Who u calling a shortrib!?!?!

Hey guys. So if you read my tweets or any of my face book post you would know that i am working on a a new menu!!!! I have blogged in the past about how important it is to change the restaurant menu and how complicated it can get. Well i find my self (at last) in a good place. I have been working on the new menu for some time and finally feel good about where its going. The star of the menu is most definitely the SHORT RIBS!!!! Nothing can warm you soul like a slow braised short rib on a cold day. I think short ribs tend to be a little under appreciated, i wanted to do them justice. When i work on a new menu i first take into acount the season (thats obvious... right?) i next think about my custome, what do they want>? who are they and why are a here? (besides how great the food is) well alot of the customers are from the local area and they just want to get out and have some great food. But there is a lot of hotel guest who dine in the restaurant and they need to be addressed to. I think the short rib brings a feeling of comfort, warmth and love. To be hones the main ingredient in this dish is time and time ='s love!!!! I braise my short ribs for 4 hours at 350. They fall right off the bone. ok so i know you wan the recipe soooooo i'll give it to you!!!

You need

2 sets of full bone short ribs. (apx a 6 inch bone)

3 carrots

1 red onion

10 cloves garlic

1/2 can tomato paste

4 stalks of celery

2 48oz cans of beef stock (equal parts water)

8 stems thyme

2 cups red wine

1 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup olive oil

so in a medium size pot heat the oil over high heat

season your short ribs with lots of fresh ground black pepper and a little kosher salt (dont go crazy on the salt, the beef stock is full of salt)

ok so now sear the ribs in the pan one at a time. The ribs should be dark brown and crisp on all side. Remove from the pot and set aside. Rough dice the onions, celery and carrots (no need to peel the carrots just give them a good washing) Discard 1/2 of the oil in the pan and keep the remaining oil in the pan. Place it back over a low flame. Throw in all the vegetables including the garlic and thyme. Cook vegetables until they are canalized. Now add the tomato paste and cook for 3 more minutes. Now its time to add the red wine. Get a wooden spoon and get all that flavor off the bottom of the pan. Now add the beef stock and equal parts water. Place the ribs back in the pot. Bring to a simmer. Now cover and place in a 350 over for 4 hours or until the ribs are fork tender.

Remove the ribs from the pot BE CAREFUL!!! they are soooo tender. Place them on a rack and refrigerate. Strain the braising liquid and reduce by 1/2 over medium heat. (you can toss those old vegetables) You need to skim the fat off the top.

So now the ribs are still a little worm but they are cool enough to handle and a little more firm. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add 1/2 cup olive oil. Place the short ribs (bone up) in the pan and cook until they get a crisp brown exterior... do this on all sides. Now place them back in the over for 5 min. Remove the pan from the oven and without dropping the short ribs, drain the oil. Now slowly add the reduced braising liquid to the pan and let cook until the liquid looks thick..APX 5 min.

OK that's it!!!

Place them on top of mash potatoes and roast vegetables and serve. I also like to sprinkle fresh oregano onto of them!!! yummmmmmers beotch

Just some tips. If you don't want to sever the whole rack... after they come out of the fridge cut into individual portions.

Party

Hey Just wanted to drop a quick post! I have alot of stuff going on at the hotel this week. We have a wedding party, 2 baby showers, 3 brunches a full restaurant and one crazy queen (me)

so the topic of parties is on my brain. We get people at the hotel who request that i make a favorite dish for them to celebrate with. Well my question is...... What's you favorite celebratory dish??? i'll post some of my favs (with recipes) for you

Foodie

I don't know what to say... ummmm.. yea i do "I LOVE FOOD" there i said it. Im a food junky.

I dream in food! I work in food! I socialize in food! i love to shop for food. I am so attracted to everything involving food. So my question to you is.. WHY?? Where did this foodie lifestyle come from? why did i get the food bug? Some people just got it and some (very unfortunate) people don't! I spent my younger years thinking i was going to be a painter or some kind of artist. So i was kinda right. I am an artist of sorts, maybe my canvas is not a linen one. My canvas is the plate. Ya know, sometimes i think how nice it would have been to be a painter. Making art as a full time job (i paint in my free time, check out some pics on my web page) but i do make art as a full time job. I make edible art, the art i make is so much more involved with the human experience (you need it to live). I think there are some people who look at it my way in that "Foodie mentality". But again there are some that do not!! So back to my question... Why am i a foodie and are you?

Back in the GRIND!!!!!

SO on the second episode of NFNS i made Coffee Rubbed Pork Chops with Cognac and Brown Sugar Sauce. I have made this recipe again and again at the restaurant and i have perfected it for you!!!! When i lifted the lid that was covering my items, I was happy to see coffee and pork!! It beat the hell out of having beer and beef or lamb and raisin bran (don't get me wrong..i would have mastered any of these items ) To be honest with you, coffee rubs have become very popular over the years and i had an idea of how i could use the bitter coffee to make my pork fab! I think alot of people forget how great a rub can be. Dry rubs incorporate so much flavor into the item it is being used on. Just think.... doesn't a steak taste so much better when its sprinkled with salt and pepper?? These spices bring out the great flavor of the meat, so why not bring out the flavor and add a new flavor profile into the mix!?!? The funny thing about coffee is that it has lots of flavors.. wait let me explain that. Coffee has a great dry roasted flavor when brewed but when u eat the grind it tends to be a bit bitter so when i came up with this recipe i needed something to throw off the bitterness but wanted you to also get some of the deep flavor that you get when you brew (you still with me>?>) So thats where the brown sugar and cognac sauce came into play. So know i got cognac and sugar... wait why does that sound like it goes together...hmmmm think, think think !!! I got it!!! if i add butter to this, its just the same as butterscotch!!! oh Michael your a smart fucking kid!!!

So there you have it the way my brain works and the way i came up with this very fabulous and tasty dish. Ok so here is the recipe

• 6 pork chops

for the spice rub

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 5 TS fresh grind dry roast coffee
• 3 TS kosher salt
• 1 ts cayenne pepper
• 1 ts cumin

Mix all the ingredients together.

Turn you grill on high and let heat for 10 min then lower to medium. Coat the pork chops in the rub. The pork chops should have a heavy even coating over them. Place pork chops on the grill. Grill for about 3 min on each side. Lower the heat if needed (because there is allot of sugar in the rub. the sugars will burn quickly if your not watching ..so pay attention!!!)

For the sauce

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup brandy
• 1 ts coffee grind
• 1 stick butter
• 1 ts kosher salt

in the sauce pan add the sugar and the brandy. OK THIS IS IMPORTANT!! use a pot with high sides you don't want the liquor to set fire. If it does your going to freak out and burn your house down!!! don't come crying to me.. if it does go on fire... just cover it. Ok so place the pot over medium heat and reduce by 1/2 now add the coffee and salt. Remove from the heat. Cut the butter into small pats. Add the butter to the sauce and stir until all the butter is melted.

Place your pork chop on a plate and spoon on some of the sauce.. then post a comment and tell me how firkin good my pork chop is!!!!