Weekend Warriors!

Slow-Cooked Short Ribs

I love making elaborate dishes during the weekend.  Going to restaurants and trying to re-create their recipes at home has always been an exciting and delicious challenge for me.  So, this week, I went after one of my favorite dishes, slow-cooked short ribs.  The Prado in Balboa Park has one of the best short rib dishes I've ever tasted (see my review on this blog).  I took their slow-roasted and sweet flavors, and combined them with some of my own twists, including baby portabella mushrooms and bit of molasses for dark rich color and flavor.  This dish may look difficult, but it really was easy and fun.  I'm excited to be able to share this with you, so let me know if you try it at home!

Slow-Cooked Short Ribs

Prep Time:  30 minutes / Cook Time:  4 hours / Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds boneless beef short ribs
• 10 oz. sliced baby portabella mushrooms
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 3 cups low-sodium beef stock
• 3/4 cup sun-dried tomato paste
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon
• 2 tbsp. brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. corn starch
• salt and pepper to taste

Steps:

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet.  Add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook on high heat until browned, about 7 minutes.  Remove from pan and set aside.
2. Add the meat to the skillet, season well with salt and pepper and sear on each side for about 3-5 minutes, until each side is browned.  Remove from the pan and set aside. 
3. Add about 1 cup of beef stock to the saucepan, de-glaze the pan with the stock and pour into a crock pot.  Add the rest of the stock, tomato paste, molasses, wine and brown sugar to the crock pot and stir.  Add the meat and mushrooms, cover and cook in the crock pot for 4 hours, stirring occasionally.
4. Remove the meat from the pot and cover with foil.
5. Add 2 tbsp. corn starch to 1/2 cup cold water and stir until the corn starch dissolves.  Add to the crock pot and whisk until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.  Add meat back in and stir well before serving.  Plate with garlic mashed potatoes (recipe follows).

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Prep Time:  5 minutes / Cook Time:  12 minutes / Servings:  4

Ingredients:

• 6-8 Russet Potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Steps:

1. Bring 4 quarts of salted water to a boil.  Add potatoes and boil on medium heat for 10-12 minutes, until potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork.  Drain and place in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add milk, butter and garlic powder to bowl.  Mix with electric mixer until all ingredients are smooth and creamy, about 1-2 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper, stir and serve.