Red Wine Braised Beef with Cranberry Reduction

I had leftover cranberry sauce.

(is it still considered leftover if you forget to serve it?!)

Why not turn that frown upside down, and make a beautifully impressive dinner?

This beef is seared in a cast iron skillet (or any hot skillet you may have), braised in red wine, and  finished in the oven for hours until ever-so-tender. 

Leftover cranberry sauce is added to the pan juices and reduced, making a sweet and savory sauce.  

Serve with mashed potatoes, Tomato Braised Kale, and Sage Popovers, and you've got a special meal.  

Red Wine Braised Beef with Cranberry Reduction

3 bone-in short ribs (~2 1/2 lbs)

2 carrots, peeled and chopped in 1/2 inch pieces

3 onions, chopped and cut in 1/2 inch pieces

2 stalks celery, chopped in 1/2 inch pieces

2 cups red wine (chianti works well, I had barbera on hand)

2 cups water, preferably boiling (or room temp will work)

3 sprigs thyme

2 sprigs rosemary

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup cranberry sauce

salt and pepper

extra virgin olive oil

Optional step if time: generously coat the short ribs in salt and pepper and refrigerate for 4 hours and up to 1 day.  This step makes a moister meat, but can be skipped. 

1. Remove short ribs from fridge a half hour before cooking to bring to room temperature. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2. Heat a few drizzles of olive oil in large oven-safe skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat.  Get the pan pretty hot (a drop of water should sizzle when hot enough).  Add the short ribs, in batches if necessary, and sear all sides until a nice brown crust forms.  Remove to a plate.

3. In same hot pan add the onion, carrot, and celery.  Cook for a few minutes without stirring.  Stir once, and cook another 5 minutes or so without disturbing, until vegetables will begin sticking to pan a bit.  Stir and cook another 5 minutes, until vegetables stick to bottom again.  

4.  Carefully pour in the red wine and stir, scraping up the brown buts from the beef and veggies.  Let cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the water, thyme, rosemary, a couple shakes of salt and pepper, and bay leaf. If the meat is not covered with liquid, add more water until it is.  Cover tightly with aluminum foil, and transfer to the hot oven.  Bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  

5. Remove from oven, and carefully remove the short ribs to a plate, draping the aluminum foil over them.  Place a colander in a large bowl, and drain the contents of the skillet into the bowl.  Reserve the beef stock and discard the carrot/onion/celery mirepoix.  Pour a spoonful of the beef stock over each short rib to keep it moist while you make the Cranberry Reduction.

6. Return the skillet to the stovetop, add 2 cups of the beef stock and the cranberry sauce, and heat over medium- medium high heat.  Bring to a simmer.  Once at a simmer, stir often, and cook about 10 minutes, until the sauce begins to reduce.  Taste and if too sweet add more broth.  Continue cooking until sauce reduces by half and slightly thickens. Season with salt and pepper.

7. Portion short ribs on serving plates and spoon the cranberry reduction over top. Enjoy!

Drunk Filet Mignon with Bourbon Cream Sauce

I am no photographer! 

I love to cook and I love to eat, but patience with taking photos of food is not my strong point. 

I want to eat it, not look at it!

So I must apologize for these clearly lazy, last second pictures of this truly amazing Filet Mignon.

This is one of those meals that just steals the spotlight away from EVERYTHING else on the plate.    One of those sauces that makes you want to lick the plate.  

It's deeply flavorful, just a bit sweet, and everything I've ever dreamed of to accompany a beautiful  cut of Filet Mignon.  

Unfortunately I did not have a beautiful cut of Filet Mignon, but the one I had did just fine, and the Bourbon Cream Sauce made everything wrong with it.. just seem so right. 

Pair this sauce with any red meat- Rack of Lamb, a standing Rib Roast- for a super-impressive main dish.  

I served it with Butternut Squash Quinoa Alfredo, caramelized brussel sprouts and a couple glasses of red wine. 

Easy Chicken Stock

Non-cookers think homemade chicken stock is the most amazing thing.  They think it takes, I don't know, weeks to make! And you have to be some professional chef or something...

Let's put this to rest right now.  

It's so easy.  All you need is time.  

So do yourself a favor on a rainy or lazy day.  Make some chicken stock.  Then freeze some in an ice cube tray.  Freeze some more in larger containers for larger meals, like soups, stews.  

But what do I DO with all this chicken stock?

1. Use to make Creole Shrimp Risotto or maybe Sage Chicken Chili.

2. Cook your veggies (like peas, asparagus, brussel sprouts) in chicken stock for added flavor.  I  add some oil to a pan, saute veggie for a few minutes, add 3 or 4 chicken stock ice cubes to pan, and let cook until tender.

3. When cooking rice, couscous, quinoa, etc, you can use chicken stock in place of water.  

4. Use to make sauces, like marinara or alfredo.

5. Use in mashed potatoes as a partial replacement for butter and cream.

Sweet'n Spicy Sticky Sauce

This is a Thai style sauce.  

It's Sweet. Sticky. Spicy. Aaand Salty. 

It's a great dipping sauce for spring rolls, lettuce wraps, won-tons, etc. 

I plan on making Empanadas shortly, and made this in advance.  

It keeps well in the refrigerator for about 3 weeks.  

A note on personal preferences: 

Want sweeter? Add more brown sugar.  

Saltier? Add more fish sauce (but I don't recommend- pretty salty). 

Spicier? Beware- this can get pretty spicy pretty quickly.  I added 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper.  I like spicy... and this was pretty darn spicy!!  You can always just start by adding 1/8 tsp, tasting, and adding more appropriately.