage cheese
2 T Olive Oil
1 ½ lbs. onions, sliced
4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 lbs beef stew meat (I used a 3 1/2 lb chuck roast, trimmed and cubed)
Lemon peel, blanched and thinly sliced
1 ½ T paprika (I used 1T sweet and 1/2 T half-sweet, but feel free to play around here)
1 T parsley, chopped
1 ½ T tomato paste
1 t vinegar (I used sherry vinegar, but regular white would work as well)
Pinch marjoram
1 t salt
6 t water or beef stock
1/2 lemon, juiced

Directions:
In a lidded 4-6 quart saucepan saute onions in olive oil over medium heat until golden, add paprika and stir well. Add cubed meat. Cover and allow to simmer 5 minutes. Add water, tomato paste, salt, vinegar and marjoram. Cover pan with a lid and simmer over low heat 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Stir occasionally, and add water if needed.

Just before serving, cook egg noodles according to package instructions. Drain. Add lemon juice into meat mixture and stir. Add hot noodles into the pan and stir to combine. At the last minute, fold in the cottage cheese. Distribute mixture among serving plates and garnish with chopped parsley, blanched lemon peel and bacon.

Mimi’s Beef Gulyas “Vienna Style”
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
6oz wide egg noodles
4 oz cottage cheese
2 T Olive Oil
1 ½ lbs. onions, sliced
4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 lbs beef stew meat (I used a 3 1/2 lb chuck roast, trimmed and cubed)
Lemon peel, blanched and thinly sliced
1 ½ T paprika (I used 1T sweet and 1/2 T half-sweet, but feel free to play around here)
1 T parsley, chopped
1 ½ T tomato paste
1 t vinegar (I used sherry vinegar, but regular white would work as well)
Pinch marjoram
1 t salt
6 t water or beef stock
1/2 lemon, juiced

Directions:
In a lidded 4-6 quart saucepan saute onions in olive oil over medium heat until golden, add paprika and stir well. Add cubed meat. Cover and allow to simmer 5 minutes. Add water, tomato paste, salt, vinegar and marjoram. Cover pan with a lid and simmer over low heat 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Stir occasionally, and add water if needed.

Just before serving, cook egg noodles according to package instructions. Drain. Add lemon juice into meat mixture and stir. Add hot noodles into the pan and stir to combine. At the last minute, fold in the cottage cheese. Distribute mixture among serving plates and garnish with chopped parsley, blanched lemon peel and bacon.

The prospect of Phoo-D’s short ribs braised in porter ale with a maple rosemary glaze meant I needed to pull out a special wine to bounce off the epic flavors. I briefly considered our options and then settled upon this fine Cocodrilo Cabernet Sauvignon. We had our first bottle of this wine last summer with a dry aged ribeye and chimichuri sauce and were blown away by the quality and depth of the wine. I remembered the long flavor with hints of chocolate and tobacco and this seemed like a perfect short rib partner! Cocodrilo is part of the Nativo family of wines from Vina Cobos- Paul Hobbs’ venture in Argentina. From this reasonably priced group, we have also enjoyed the El Felino Malbec. Both wines transcend their price point drinking like a $50+ wine.

Tasting Notes:
In the glass it has a deep color of almost black purple. The nose is huge and pleasing with a hint of blackberry. Some alcohol is apparent. A burst of fruit at the start is followed by a round and concentrated berry flavor through the midpalate. This wine is ripe (but not over-ripe) with a finish just dry enough to keep the fruit in check. The wine is soft enough that it does not overpower the short ribs and the fat in the dish enhances the wine’s supple quality. A fine acidic flourish acts in lieu of dryness to cut the fattiness of the dish.

Typically Cabernet Sauvignon would not be my first choice to serve with short ribs but this wine does not seem typical. I have had other Argentine Cabernets and they seem to drink differently than their North American counterparts: dark, earthy, and slightly smoky. Is this the terroir? The cabs we are accustomed to from California seem to possess more red fruit and therefore don’t seem to go as well with barbecue or the sweetness of short ribs. You should seek out this wine to explore Argentinian Cabernet and all that it can offer for under $20.
Cheers!
Mr. B
P.S. This is one of my favorite wine label designs.

