This post was co-authored (really the recipe was co-cooked) by @taylorbarstow

At some point during the winter, I inevitably will get a serious craving for some delicious and wholesome braised beef short ribs. With winter waning, a few of us on a ‘dudes night’ decided to do something we rarely all do together: cook. It was really rainy out, and all of us were thinking about drinking some dark beer, so Guinness was the answer for both the glasses and the dish. After shopping around a bit with Taylor and Kippy, we found ourselves in the North End, at Sulmona Meat Market on Parmenter Street – classic, old school Italian butcher and had some beautiful short ribs that we decided to have the butcher leave whole and not chop in half like usual short rib cuts.

The cuts of beef will look rather large as you can see in the pictures, but this was cool with us all around.  We decided to use a combination of braising liquids, all brought together with the classic French mirepoix of onions, carrots and celery.  Braising liquids included Gunniess, chicken stock (you can use beef too of course) and a touch of coffee.  We decided to pair the dish with some creamy Parmesan polenta and some of the braising liquid on the plate.  I’d also consider serving some blanched and sauteed bitter dark greens – or really whatever you like.  The beauty of short ribs is that they’re so damn tender “falling off the bone” that you tend to forget whatever else is on the plate.  Here’s what to do:

Before starting, remember that these short ribs can take up to 3 hours to cook!!!  So start early with them!

• 4-6 Whole (or 8-12 halved) short ribs – the freshest you can find – Grass-fed beef preferred!
• 1 large (or 2 medium) carrots – roughly chopped
• 2-3 stalks celery – washed and cubed
• 1 large white onion – diced
• 3 cloves of garlic – smashed
• 2 bay leaves
• A few stalks of parsley
• 2 pint cans of Guinness stout
• 2 cups chicken or beef stock
• 1/2 cup coffee (optional)
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

First thing you want to do is locate a good heavy bottomed pot to use for the braise.  I’ll sometimes use a large roasting pan that I cover with tinfoil if I have too many ribs to fit in my Le Creuset dutch oven.  Once you’ve got your equipment, preheat your oven to 350 F.

Season the short ribs thoroughly with salt and a small amount of pepper and set aside.  Heat your pot over medium/high heat and add a few glugs of olive oil to coat the bottom of the pot.  When the oil is just about smoking hot, add the ribs and brown on all sides, then remove the ribs and set aside.

Lower the heat to medium/low and add all of the vegetables, including the parsley and bay leaves and mix to combine and cook until softened – around 5-7 minutes.  Add the braising liquid and bring to a simmer, then add the short ribs back into the pot, cover with a heavy lid and place into the preheated oven.

The time you want to cook your short ribs is really up to you, but I would advise AT LEAST 2 hours.  My rule of thumb I learned from Taylor Barstow and it basically goes like this: cook the short ribs until they are basically completely falling apart and the bone comes out easily.

The last part really pulls the dish together: Start a saute pan over medium high heat and a just a tiny bit of olive oil.  When the pan is really hot, add the short ribs and sear them on each side to add a little bit if texture back to the short ribs (a little crust for your meat).  Once they’re done, serve along side polenta or whatever you’d like and enjoy immediately!

Ever since I had a bowl of “3-X” at The Texas Chili Parlor – the famous spot in Austin, I’ve been enchanted by the call of the Red.   A pot of chili creates an excitement and sense of history.  Most of what I know about chili came from an article in Esquire magazine from ’81 or ’82 titled,”How to Throw a Chili Festival.”  I can’t find the name of the author, if anyone knows it, please post it in the remarks.

He credited Frank X. Tolbert for the basis of his recipe.  I have changed it a little over the years, but it is essentially Tolbert’s chili I strive for.

Much has been said about whether “true” Texas chili is ruined by adulterating the original basic elements: meat, chili peppers, and spices.  The original included no beans, macaroni, tofu, chocolate, rice, coffee, tomatoes, onion, celery, poultry, seafood, wine, hot dogs, peanut butter, eggplant, zucchini, corn, or anything vegetarian.

Count me in the group that appreciates the lore of a purist brew, but can also enjoy moderate enhancements. For most people, one bowl of the real stuff and the beany-veggie stuff begins to seem mildly ridiculous. You can find the recipe part of the article, posted without acknowledgment of source, at this URL: http://tcbunch.com/home/index.php5?title=North_Texas_Red_Chili

I skip the flour and masa harina, substituting onion and mushroom to thicken the texture, otherwise this is still the best recipe I’ve tried. I also use tomato paste instead of sugar; it adds color and texture.  Chili making is more work than most meals, so I like to make a big pot and have plenty for give-aways and left-overs. I’ve also added a few shortcuts to make things go quicker. Some people insist that cast iron cookware is the only way to get the authentic taste; use it if you have it.

