Short Ribs Braised in Red Wine

This is a recipe that we tried a while back when we had some lovely lean boneless short ribs. While this recipe originally called for bone-in ribs, we adjusted cooking time and such to accommodate what we had on hand.
The recipe is based on one in Cook’s “The New Best Recipe” and is quite good.

3 lb. or 4 lb. boneless short ribs, as lean as you can get
Salt and black pepper
3 c. full-bodied dry red wine
3 large onions, chopped medium
2 medium carrots, chopped medium
1 large celery rib, chopped medium
9 medium cloves of garlic, chopped
1/4 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 T. minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 T. minced fresh thyme leaves
3 medium bay leaves
1 tsp. tomato paste

Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 450 degrees. Arrange the ribs in a single layer in a large flameproof roasting pan; season with salt and pepper to taste. Roast until the meat begins to brown, about 45 minutes; drain off all the liquid and fat with a bulb baster. Return the pan to the oven and continue to cook until the meat is well browned, 15 to 20 minutes longer. Transfer the ribs to a large plate; set aside.
Drain off the fat to a small bowl and reserve. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees. Place the roasting pan on 2 stove-top burners set at medium heat; add wine and bring to a simmer, scraping up the browned bits on the pan bottom with a wooden spoon. Set the roasting pan with the wine aside.

Heat 2 T. of the reserved fat in a large ovenproof Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add onions, carrots, and celery. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 12 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the flour until combined, about 45 seconds. stir in the wine from the roasting pan, the chicken broth, tomatoes, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, tomato paste, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and add the ribs completely submerging them in the liquid; return the liquid to a boil, cover the pot, place it in the oven, and simmer until the ribs are tender, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Transfer the ribs from the pot to a large plate. Strain the braising liquid into a medium bowl, pressing out the liquid from the solids; discard the solids. To get all the fat out, refrigerate liquid and ribs separately over night in refrigerator and the next day, skim solidified fat off before rewarming and serving.

Shrimp Curry

Trying to solve that ever present question of what to make for dinner, I found a bag of shrimp in the freezer and decided that the shrimp would adapt perfectly to a curry sauce. This curry can also be made with small pieces of lamb or chicken breasts as well.

4 T. butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large Granny Smith apple, chopped
½ c. shredded coconut
1 ½ T. curry powder
1 ½ T. flour
1 inch of ginger, minced
½ t. dry mustard
2 c. chicken broth
1 c. cream
2 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 T. chopped peanuts
4 T. chopped cilantro

Sauté the garlic, onion and apple in butter. Sprinkle with coconut, curry powder and flour. Stir until mixed. Add ginger and mustard and blend. Stir in chicken broth, a little at a time and cook over low heat for an hour if possible. Add shrimp and cream and cook about 5 minutes. This may be done ahead of time and reheated with the cream before serving. Serve with basmati rice. Garnish with peanuts and cilantro.

#1 Pho and Superior Pho

Being in the mood for some Vietnamese food recently, we went in search of what I have heard are two of the best spots on the East side.
We ate at one last Friday and tried the other one a few days later. # 1 Pho has a larger dining area and was half-filled even though it was 3 pm. in the afternoon when we finally arrived for lunch. Everything looked good, so it was a difficult choice to pick two entrees to try. I had the Com tam dac biet which was a large grilled pork chop with shredded pork skin setting on a large mound of broken rice with an egg patty on the side. It was enough to be the only meal I ate that day. The pork chop was nicely browned but still juicy and the pork skin had a pleasant flavorful taste.

Peter ordered the Bun nem nuong which was finely ground pork meat balls over vermicelli with crispy shrimp rolls.
He said it was fantastic.

After having a craving for more, we headed a few days later to Superior Pho. Superior Pho is much smaller and was crowded the day we ate lunch around noon.
There I ordered the Bun bo Hue which is a tomato based noodle soups from central Vietnam with cayenne pepper, herbs, beef and pork.
It is really spicy with a generous amount of cayenne pepper which gives it a lively red hue.

Peter ordered the Vietnamese sandwich called Banh mi thit. It is on a crispy French roll with homemade pate, roasted pork, sliced cucumber, fresh herbs and mayonnaise sauce. It had a lovely crunch with the veggies and the pate was really tasty. There was a nice kick from the sliced jalapeno peppers on it.

We ended up sharing the two items and together they made a great lunch.

Which place would I prefer? Well, I can’t really choose one over the other. The sandwich offered at Superior Pho will always be a great choice for a quick lunch. The dinner at # 1 Pho is a great full-sized meal that will not let you leave hungry.
Try them both.

Creamed Corn

Now is the time to take advantage of the lovely Ohio sweetcorn available at every farmer’s market in the area.
Having eaten corn on the cob for several weeks now, I was looking for something different. I have had the wonderful creamed corn at Lolita and having found the recipe on the net, decided it was time for a change. Don’t be put off by “creamed corn” as this is nothing like the stuff that can be found in a can at your supermarket.
This is a recipe is based on a recipe by Michael Symon at Lolita.
I have cut back on some of the bacon and cream to lighten it up a bit without sacrificing any flavor.

3 shallots minced
1/4 lb. bacon diced
1 jalapeno minced
3 ears of corn shucked and corn cut off cobs
2 T. butter
2 T. flour
1 c. cream
1/2 c. chicken stock
Salt and Freshly ground black pepper
3 T. chopped cilantro

Sweat the shallots and jalapeno in butter and set aside. Fry bacon until fat is rendered. Add shallots, jalapeno and corn. Saute a bit and then sprinkle on flour and make a roux. Add cream and stock and stir in salt and pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes and remove from heat. Fold in cilantro and serve.
Makes 4 generous servings.

