The chef at our favourite French Bistro has left and his long-time sous chef has taken over. In general, the menu changes to suit the new chef but, because this is a traditional French Bistro, very few of the menu items changed. Sadly, one item that did change was the serving of the braised short rib, one of JT’s favourites. Instead of blue cheese risotto, the chef serves it with greens and pommes fourchette (literally, forked potatoes) and it’s not quite the same. When I mentioned that I was going to make short ribs, JT specifically asked me to make the blue cheese risotto. This dish is extremely rich, so I suggested that I make it with cauliflower rice instead of real rice and JT agreed. The meat is cooked on low for a long time but that is what makes it so delicious, so don’t fast forward and use high, low and slow is the way to go. Also, cut the carrots into good sized chunks so that they don’t disintegrate during the cooking process, my carrots still had great texture at the end.
Sherry Braised Short Rib with Cauliflower Blue Cheese Risotto
A KitchenInspirations Original Recipe
Please click here to print this recipe.
Serves 2-3
Ingredients:
- 500 mL beef short ribs
- 200 g onions, finely chopped
- 125 mL beef stock
- 125 mL cooking sherry (or red wine)
- 15 mL (1 tbsp) tomato paste
- 200 g (1 medium) carrot, cut into one-bite chunks
- 120 g (1 stalk) celery, finely chopped
- 20 g (3 cloves) garlic, finely minced
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 10 g (1 tbsp) corn starch, dissolved in a small amount of cold water
Directions:
- Season short ribs with salt and pepper.
- Brown the short ribs in small batches in a cast iron pan, transfer to a pre-warmed slow cooker.
- Add onions to the hot cast iron pan and cook until translucent, add celery and garlic and cook until garlic becomes aromatic. Add the carrots and cook for about a minute. Transfer to the slow cooker.
- Combine the stock, sherry, tomato paste and mix well, use to deglaze the cast iron pan, turn the heat off. Add the cornstarch that has been dissolved in a small amount of water and stir well into the deglazing liquid. Pour the liquid over the meat and carrots in the slow cooker. Stir well.
- Lay the fresh thyme and bay leaf into the slow cooker and cover with braising liquid. Cook the ribs for 5-6 hours, covered on low or until meat comes cleanly off the bone. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf.
- Serve on top of a bed of cauliflower blue cheese risotto (I didn’t jot down the recipe, but this one would be delicious).
Notes:
- Always brown meat in small batches, otherwise you’ll end up steaming them instead of browning.
- I sprinkled the seasoned ribs with Mycryo and got a gorgeous sear.
- My sauce turned out to be the perfect consistency, not soupy at all.
Blue cheese (rice or cauliflower both work for me) and long-cooked beef is insanely luxurious! I love the combination. GREG
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Bill would love these short ribs! I, of course, definitely approve of the cauliflower risotto but the jury’s out on what Bill’s response would be. I think he’d actually like it if he wasn’t expecting rice. This combination sounds amazing—so glad you could recreate it (and a lighter version to boot!) at home.
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Thanks Liz, it worked out very well. JT tolerates my ‘lighter’ changes to a meal but I do always give him the choice of the real thing and he usually chooses the lighter one, probably to make me happy (happy wife, happy life).
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I love this idea! I can understand the chef’s choice to abandon the blue cheese risotto, because blue cheese is intense, and to be frank, “blue cheese risotto” sounds pretty damn intense. But my guess is that, paired with the beef, it’s 1000 times tasty. Thanks for the recipe!
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This is heaven on a plate right there! I love beef short ribs and yours look amazingly saucy and delicious Eva! Now I want to try your blue cheese risotto! I’ve had blue cheese gnocchi and loved it so I don’t see why this wouldn’t be delicious!
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It looks and sounds like a perfect cool weather comforting, but skills requiring meal. You definitely have all the skills and talent, Eva! It did sound particularly rich with both blue cheese and pork in sauce, but I’m sure I would love both versions: when something is delicious as I can see, no matter how rich, heavy, high kcal it is…. we forget it with the first bite!
I really must try cauliflower risotto one day! You always make it sound so good.
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I would live this. Sounds perfect.
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The short ribs are so very tender and the gravy sounds heavenly.
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I’m with JT on this one. Who wants forked potatoes? Has he actually been to culinary school? Looks a great dish, Eva. Right up my street.
Btw, there are rumblings at work that we may be having a tie up with Air Transat. Hopefully more visits to Toronno. I was in JFK last week, off to Vegas tomorrow. How is the arizona house hunting going?
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Hi Dave, that’s fantastic news, hopefully you’ll be able to experience all of our seasons! Stay safe in Vegas, it’s so horrible what is happening in our world. I’ll definitely drop you a PM with any news of Arizona.
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