Short Ribs

I love short ribs but have yet to make them myself. I'm all over any recipe that starts with 3 bottles of wine!

Daniel Restaurant New York - Short Ribs Braised in Red Wine

3 bottles dry red wine
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 short ribs, trimmed of excess fat
Salt and crushed black peppercorns
Flour, for dredging
8 large shallots, peeled, trimmed, split, rinsed and dried
2 medium-sized carrots, peeled, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
2 ribs of celery, peeled, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
1 medium-sized leek (white and light-green parts), coarsely
chopped, washed and dried
10 cloves of garlic, peeled
6 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
2 bay leaves and 2 thyme sprigs
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 quarts unsalted beef broth
Freshly ground white pepper

1. Pour the wine into a large saucepan set over medium heat. When
the wine is hot, carefully set it aflame. Let the flames die out,
then increase the heat so that the wine boils; allow it to boil
until it cooks down by half. Remove from the heat.

2. Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350°F.

3. Warm the oil in a large, heavy, ovenproof pot over medium-high
heat. Season the ribs all over with salt and the crushed pepper.
Dust half of the ribs with about 1 tablespoon flour. Then, when the
oil is hot, slip the ribs into the pot and sear 4 to 5 minutes on
each side, until well-browned. Transfer the ribs to a plate. Repeat
with remaining ribs. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from
the pot, lower the heat under the pot to medium and toss in the
vegetables and herbs. Brown the vegetables lightly, 5 to 7 minutes,
then stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.

4. Add the wine, ribs and broth to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover
tightly and place in the oven to braise for 2 1/2 hours or until
the ribs are very tender. Every 30 minutes, skim and discard fat
from the surface. (It's best to make the recipe to this point, cool
and chill the ribs and broth in the pan overnight; scrape off the
fat the next day. Rewarm before continuing.)

5. Carefully transfer the meat to a platter; keep warm. Boil the
pan liquid until it has reduced to 1 quart. Season with salt and
white pepper and pass through a fine strainer; discard the solids.
Spoon the sauce over the meat and serve.

Tip: the ribs and sauce can be combined and kept covered in the
refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Reheat gently, basting frequently, on
top of the stove or in a 350°F oven.

Patricia's Meatball Soup

Seriously the best soup in the universe. It will cure whatever ails you!

1 lb lean ground beef (I use 96/4)
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 16 oz bag mixed frozen vegetables
4 cans Campbell's beef broth
1 28 oz can petite diced tomatoes
either 1 can of drained corn or 1 cup of frozen corn kernels
1 medium potato, washed and diced with skin on
1/2 large or 1 small onion, diced
3 carrots, sliced OR about 1 1/2 cups sliced baby carrots
2 cloves garlic, minced (I use a microplane b/c I'm lazier than the average bear)

Mix ground beef with about 1 tsp each salt and freshly ground pepper, roll into mini meatballs about the size of a bouncy ball. (Not a parent with children addicted to bouncy balls? About 1 inch in diameter)

In a mixing bowl, pour 2 of the cans of beef broth in and set aside.

Heat the oil in a dutch oven type dish over medium high heat. Add meatballs and get them good and brown on all sides. When all browned and delicious, throw them into the bowl of broth and let them hang out until ready to use.

To the remaining oil, add onion and sweat until translucent. Add garlic and let cook for a few more minutes. Add the mixed veggies, corn, carrots, tomatoes, tomato sauce and remaining 2 cans of beef broth and simmer for 15 minutes or so.

Add diced potatoes and let simmer for another 30 minutes.

Add meatballs and broth and let simmer for another hour or more. Season with salt and pepper to taste. I usually add another tsp of salt and about 1/2 tsp of pepper.