Despite being the executive chef and head of food services for Wolfgang Puck Kosher Catering at Chicago’s Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership, Laura Frankel knows her way around a slow cooker. It’s the secret weapon of her home kitchen, because when your day job is cooking for hundreds of people, who really has the energy or time to cook at home? And for the observant Jewish cook in a kosher home, the slow cooker is indispensable. “The slow cooker essentially acts as another pair of hands,” shares Frankel in “Jewish Slow Cooker Recipes” (Agate Surrey, 2015), a book for both the kosher and non-kosher home cook alike. “I love the fact that I can take a tough cut of meat and have it fork-tender without fussing over it or even watching it.”
Her recipe for Falling-Off-the-Bone Short Ribs is a case in point. Frankel recommends asking your favorite butcher for “English-cut” short ribs, as they are more tender than the “flanken cut” (and economical, to boot). Pair this with soft polenta, a simple green salad and a nice bottle of Argentine Malbec (use it both in the recipe and in a glass to wash it down) and you’ve got a meal to remember — just perfect to warm a chilly night.
Laura Frankel’s Falling-Off-the-Bone Short Ribs
Serves 8 – 10
- 5 pounds beef short ribs
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons dried rosemary
- 1/4 cup Porcini Dust (recipe follows)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- Olive oil
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 large Spanish onions, chopped
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 cups red wine
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cups chicken stock
- Bouquet garni of 1 bay leaf, 6 thyme sprigs, 6 parsley sprigs, and 1 small rosemary sprig, tied together with kitchen twine
Directions:
1. Place the short ribs in a large stockpot filled with water and bring to a boil. Boil the short ribs for 5 minutes. Drain and discard the water. (This helps remove the fat.)
2. Pat dry the ribs thoroughly with a paper towel. Season the ribs with salt and pepper.
3. Combine the dried thyme, dried rosemary, porcini dust, and flour in a bowl.
4. Place a large sauté pan over medium heat. Lightly coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil. Dredge the ribs in the porcini mixture. Brown the ribs in batches until the ribs are browned on all sides, about 15 minutes. Transfer the ribs to the insert of a 6 1/2-quart slow cooker.
5. Pour off most of the fat from the sauté pan. Brown the celery, onions, carrots, and fennel in batches, about 7 minutes per batch. Season each batch with salt and pepper. Add the garlic to the last batch and cook for 3 minutes more, until the garlic is very fragrant and slightly softened. Do not overbrown the garlic.
6. Transfer the browned vegetables to the insert. Add the wine and the tomato paste to the sauté pan. Stir together with a wooden spoon or spatula to break up the tomato paste. Gently scrape the pan to gather up the browned bits.
7. Transfer the wine to the slow cooker insert. Add the stock and bouquet garni. Cover and cook on Low for 10 hours.
8. Remove the short ribs from the insert and place them on a platter. Tent loosely with foil to keep them warm. Pour the braising liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a saucepan. Discard the vegetables and bouquet garni. Skim the fat off the liquid. Reduce over high heat by one half, or until the liquid is thick and coats the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Pour the sauce over the ribs.
9. Serve with your choice of accompaniment.
For Porcini Dust: Process one ounce (1/4 cup) dried porcini mushrooms to a powder in a blender or food processor. Sift out any large pieces and reprocess them. Sift the final powder through a fine-mesh strainer. Store in a tightly covered container away from light for up to 3 months.
Reprinted with permission from “Jewish Slow Cooker Recipes” by Laura Frankel, Agate Surrey, 2015.
More from Make It Better:
