Malbec Braised Short Ribs and Pureed Vegetables, Garlic Mashed Potatoes Pearl Mozzrella and Grape Tomatoes with Basil Dressing Paired with 2006 Benziger Family Winery North Coast Syrah

I want to make braised short ribs.  Once again I have been foiled by Chef Sue.  I am working on a Chianti braised short rib recipe and am about to give it a ride.  Just as I am about to fire up the range, Chef Sue announced her plan for braised short ribs with red wine and pureed vegetables.  Fortunately, I am a serious fan of braised short ribs, and just because we will have them again next week will not hurt my feelings.

My feelings for braised short ribs run deep.  Because they are cooked at a low temperature (225 degrees F) for a long time, the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender, the sauce reduces nicely, and the meat has plenty of time to take on the flavors in the braising liquid.  Honestly, it is difficult to do something wrong and even the most timid of budding chefs can prepare this with ease.  Add to this my mid-western heritage and the combination of garlic potatoes and garden fresh tomatoes with a basil dressing means I’m back to my meat and potato roots – but oh so much better than my childhood memories.

I should mention that this meal was in honor of our good friend gun-slinger Teji who left the next day for her assignment as the Regional Security Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Prague.  It was a real pleasure for all of us to send Teji off in good form – and provide good reason for her to come back.

I will be honest with you and tell you that the wine selection for this pairing was not only an attempt to choose the right wine, but with the crowd joining us for dinner I needed two bottles.  I descended the elevator to the Cavernous Corl Wine Vault to find a selection for which I had at least two bottles.  I had several choices and settled on the 2006 Benziger Family Winery North Coast Syrah.  Here are the tasting notes from the wine maker:

“Our 2006 North Coast Syrah boasts earthy aromas of tobacco and herbs. In the mouth, dark fruit flavors of ripe plum and black raspberry linger on the palate. A long finish leads way to hints of pepper and spice.”

I am completely onboard with the earthy aromas, but I sensed earth and mushrooms, not so much the tobacco.  Being a cigar smoker, you would think I could detect the aromas of tobacco…but I did not.  We definitely agreed on the plum, but we also picked up the hint of dark ripe cherries.  I agree with the notes on the finish – long with subtle notes of pepper and spice.  This wine is smooth with mild tannins and is a beautifully balanced fruit bomb.  At $11 per bottle it is an EXCEPTIONAL value and will make my list of favorite wines for exceptional flavor, a wonderful wine for pairing with food, and remarkable value.  This wine is only available from the winery.  You can order it at www.benziger.com.

The body of the braised short ribs and the Syrah were perfectly matched.  The acidity of the Syrah is moderate and fortunately the braised short ribs did not demand high acidity.  The plum and dark cherry flavors were a perfect compliment to the deep rich flavors in the meat and vegetable puree, and the complexity of the flavors in the food were equally matched by the layers of flavors on the menu.  This is a very nice pairing I highly endorse.

Recipes

Braised Short Ribs with Red Wine and Pureed Vegetables

The recipe for the braised short ribs came from Epicurious.com.  Here is the link:  http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Braised-Short-Ribs-with-Red-Wine-and-Pureed-Vegetables-235843?mbid=ipapp.  Of course, in the Corl kitchen, no recipe goes without some mucking about.  Here are a couple minor modifications made by Chef Sue:

• The sage was replaced by the frawns of two fennel bulbs.
• The chicken broth was replaced with equal parts wine and water – can’t go wrong with more wine!
• Chef Sue substituted a Malbec for the recommended wine.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

• 10 potatoes
• 10 cloves roasted garlic
• ½ stick butter
• 4 ounces cream cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Really?  You can make mashed potatoes!  Boil the potatoes, mash, and combine the rest of the ingredients.  Enjoy the goodness of garlic!