Over the past few weeks I’ve felt illogically optimistic that we will have an early spring. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I can finally see dead grass instead of snow, or maybe because migrating birds have started to re-appear in the skies. Either way it has left me feeling like I had better cook all the dead-of-winter meals I’ve had in mind before morels and garlic scapes start to appear.

Thus a good excuse to pull short ribs out of our freezer over the past weekend and feast away while bathing suit season is still a distant possibility. When I turned to one of my favorite cookbooks, All About Braising: The Art of Uncomplicated Cooking, for inspiration a recipe for Short Ribs Braised in Porter Ale with a Maple-Rosemary Glaze jumped out. This cookbook has never failed me and it delivered a superb meal yet again. The maple-rosemary flavors are bright and lively, enhancing the natural sweetness of the short ribs. We partially prepared the dish a day ahead of time, and then finished it on the second day by glazing the ribs and giving them a very short turn under the broiler. Served over creamy polenta along with a simple tomato salad, these were restaurant quality short ribs. Mr. B paired the dinner with Cocodrilo, another delicious Paul Hobbs wine. This was an incredible meal which can be made at home for so much less than you would pay in a restaurant-if you can find someone to help with the dishes there really is no need to go out!

Short Ribs Braised in Porter Ale with Maple-Rosemary Glaze
Adapted from All About Braising: The Art of Uncomplicated Cooking
Serves 4

Ingredients:
The Braise
4 lbs meaty bone-in short ribs (Flanken or English style)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 large yellow onions, sliced in 1/2″ thick rings
1 carrot, chopped into 1/2″ pieces
2 cups porter ale, or more if needed
3/4 cup beef, chicken, or veal stock
1 rosemary sprig (3-4″ long)
1 large bay leaf (or 2 small)

The Glaze
3 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 rosemary sprigs (3-4″)
1 Tablespoon prepared horseradish

Directions:
Sparingly trim any excess fat from ribs, but be careful not to take off any bits of fat that hold the ribs together, and maintain a thick fat cap along one side of the ribs.

You can optionally salt the ribs one or two days before braising – just sprinkle 1-2 teaspoons of salt onto the meat, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge. This will promote browning of the meat but is not a critical step.

The day you are making the ribs, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Pat ribs dry, being careful to not remove the salt if they were previously salted. Season ribs with pepper (and salt if not previously salted).

Pour the olive oil into a shallow dutch oven or wide oven-proof skillet with lid (4-6 quart capacity). Heat over medium heat. Brown short ribs in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the meat. Cook for 4-5 minutes per side until nicely browned. Transfer seared ribs to a platter and keep aside until all ribs are browned.

Pour off and discard all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan. Return the pan to medium heat and add in onions and carrots. Season with salt and pepper and cook until just softened and beginning to caramelize – approximately 5 minutes.

Add the ale into the pot and bring to a full boil. Cook for two minutes. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pot to dislodge any remaining fond. Pour in the stock and bring liquid to a boil again. Reduce heat to a simmer and place ribs in the pot in a single layer. Pour any juices released from the ribs into the pot as well. Tuck the rosemary sprig and bay leaves in between the ribs. Check the liquid level of the pot to make sure the ribs are all partially submerged in the liquid. If necessary add more ale.

Cover pan with a piece of parchment paper which extends past the sides and tightly fit lid in place. Place pot in the oven and cook maintaining a gentle simmer for about 2 1/2 hours (until ribs are fork tender). While braising, gently turn the ribs with tongs, as not to tear up the meat, every 45 minutes until done. Check after the first 10 minutes to make sure the liquid is not simmering to strongly, if necessary turn down the oven by 10-15 degrees to maintain a gentle simmer.

While the ribs are braising, make the glaze. Combine maple syrup and the rosemary sprigs in a small saucepan. Bring mixture to a gentle boil, turn off heat, cover with a lid, and set aside for an hour to infuse the flavors. (You can do this a few days ahead of time and store glaze in the fridge.)

