Beef Braised With Beer Lidias Kitchen

Find flavourful, no-fuss dishes in Lidia Bastianich's new cookbook. Start with her favourite recipe for beer-braised beef short ribs

Classics are the focus here; in "Lidia's a Pot, a Pan, and a Bowl," expect more than 100 homey recipes, streamlined to require fewer steps and fewer ingredients.

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The latest book from celebrity chef and TV personality Lidia Bastianich is all about her favourite, flavourful, no-fuss recipes that use just one pot or pan (or maybe two). On one hand, the theme suits the mood of the moment, but on the other, the desire to make delicious meals while doing the least is so timeless and universal, it's hardly a trend.

Classics are the focus here; in "Lidia's a Pot, a Pan, and a Bowl," expect more than 100 homey recipes, streamlined to require fewer steps and fewer ingredients. A minimal approach, of course, still takes finesse; Bastianich describes the recipe development as a creative challenge, akin to composing a symphony, thinking about layering flavours that harmonize, and deciding when to add each one. For readers, though, never mind: she's done the work, so just follow along the (simple) steps.

Lidia's Beer-Braised Beef Short Ribs

(Costolette di Manzo Brasate alla Birra)

"The bones in the short ribs add great flavour to this dish; however, you could also make it with big chunks of beef chuck. If you do, reduce the initial cooking time of the meat by about half. The pestata of almonds and porcini does double duty here, adding a rich earthiness to the sauce and helping to thicken it without flour. As much as I enjoy Italian wine with my meals, since this recipe contains beer, here I would accompany it with one of the good artisanal beers coming out of Italy."

Active time: 35 minutes

Total time: 2 hours 40 minutes

1/4 cup dried porcini

1 cup slivered almonds, toasted

3 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil

4 pounds bone-in beef short ribs

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

3 large carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks

2 tbsps tomato paste

1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves

2 fresh bay leaves

12 oz dark ale

6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade or low-sodium store-bought

3 medium onions, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 pound small red potatoes, halved

2 tbsps chopped fresh Italian parsley

Combine the porcini and almonds in the work bowl of a mini–food processor. Pulse to make an almost smooth pestata.

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Season the short ribs with 1 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper. Brown the short ribs all over, removing them to a plate as they brown, about 5 minutes per batch.

Add the carrots, and toss to coat in the oil. Cook the carrots until they begin to brown, 2 to 3 minutes; then make a space in the pan, and add the tomato paste there. Cook and toast the tomato paste in that space until it darkens a shade or two, about 1 minute. Add the thyme and bay leaves, and stir to combine.

Add the pestata, and stir to toast lightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the beer, bring it to a boil, and cook until the beer is reduced by half. Add back the short ribs, and add 4 cups of the chicken stock. Adjust the heat so the liquid is simmering, set the lid ajar, and simmer until the short ribs are almost tender, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes.

Add the remaining 2 cups stock, the onions, and the potatoes. Return to a simmer, and cook until everything is very tender and the sauce is thick and flavourful, 40 to 50 minutes more. Stir in the parsley, remove the bay leaves, and serve.

Serves six.

Recipe excerpted from "Lidia's a Pot, a Pan, and a Bowl" by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali. Reproduced by arrangement with Appetite by Random House, a division of Penguin Random House Canada. Copyright © 2021 Tutti a Tavola, LLC. Photography by Armando Rafael. All rights reserved.

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Source: https://www.thestar.com/life/food_wine/2021/11/18/find-flavourful-no-fuss-dishes-in-lidia-bastianichs-new-cookbook-start-with-her-favourite-recipe-for-beer-braised-beef-short-ribs.html

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