Ingredients

• 10 lbs beef, a cheap and tough cut is best; anything too tender will fall apart.
• 1 lb thick-sliced bacon
• 20-30 hot chilies, I look for a mixture of sizes and types, fresh and dried, mostly red, to get the good red color.
• 3-4 red bell peppers
• 8-10 cloves garlic (I usually use 6-8 tsp minced from a jar)
• 12 medium mushrooms
• 2 medium sweet onions
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 cup chili powder
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 3 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp oregano
• ¼ cup paprika
• 1-6oz can tomato paste
• 5 beers
• Salt to taste

Method

To begin, put on some cowboy music and start with a belt of tequila, which really does help establish perspective. Cook the bacon in two skillets, drain and set aside; keep drippings handy in a bowl. Remove stems, seeds and veins from the peppers, add to a soup pot with beef broth, onions, mushrooms, tomato paste, and garlic cloves; add water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer briskly for a half hour, while the beef is being browned.

Watch the pepper fumes, they can burn your eyes and throat. Remove most fat, gristle and silver skin from beef and save. Cut meat into ¾ inch cubes. Brown the cubed beef, a handful at a time in the two skillets, use some bacon grease to loosen it up. Watch for steaming caused by crowding, it gives the meat a weird texture. Give it a good scorch, but don’t let it burn. Put cooked beef into the chili pot.

When all the beef is done and in the pot, turn off the peppers and let cool for a while. Toss the beef trimmings into a skillet and fry it up. When it’s scorched, add 2-3 cups of water; this will extract flavor from the fatty nuggets and de-glaze the pan, also gathering flavors. Pour this into the other skillet and de-glaze that one too. Strain liquid into pepper pot, discard the trimmings, save some for the dog though!

Chop whatever is left of the bacon, after everyone snacks on half of it, and add it to the big pot. Add the dry spices to the beef and stir thoroughly and gently to coat the cubed meat. If you are using minced garlic from a jar, add it also. Cook the coated meat gently for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, don’t let the bottom burn.

Ladle the pepper mixture, in batches, into a blender and puree. The idea is to chop the pepper skins fine enough to be unnoticeable, but don’t overdo it. Crack a beer, take a sip, and then stir the rest into the meat. This is fun. Do it again. Add the blended up peppers and broth. Add the rest of the beers. The meat should be covered, with about two inches of liquid above it. Add water or beer as needed to make enough broth.

Cook over low heat for at least two hours, while you clean up the kitchen mess. Keep stirring to prevent burning. Taste the broth and adjust pepper level and saltiness if needed. I usually let it simmer slowly for 4-5 hours. The whole house will be filled with that unmistakable aroma, mmmm. Place the pot in the fridge overnight.

An hour before serving, skim some of the grease off the top with a spatula, I like to leave some in for flavor and texture. Heat carefully over low heat until the pot is just bubbling. Serve with shredded Monterrey Jack and cheddar. Most people like some bread or saltines as a security blanket against the peppers. A good bowl isn’t so hot it is a chore to endure, but is should make you sweat a bit. It is normal to find yourself at a pause, mid-bowl, with deep thoughts bubbling up into your consciousness before digging back in to finish.  Use leftover chili and cheese to make omelets the next morning.

Camellia Grill is a 70 year-old classy short-order diner, famous for its sandwiches, breakfast all day, pies and “freezes.”

Hurricane Katrina closed down this staple of the Uptown-Riverbend neighborhood. Luckily, its persuasive fan base (evidenced by the number of internet postings referring to the place, its wikipedia page, and the copious amounts of love letters left by patrons begging the grill to re-open) got it going again after Katrina. Power to the people! Camellia Grill was re-established in April 2007.

We waited in line about 30 minutes out front on a Saturday around noon, making conversation with other hungry New Orleanians in line who recommended the same dishes we had seen our foodie friends around town drool about. We sat on  spinning stools in a curved bar formation made of marble waited on by friendly, efficient, bow-tie wearing waiters. They brought cloth napkins and marked off our individual orders onto a pre-printed worksheet with a red pen. They then fetched coffee and blended up the creamy cool chocolate freeze drinks while yelling the orders to the cooks to fry up the tastiest omelettes and burgers around. (Click here for pics inside Camellia Grill & dining info).

We tried the Pecan Waffle, which came plain on a plate with three mini pitchers on the side filled with Cane Syrup, Maple-Flavored Corn Syrup and Liquid Butter. It was perfectly cooked, crunchy and warm all the way through. I liked that they skipped the dollop of butter or whipped cream that waffle houses usually plop on top- saving both the restaurant and patron time, money and extra Calories.

We also tried the Chef’s Special Omelette: a monstrous one with potatoes and onions inside, topped with a lot of chili (with turkey bacon, beans, ham and beef) and two types of cheese, with french fries on the side. That was tasty! Enough said!

The Chocolate Freeze Drink (a chocolate frappe with chopped ice) was sweet and delicious, reminding me of thick chocolate milk with crushed ice in it.

After eating, we took our individual forms and paid at the cash register by the door  (by cash or credit card), again saving the waiters and patrons time. This place knows how to do it. The only problem with Camellia Grill is that we didn’t allow our food to settle. That was it though, everything was delicious and pleasant.

Here’s the the recipe for the Chef’s Special Omelet as posted on the Food Network:

Printed from FoodNetwork.com on 09/25/2008 © 2008 Scripps Networks, LLC. All Rights Reserved

Chef’s Special Omelet:

3 eggs
1/2 cup diced potato, boiled until tender
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced ham
1/2 cup diced bacon, cooked
1 slice Swiss cheese
1 slice American cheese
1 cup cooked chili (meat or bean)

Put eggs in a blender, and mix on high until egg mixture is almost white.
Put potato, onion, ham and bacon on grill pan and saute for 30 seconds. Then pour egg mixture over vegetables. Let eggs cook until
slightly firm around edges.
Add cheese slices. Then gently roll eggs over into omelet shape. Cook 2 minutes until firm.
Plate the omelet on a plate and pour 1 cup cooked meat or bean chili on top.

Granted, meatloaf is hardly a gourmet concept to start with, and certainly Rachael Ray will not be the one to take it to that next level. Nevertheless, meatloaf is a comfort food standby for many people, my husband included. Every Christmas Eve, when RJ’s mom whips up a stylish Lobster Newburg for the family, she also makes a meatloaf for her two sons. Her version (RJ’s favorite) involves dry mustard, celery salt, and Worcestershire for flavoring, as well as a topping of barbecue sauce and bacon. It is very yummy and definitely satisfies the requirements of comfort food.

My mini meatloaves, however, are finished in far less time (haha – hence the “30 Minute Meals” origin), and I have jazzed them up a bit – a riff on Rachael Ray’s version, which you can find here (if you must – but don’t trust the disgusting picture – I promise they’re good!) .

Mini Meatloaves with Blue Cheese and Mushroom Gravy, adapted from Rachael Ray

Meatloaves:

1 ½ lbs. ground meatloaf mix (beef, veal, and pork – if your grocery doesn’t sell this or the makings of this, just use ground beef chuck)

1 large egg, beaten

¼ c. milk

½ c. bread crumbs (I used the Italian-flavored ones, but whatever you have is fine – use a bit more if you are using panko)

½ c. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano

4 to 6 big leaves of fresh sage, thinly sliced

Black pepper

2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

4 thin slices prosciutto di Parma, pancetta or bacon

Sauce:

8 or so cremini (baby portobello) mushrooms, sliced

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 Tbs. butter

1 Tbs. all-purpose flour

1 c. whole milk (plus more if needed)

pinch freshly grated nutmeg

Scant ¼ c. crumbled Gorgonzola (or more, by preference)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground meat, beaten egg, milk, breadcrumbs, cheese, sage and pepper to taste. Try not to over mix, as this makes the loaves really dense and not as good. Form the mixture into four equally-sized loaves (like ovoid hamburgers) about 1 ½ inches thick.

Preheat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Cook the loaves in the skillet just long enough to brown the outside – 2 to 3 minutes per side. Place them on an oiled or parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Top the loaves with prosciutto (or pancetta or bacon) to cover in one layer. Bake for about 8 minutes.

While you’re waiting for the meatloaves to finish cooking, make the sauce. In the same skillet used to brown the meatloaves, add the mushrooms and the garlic (and a bit more olive oil if the pan is dry) and sauté over medium heat.

When mushrooms are browned to your liking (about 5 minutes for me), add a tablespoon of butter to the pan to melt. Once melted, add the tablespoon of flour and stir to combine. Let cook one minute, then add milk to the pan slowly, stirring constantly. Keep adding milk until you reach the desired consistency for gravy, or even a slight bit thinner. Add in the pinch of nutmeg and the blue cheese, stir to combine.

Serve the meatloaves topped with the gravy. The gravy is also great on top of mashed potatoes, baked potatoes or plain rice.