When the ribs have finished braising, carefully transfer the meat using tongs and a slotted spoon to a flameproof shallow baking dish big enough to fit the ribs in a single layer. Do your best to keep the bones and ribs intact, but if a few slip out don’t worry – just discard them. Scoop out the vegetables with the slotted spoon and place around the ribs. Cover the dish with foil and keep warm.

Tilt braising pot to gather juices in one end and skim off as much surface fat as possible with a big spoon. If you have a gravy separator, it would work well here. Pour the remaining liquid into a medium saucepan and reduce (if necessary) to 1/2 cup of liquid by simmering strongly for 10-15 minutes. Reduced sauce should be syrupy. Taste sauce and season with salt and pepper if necessary.

If you are preparing the ribs a day ahead of time, pour reduced sauce over the ribs. If you are not preparing the dish ahead of time, proceed to the next paragraph. Allow the dish to cool, cover tightly with foil, and place in fridge. The next day place covered ribs in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes until warmed through. Then proceed with glaze.

Heat the broiler on high. If glaze is coming out of the fridge, warm it slightly so it is pourable. Remove rosemary sprigs from glaze, squeezing them with your fingers to save as much glaze as possible. Pour reduced sauce around ribs (if making the same day). Then brush the glaze on top of the short ribs. Place the dish under the broiler and watch closely. The glaze will turn the surface of the ribs shiny and you will hear them sizzle. Remove after about 4 minutes once the ribs start to sizzle – this is a step to be watched closely or you risk burning the ribs.

Transfer the ribs to serving plates and spoon the liquid around the ribs (not on top or you’ll wash off the glaze!). Serve immediately.

I find lamb shanks exciting. Perfectly portioned for individual plates, characterized by a melt-in-your-mouth tenderness and deep flavor, they are right up there with short-ribs as one of my all time favorite braised meats. Both short-ribs and lamb shanks are hard to come by in our town. Typically, I buy them when I travel a few hours away to civilization and then hoard them in the freezer for a special occasion.

Celebrating Valentine’s Day seemed like enough of an event to break out lamb shanks, plus I was itching to use my red tagine again. Mr. B requested a savory preparation to complement the Gigondas he picked up recently so I browsed around to see what I could find. This recipe for braised lamb shanks with coriander, fennel, and star anise came up on Epicurious and surprisingly had over 30 five star reviews. (Usually there are at least one or two embarassingly bad reviews which say, “I made this recipe and it was only okay because I don’t really like lamb” or “I used chicken thighs and thought the flavors were terrible”.) I took the high rating as a good sign- and boy was it ever!

The ingredient line up

Preparing the Braise

If you want a “lollypop” appearance with the meat bunched up at one end and a nice bone showing, you will need to cut down to the bone in a circle all the way around the narrow end of the lamb shank. This will cut through the connective sinew that holds the meat in place, and let it ball up during the braise. Usually I do this when the meat is raw, but I forgot so I made the cut just after browning the meat instead.

Braised Lamb Shanks with Corriander, Fennel, and Star Anise
Bon Appétit, March 2006
Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons fennel seeds
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
4 large lamb shanks (about 5 pounds)

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large white onion, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
10 garlic cloves, peeled
3 celery stalks, cut crosswise into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 carrots, peeled, cut crosswise into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 small leek
3 cups ruby Port
4 cups low-salt chicken broth
4 cups beef broth

6 whole cloves
2 whole star anise*
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

Directions:
Mix coriander, fennel, and peppercorns in heavy small skillet. Toast on medium-high heat until aromatic and slightly darker, about 2 minutes. Transfer to spice grinder; process until finely ground. Rub each shank with 1 rounded teaspoon spice blend. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large wide pot over medium-high heat (I used a tagine, but any large dutch oven would work). Add shanks to pot. Cook until brown on all sides, about 20 minutes. Transfer to large bowl. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to same pot. Add onion and next 4 ingredients; sauté over medium heat until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add remaining spice blend and stir 1 minute. Add Port and simmer until liquid is reduced to 2/3 cup, about 15 minutes. Add both broths; boil until liquid is reduced to 3 1/2 cups, about 30 minutes. (This took forever, and I didn’t have enough space in the tagine so I reduced the liquids separately in pots and then added them in. Next time I will reduce the liquids while I am browning the shanks to save time.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Return shanks to pot. Add cloves, star anise, bay leaves, and crushed red pepper. Cover pot with foil, then lid. Place pot in oven and braise lamb until tender, about 2 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Uncover and cool slightly. Place in refrigerator until cool, then cover and keep refrigerated. Rewarm in 350°F oven for 20 minutes before serving.)

Place 1 lamb shank on each of 4 plates. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce and vegetables over lamb and serve.

*Brown, star-shaped seed pods; available in the spice section of some supermarkets, at Asian markets, and at specialty foods stores.

Deb over at Smitten Kitchen is constantly making beautiful, mouth-watering recipes. I don’t have a big sweet tooth and given the choice I would rather cook lasagna than a chocolate torte. However, when I saw Deb’s recipe for Chocolate Whiskey and Beer Cupcakes filled with a dark chocolate ganache center and dotted by Bailey’s frosting I was a goner. Mr. B took one look at the photos and was equally hooked. We tried resisting for a few weeks, but I couldn’t get these cupcakes out of my head. We caved and I made them on Tuesday night. Oh man, are they delicious! So like humming a song that is stuck in my head, only to have it stick in yours – here’s a photo and the link. You’re welcome!

Link: Chocolate Whiskey and Beer Cupcakes

Deb over at Smitten Kitchen is constantly making beautiful, mouth-watering recipes. I don’t have a big sweet tooth and given the choice I would rather cook lasagna than a chocolate torte. However, when I saw Deb’s recipe for Chocolate Whiskey and Beer Cupcakes filled with a dark chocolate ganache center and dotted by Bailey’s frosting I was a goner. Mr. B took one look at the photos and was equally hooked. We tried resisting for a few weeks, but I couldn’t get these cupcakes out of my head. We caved and I made them on Tuesday night. Oh man, are they delicious! So like humming a song that is stuck in my head, only to have it stick in yours – here’s a photo and the link. You’re welcome!

Link: Chocolate Whiskey and Beer Cupcakes

Breading the Chicken Thighs

Preparing the Chicken and Sauce

Marsala Chicken
Adapted from Northern Italian Cooking by Biba Caggiano
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs chicken thighs (boneless, skinless)
2 eggs
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup dry unflavored plain bread crumbs
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 sweet onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup butter plus 3 Tablespoons, divided
3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 1/2 cups dry Marsala wine

Directions:
Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Beat eggs with salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Combine breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl. Spread crumb mixture on aluminum foil in a long line. Dip chicken breasts in beaten eggs, then coat with bread crumb mixture. Press mixture onto chicken with the palms of your hands. Let coated chicken stand 10 – 15 minutes.

While the chicken is resting, melt 3 tablespoons butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large heavy skillet. When butter foams, add mushrooms and onions. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the mushrooms have released their liquid and the onions are beginning to caramelize. Remove onions and mushrooms from pan and set aside.

Add remaining butter and oil to the skillet. When the butter foams, add in chicken, taking care not to crowd the pan. Cook over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until chicken has a light-golden crust. Remove chicken from pan, and turn off heat. Add Marsala to skillet. Turn heat back on to medium, and use a whisk to deglaze the pan by scraping up any residue on the bottom of the skillet. Return chicken, mushrooms, and onions to the pan. Cover skillet and reduce heat. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until chicken is tender. Turn chicken several times during cooking. If sauce looks too dry, add a little more Marsala.

When finished, place chicken on a plate and keep warm. Taste and adjust the sauce with salt or pepper as needed for seasoning. Arrange chicken on top of a small bed of capellini pasta then spoon sauce over the top. Serve immediately.