Peppercorn Roasted Pork Roast

Marinating the pork butt with a mixture of peppercorns and garlic over night really adds to the flavor of this roast. I have made many pork roasts, but this has got to be my favorite recipe. The peppercorn mixture forms a lovely crust which enhances the succulent meat within and gives a wonderful complexity to it.

Serves 8

4 T. pink peppercorns
2 T. black peppercorns
1 ½ T. fennel seeds
1 T. salt
7 garlic cloves, minced
3 T. vegetable oil
1 (5 lb.) pork shoulder roast (butt end)

Grind the peppercorns together with the fennel seeds in a grinder. Stir in the garlic, oil, and salt.

Pat the pork dry and use a sharp pointed knife to make several slits all over the roast. Stuff the slits with all but 1 T. of the peppercorn paste, then rub the rest all over the roast. Place in a baking dish and marinate in refrigerator 24 hours covered with plastic wrap.

Let pork stand at room temperature 1 hour while preheating oven to 350 degrees with oven rack in middle.
Remove plastic wrap and roast for 2 ½ to 3 hours, fat side up until the internal temperature reaches 150 degrees with an instant-read thermometer. Transfer roast to a cutting board and let rest 30 minutes.
It should have a lovely brown crust over it.

Fried Green Tomatoes

The cool weather has caused my tomatoes to stop ripening. What to do? Well, time for fried green tomatoes of course. Take three shallow bowls. Fill the first with flour, the second with a well beaten egg and the third with panko crumbs. Slice the tomatoes into 1/2 inch slices and dip into the three bowls in the order stated. Season with Old Bay Seasoning, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Saute in a pan with a bit of olive oil until golden brown. Yum!

Battle of the Conch

Recently, while shopping in our favorite local Asian grocery, we found fresh conch. Remembering how fond he was of it when he tried it in Miami, Peter decided to buy one and prepare it at home. Warning, cleaning and preparing a conch is not for the faint of heart!

While having a beautiful shell, the conch can present an ugly situation when having to clean it. First, you knock a hole in the base with a hammer.
Then, you insert a knife into the hole to cut the hard abductor muscle which kills the conch. Then, you pull out the claw with a pair of pliers.

Then you take the black claw and cut all the black and white viscera away leaving only the gray and white muscle. Then, cut off the projection above the eyes and proboscis and remove black vein.

Slice through the very tough skin and remove by tugging with fingers, pliers or what ever weapon is at hand.

Finally, you are left with a small amount of flesh. You can bread this with panko crumbs and saute in a bit of butter. It is quite lovely when done.

As a final observation, I say an hour to prepare and fleeting minutes to eat. Peter enjoyed the conch. I have a lovely shell to keep as a reminder of this adventure.

Goodman’s Sandwich Inn – Old Brooklyn

Goodman’s has been around for more than 30 years. It has a small diner feel with large sandwiches. I had heard of Goodman’s and decided it was time to check it out, being a great lover of corned beef. Expectations were running high as we pulled up and saw the owner through the front window, hand slicing meat while people waited in a line for their order. The meat is sliced to order. We sat at the counter and licked the juices off our fingers as we savored the generous and tender meat. Most people seemed to get take out orders which is probably because the place is quite small with not much seating available. But it was a lazy Saturday lunch and we had no where else to be but in this meat nirvana.

Crostata’s – Highland Heights, Oh.

John Quagliata, a co-owner of Giovanni’s in Beachwood, opened this great pizzeria last fall. We thought it time, we checked them out even though we have not found a pizza that can measure up to the one that Peter makes at home in our convection oven on clay tiles. Quagliata hired Anthony Pilla as the “pizzaiola”. This is the title of those specially trained to make Napolitana style pizza. The flour for the pizza is imported from Naples, as is the oven which bakes at 900 degrees. The pizzas are simply dressed. A bit of cheese, some tomatoes, fresh herbs, a sprinkling of meat, etc.
We ordered the Margarita which came with fresh bufala mozzarella, San Marzano tomatoes and fresh basil. Very simple. Very tasty.

The server was very knowledgeable about the ingredients in each item and very helpful in general. We enjoyed it so much that we have placed them at the top of our eating out pizza place.

Wonton Gourmet – Asiatown

Wonton Gourmet is an authentic Chinese restaurant on Cleveland’s east side in Asiatown. We eat there often and this post is long overdue. When WG first opened they had two separate menus. One for those who like the usual Chinese dishes found in all Chinese restaurants and one for the Asians and very adventurous. The walls were lined with Chinese menus and if you couldn’t read the menu, you were out of luck–no English translation. Since being open for about a year now, the owners have caught on that there are many non-Asians who appreciate and love to try more traditional selections. The walls now feature photos of all the dinner choices with English titles. They still have the menu for those who want the sweet and sour pork, etc.
We count ourselves among the very adventurous, so here was our last dinner there.
Roast Duck Wonton with Noodle and Dumplings

Szechuan Pork with Eggplant and Shredded Pork

Deep Fried Pork Intestines

Dipping Sauce

Fried Turnip Cake

Crispy Fried Chicken Hong Kong Style

Lobster

Don’t let the esoteric dishes put you off. There are many great Asian dishes such as softshell crabs when they are in season, pork and chicken with assorted veggies, vegetarian entrees and probably my favorite, fried turnip cake.