Pearl Mozzarella and Grape Tomatoes with Basil Dressing

Ingredients

• Equal amounts of grape tomatoes and pearl mozzarella sufficient to feed your crowd
• 1 ½ cups basil leaves
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• An imprecise amount of olive oil

Preparation

1. Combine the basil leaves and salt in a small food processor.
2. Process the basil leaves on pulse while drizzling in olive oil.
3. Continue to add olive oil until it is a bit “looser” than pesto.
4. Poor dressing over tomatoes and mozzarella and toss to cover evenly.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig

Braised Short Ribs in a Red Wine Reduction with Rustic Egg Noodles and Red Cabbage Paired with 2006 Louis M. Martini Napa Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

A few weeks ago, Chef Sue decided to reclaim her kitchen for the evening and planned this wine pairing.  As is always the case with Chef Sue’s creations, this was a spectacular meal.  Braised short ribs are not a difficult meal to prepare, but it takes some time.  With three hours in the oven alone, this meal takes a little planning (time management) but is well worth the wait.

Braised short ribs are a real treat, and the vegetable pure – red wine sauce makes this a truly flavorful feast.  To top it off, the 2006 Louis M. Martini Napa Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon chosen by Chef Sue was a wonderful match.  This wine is best when decanted to let it open up a bit.  You will be rewarded with ripe and sweet black cherries, a touch of dark chocolate, and subtle notes of vanilla and oak.  These wonderfully complimentary flavors were equally complimentary to the earthy flavors of the fall-off-the-bone delicious short ribs.

Adding to the gastronomic fun were a base of rustic egg noodles and sautéed red cabbage.  The noodles were a nice complimentary texture and the red cabbage added some fun color.  I’m not a huge fan of the red cabbage, but in combination with the rest of the players, I found a happy place.

Recipes

Braised Short Ribs in a Red Wine Reduction

Ingredients

• 4 short ribs with bones

• Extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 large onion roughly cut (medium large pieces)
• 2 celery stalks cut to 1/2 inch lengths
• 2 peeled carrots cut lengthwise then cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 cups tomato paste
• 2 cups red wine
• 2 cups water

• 1 bunch of tied fresh thyme

• 6 bay leaves
• Sea salt

• Pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Season each short rib with sea salt.
3. Coat the bottom of a Dutch oven (or other large pot) with olive oil and bring to a high heat.
4. Add the short ribs and brown all sides.
5. While the short ribs are browning, puree all the vegetables and garlic in a food processor.
6. When the short ribs are browned, remove and set aside.
7. Add pureed vegetables to the pot just vacated by the short ribs.
8. Season the vegetables and brown until they are dark and bits are forming a moist coating/crust on the bottom of the pot - about 5 minutes or so.
9. Scrape the pot to release the vegetable coating and add the tomato paste.
10. Brown the tomato paste for 4 minutes or so then add the wine and scrape again.
11. Lower the heat and allow the mixture to reduce by half.
12. Return the short ribs to the Dutch oven and add 2 cups of water or enough so the water just covers the short ribs.
13. Add the thyme and bay leaves. Cover and place in the preheated oven for 3 hours. Check periodically and add more water, if needed.
14. At the mid way point, turn the ribs over.
15. With 20 minutes to go, remove the lid to let the sauce reduce.
16. Plate with sauce generously drizzled over the short ribs.

Rustic Egg Noodles

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 cups semolina flour

• 1 pinch salt

• 6 large eggs

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 onion roughly diced
• grated parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Add flower to the bowl of your electric mixer (with dough hook)
2. Start the mixer to medium speed and add eggs one at a time.
3. Add olive oil and salt.
4. Let the mixer do it's thing until the dough is smooth, firm and dry. You can adjust the texture with water or the addition of flour.
5. Remove the dough from the mixer, wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Let sit for an hour.
6. Remove dough from plastic and roll out to your preferred thickness.
7. Use a pizza cutter to make random and fun shapes…be creative.
8. Sauté onion in a bit of olive oil and butter until tender.
9. Add your creative pasta bits and sauté until cooked through.
10. Plate and top with parmesan cheese

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig