I thought that I felt fall coming on last week when I looked at the color of the sky start to change from blue, to that deeper “fall” blue. The temperature has begun to drop, the nights are cool……all signs that fall is fast approaching……..YIPPEE !!!!!

Fall is my favorite time of year, I celebrate my birthday in October, my dad’s in late September, and mostly I celebrate a time when the world “matures” and gives us a sultry time to feast on all the “soils” of the summer growing season. We can, make preserves and jellies, and begin to plan all those wonderful comfort food meals that sooth the soul.

I am such a “soup guy”, and I love one pot meals and what a better time to enjoy both!

The celebration of Thanksgiving, to me, is the pinnacle of  food and entertaining and I am going to enjoy it this year in particular as I already know that I am spending it with my family.

One solid cooking technique that I believe in strongly is of course “slow roasting”, I think I slow roast almost everything, as I know, although it is an effort, the flavors that result from slow roasting are well worth the effort.

Here is a wonderful recipe for Short Ribs of Beef, slow roasted to perfection and a perfect dish to serve as we enter the fall season.

Enjoy!  

Ingredients:  

For short ribs

 8 (8-ounce) pieces bone-in beef short ribs (I have the butcher cut these in halves)

4 tablespoon olive oil 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

4 medium carrots, finely chopped

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 (14-ounce) can whole tomatoes in juice, pulsed in a food processor with juice

1 ½ cup dry red wine

½ cup of balsamic vinegar

4 cups brown veal stock or 1/2 cup Demi-Glace Gold concentrate (concentrate requires a dilution ratio of 1:8; 1/2 cup concentrate to 4 cups water, making your own stock is preferable and easy to do)

2 sprigs fresh thyme, 1 sprig of rosemary

1 bay leaf

3 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon cumin

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 tablespoon molasses

For vegetables:

10 – 15 small Yukon Gold potatoes

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 cups chicken stock or reduced-sodium chicken broth (16 fluid ounces)

4 medium carrots or parsnips, cut diagonally into 1 1/2-inch pieces

3 thick bacon slices (preferably applewood-smoked; 1/4 lb total), cut crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces

 8 medium fresh white mushrooms, trimmed and quartered lengthwise

Preparation

Braise short ribs:
Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 2750°F. Pat beef dry. Heat oil in a wide (12 inches in diameter) 3- to 5-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat, until hot but not smoking, then brown beef on all sides, turning with tongs, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add chopped carrots, onion, and garlic to oil in pot and cook over moderate heat, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup puréed tomatoes (reserve remainder for another use) and bring to a boil over moderately high heat. Add wine and boil, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened, about 8 minutes. Add veal stock, thyme, bay leaf, vinegars, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, cumin and paprika to sauce, and bring to a simmer. Skim fat from surface, then add beef along with any juices accumulated on plate and cover pot with a tight-fitting lid. Transfer to oven and braise until beef is very tender, 4 to 5 hours.  

Cook vegetables while beef braises:
Blanch potatoes in a wide 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan of boiling water 1 minute, then drain in a sieve. When just cool enough to handle, peel onions with a paring knife, trimming root end just enough to leave onions intact. Heat butter in dried saucepan over moderate heat until foam subsides, then cook onions, stirring occasionally, until brown spots appear, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar, then add chicken stock and carrots and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Uncover and boil, if necessary, until liquid glazes vegetables. While vegetables are simmering, cook bacon in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, until mushrooms are tender and bacon is browned and crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to vegetables in saucepan.  

Assemble dish:
Transfer a short rib to each of 4 soup plates and keep warm in oven. Pour sauce through a medium-mesh sieve into a large bowl, pressing on and then discarding solids, then skim fat from sauce. Boil sauce, if necessary, until thickened and reduced to about 3 cups. Season with salt and pepper. Add about 2 cups sauce to vegetables (reserve remaining sauce for another use), then spoon mixture around short ribs.