The slow cooker is truly an excellent invention.  If it is not possible, in this time of your life, to sit around the stove all day long, stirring a bubbling pot until dinnertime, the slow cooker can do the work for you.  I find it particularly helpful during the week, when a bit of chopping in the morning or the night before is all you need to ensure a hot meal when you return home from work.  In the case of this weekend, I was in New York, and had no intention to sit around my friend’s apartment all day.  We told several friends to show up at 7 for dinner, then left the house and did the same.

In my experience, there are two different kinds of slow cooker recipes.  The first is emblematic of the cooking of the 1970s, when the machine first arrived on the scene.  These recipes usually call for only 3 to 5 ingredients, and often involve a canned Campbell’s soup of some kind.  Though these are for the slow cooker, they are not Slow Food.  The gummy glop of salty paste that slurps out of the soup may be very easy when faced with the alternative of slowly caramelizing vegetables, reducing fresh cream infused with herbs, and pureeing the aromatic mixture into a soup, but which option would you prefer to eat?  The recipes in some slow cooker cookbooks are simple and fast, but the results they impart have given the appliance a bad reputation for bland, mushy food with an ‘off’ aftertaste.

Not to worry – there is also a library of cookbooks featuring slow cooker recipes that do not compromise flavor to save a few minutes in the kitchen.  And I do mean a few minutes – the slow cooker is nothing if not a time-saver.  Some of my favorite reference manuals are: Not your Mother’s Slow Cooker Recipes, the Williams-Sonoma slow cooker cookbook, and 150 Slow Cooker Favorites.  I also just picked up The Gourmet Slow Cooker, and will let you know how it tests out.  These books are characterized by the use of fresh ingredients and a bit more thought about the importance of seasoning and taste.  By taking the time to brown meat on the stove before you put it in the slow cooker or stirring in some fresh herbs at the end of the process, you can boost the flavor of the dish ten-fold!

Now for the stew.  This recipe is adapted from two different recipes in the Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker: Recipes for Entertaining book.  Jerry and I mixed and mingled our favorite parts of each, and encourage you to swap in your favorite veggies for ours.

Ingredients:
6 slices of thick-cut bacon
1/3 c. whole wheat flour
3 lbs. lean beef stew meat, cut into 1 to 1 1/2 inch cubes
2 cups chopped and cleaned leeks
3-4 large carrots, cut in rounds (or 1 small bag of baby carrots)
1/2 lb. new potatoes (if large, clean skin and chop into large dice; if small, halve them)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
16 oz. can of chestnuts packed in water
2 cups beef broth
2 cups dry red wine
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper

Chop the bacon into 1/2 inch pieces.  Put bacon into a large skillet preheated over medium heat and cook, stirring, until the fat renders and the bacon begins to brown.  Remove bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pan.  Put the bacon into the slow cooker insert.

Beef browning & just floured

Put the flour into a large sealable plastic bag or a bowl with deep sides.  Season the flour liberally with salt and pepper; stir to distribute.  Add the beef and toss to coat.  Return the bacon fat to medium-high heat and add the floured beef in batches, taking care not to crowd the pan.  The beef pieces should not be crammed together or they will not brown properly.  Turn the pieces of beef to brown all over, then remove the beef to the slow cooker insert.  If you want to save time here, you can distribute the bacon fat between two pans and do the meat batches simultaneously, or skip the browning altogether (though I find that it is worth it, flavor wise, to take the time to brown).

When the meat is done, take a look at the pan.  If you have fat left in the pan, great, otherwise add a tablespoon of oil and let it get to temperature.  Add the carrots and leeks to the pan, stirring to grab up the browned bits of meat and bacon on the bottom of the pan.  Depending on how thick you cut your carrot slices, cook these veggies for 7-12 minutes, until the leeks are softened and the carrots are just beginning to get tender but still snap in the middle when you bite into them.  Add veggies to the cooker along with the cut potatoes.

Stir the tomato paste, beef broth, wine and chestnuts into the stew until they are evenly distributed.  Tuck the bay leaf into the liquid and place the lid on the slow cooker, and set the dial to low for 8 hours, or high for 4 hours. We used a 6 1/2-quart Cuisinart oval Slow Cooker for this recipe and it was probably at the limits of capacity (if the slow cooker is filled more than 3/4 full, the dish will cook unevenly).  If you have a round slow cooker or a smaller-capacity one, simply use a bit less meat.

When we returned from our city-trekking, the entire floor of the apartment building smelled divine.  Our guests arrived momentarily and the feast was ready to go, with the kitchen already clean, no less!  We served the stew with a delicious whole wheat sourdough boule that nicely sopped up the leftover liquid.  A perfect fall meal!