I have no idea how braising big hunks of beef in red wine can go wrong, but my first attempt at cooking short ribs failed. I used a highly rated recipe from Epicurious.com as a guide, adding carrots, leeks, celery and parsley to the braising liquid to improve the flavor of the sauce. The cabernet-based sauce was indeed delicious, but the meat was not melting-off-the-bone tender as I had anticipated. My dining companions had to use serious knife skills to pry meat from bone and were greeted with a forkful of flavorful but chewy beef.

What happened? Did I get bad beef? Is something wrong with my oven? Did storing the dish overnight in the fridge dry out the meat? All of these scenarios seemed unlikely. Instead of getting to bottom of the mystery (I’ll save that for another day), I got down to the business of getting rid of the inevitable leftovers. My choices were A) fattening up our dog Bruno or B) using the short ribs to make new meals. To Bruno’s disappointment, I decided on the latter.

First up was a three-meat pizza with chopped short ribs, Italian sausage and a bacon-infused tomato leftover from last month’s pasta all’amatriciana. William and I almost always eat vegetarian pizzas so this fat-oozing pie was a special treat. Even better than the pizza was shepherd’s pie with red wine gravy and cheddar mashed potatoes. Up to now, I have always started shepherd’s pie with leftover potatoes. I tend to make a quick and dirty version with ground beef, vegetables and a little stock. Basing the dish on higher-quality beef and vino-infused sauce yielded my best pie to date.

I didn’t go too gourmet with the pie. I simply sauteed carrots and onions in beef fat rendered from the ribs, threw in the beef and some flour, poured in wine, and added sprightly frozen green peas. I smashed yukon gold potatoes with cream, butter, parsley and a handful of sharp cheddar. The pie filling had an intense beef flavor, and the extra cooking time and liquid erased any hint of the ribs’ dryness. Married with cheesy potatoes, this dish is comfort food at its best.

It’s my hope that you won’t have to endure beef failure before you can enjoy this shepherd’s pie. Leftovers from your next pot roast or steak or short ribs will work just as well. But William and I enjoyed our second-chance short rib dinners so much I wouldn’t mind screwing up another batch.

Shepherd’s Pie with Leftover Beef and Cheddar Mashed Potatoes
2 pounds yukon gold potatoes
4 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup whole milk or cream
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon beef fat or extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
2 1/2 cups chopped cooked beef
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup red wine (or beef stock)
1 cup frozen peas

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375º.

Place unpeeled potatoes in a medium pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Add a heavy dose of salt, and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Drain the water. Return pot and potatoes to the stove on low heat for two to three minutes, allowing excess water to evaporate. Turn off heat. Add butter, milk, cheese, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Mash with a potato masher until the mixture reaches a desired consistency.

Meanwhile, heat beef fat in a large frying pan. Add onions and carrots, and cook until the vegetables begin to caramelize, about 8 minutes. Add beef, and cook three minutes more. Sprinkle flour over the beef mixture and stir, cooking for two minutes. Pour in wine, bring to a boil, and stir until the mixture thickens. Add peas, and season with salt and pepper.

Pour beef mixture into a deep dish pie pan or 9″x9″ baking dish. Spread potatoes evenly over the beef, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes until golden and bubbling.

Serves 6

]]> http://www.occasionalomnivore.com/2010/11/01/overcoming-short-rib-shortcomings/feed/ 1 http://www.occasionalomnivore.com/2009/10/06/uppama-with-cabbage-and-peas/ http://www.occasionalomnivore.com/2009/10/06/uppama-with-cabbage-and-peas/#comments Wed, 07 Oct 2009 01:00:41 +0000 Caroline http://www.occasionalomnivore.com/?p=1170

Flipping through Madhur Jaffrey’s “World Vegetarian” cookbook, I stumbled upon this South Indian recipe for uppama, a grain dish that’s prepared somewhat like risotto—with constant stirring and the gradual adding of cooking liquid—but relies on semolina (known as sooji) or even Cream of Wheat for its main grain. The final product resembles a rice pilaf or veggie-packed couscous. 

I modified the heat quotient of Jaffrey’s original recipe and increased the ratio of vegetables to grains. I served this as a main dish along with cilantro raita, chutneys and naan. And while the uppama was filling, we also would have enjoyed an Indian vegetable dish to accompany it. It would make a tasty stuffing for ripe tomatoes or roasted peppers, as well. 

As long as you have a good Asian/Indian grocery around, the ingredients are accessible and quite inexpensive. And I’ll definitely make it again, sticking with the recipe’s spices but playing with a seasonal mix of vegetables. 

Uppama with Cabbage and Peas
1/4 cup canola oil
Generous pinch ground asafedtida
1 teaspoon whole brown mustard seeds
2 teaspoons yellow split peas or brown lentils
15 fresh curry leaves
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
1 teaspoon peeled, grated ginger
1 hot red chile pepper, finely diced
1 1/2 cups finely shredded cabbage
1/4 cup green peas
1 cup semolina (known as sooji) or Cream of Wheat
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Instructions
In a small pot, bring 2 cups water to a simmer. 

Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan on medium heat. Add asafetida to the hot pan and, almost immediately, add the mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds begin to pop, stir in the split peas or lentils. After split peas turn a reddish golden color, add the curry leaves. After 10 or so seconds, add onion and cook until light golden. Stir in ginger and chile pepper. After a few seconds, add cabbage and peas. Toss with other ingredients, and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in 3 tablespoons of the simmering water, cover the pan, turn heat to low, and cook for 3 minutes. 

Uncover pan, and turn heat back to medium. Pour in semolina and cook until light golden—4 to 5 minutes—stirring occasionally. Turn heat to low, and stir salt into the semolina-vegetable mixture. Gradually add boiling water, a few tablespoons at a time. As you would prepare risotto, stir constantly and wait to add more water until all of it has been absorbed. This process should take about 5 minutes. 

After all the water has been added, continue cooking for 10 minutes, breaking up any lumps with your spoon. Grains should be “light and fluffy,” according to Jaffrey. Stir in cilantro and serve. 

Serves 3, 1-cup portions

With leftover poached chicken thighs in my freezer, I hoped to make an easy Friday night meal of chicken and yellow rice (arroz con pollo en Miami). My childhood version involved a package of Mahatma saffron rice, which I was more than happy to rely on. 

But with closer product scrutiny, I discovered that Mahatma’s vivid flavor relies on MSG. And it wasn’t just Mathatma. EVERY package of saffron rice at Publix contained the chemical. 

I didn’t want to voluntarily sign us up for a dose of MSG, so I decided to make a homemade version instead. 

To make the rice a sunny yellow, I used turmeric and saffron (traditional recipes call for annatto oil). Fresh vegetables (onion, peppers and garlic) replaced freeze-dried veggies in the packaged mix.

I served black beans and fresh field peas on the side. Normally I’d opt for frozen green peas, but the peas (from William’s Granddad, thanks!) were a special summer treat. 

Thanks for the memories Mahatma. But we’re moving on to real (delicious) chicken and yellow rice from now on. 

Chicken and Yellow Rice
For chicken:
1 pound bone-in chicken thighs (or white meat if you prefer)
Aromatics (1/2 onion, 1 carrot, 1 celery stalk, 1 bay leaf, herbs … whatever you have on hand)
2 teaspoons kosher salt 
Black pepper

For rice:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion 
1/2 diced red bell pepper
1 jalapeno, sliced into thin rounds (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon saffron
1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
3 cups chicken broth or water
1 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon butter, optional 
6 lemon wedges
1/3 cup chopped cilantro 

Instructions
Place chicken in a medium-sized stock pot and cover with cool water, about 3 1/2 cups. Add aromatics to the water. Heat water to a boil, add salt and several grinds of pepper, and reduce heat to a simmer. If foam forms on the top of the pot, remove. Cook chicken for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until tender.

Remove chicken from the pot, cool, and coarsely chop. Pour liquid through a fine mesh strainer and reserve. 

For the rice, heat olive oil in a medium-size pot. Add onion, red pepper, garlic, and jalapeno (if using), cooking until onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in turmeric and saffron, and cook 1 minute more. Add rice to the pot, stirring for 1 to 2 minutes to infuse the flavor of the spices into the grains. Pour in reserved chicken broth, adding water if necessary to make 3 cups. Bring liquid to a boil, add chicken to the pot, cover, and reduce heat to a simmer. 

Cook rice for 20 to 25 minutes, until the grains have absorbed all of the liquid. If desired, add butter. Fluff rice with a fork, and serve with lemon wedges and cilantro. 

Serves 6

I’ve adapted this quick week-night staple from a similar epicurious.com gnocchi recipe. It’s a highly adaptable combination—spinach, asparagus or fresh tomato also would make pleasing editions. Although I’m a fan of dairy fat, I use half and half here instead of heavy cream, but the latter would yield an even more sumptuous result. Let your calorie conscience be your guide. 

Lemony Gnocchi with Peas and Mushrooms
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter 
2 tablespoons diced onion
1 clove garlic, finely diced
3 to 4 ounces cremini or baby bella mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 cup half and half
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup frozen green peas
12 ounces pre-packaged gnocchi
Zest of one lemon
Juice of half a lemon
1/2 cup grated parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste 

Instructions
Bring water to boil in a large stock pot.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high and add olive oil and butter. When butter is melted, add onion and sweat 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic; cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add mushrooms and cook until most of the liquid is evaporated. Pour in cream, and add salt to taste, red pepper flakes, and frozen peas. Simmer for 5 minutes. 

Salt the boiling water, and cook gnocchi according to package instructions. Add lemon zest and juice to mushroom-pea mixture. Drain gnocchi and add to sauce. Mix in parmesan and add salt and pepper to taste. 

Serves 2 (hungry) to 3 (normal) people