Recipe(tried): Braised Short Ribs Dinner and Asparagus with Orange Butter

Hi,

This was Monday's meal...ribs that stick to you, sauce that is marvelous over mashed potatoes and served with Asparagus in Orange Butter.

BRAISED SHORT RIBS
Serves 6 to 8

6 pounds short ribs
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
6 shallots, peeled and quartered
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup ruby port wine
4 cups full-bodied red wine, preferably Cabernet Sauvignon
2 sprigs rosemary
10 sprigs parsley
8 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
1 head garlic, halved crosswise
4 cups veal stock

1. Heat oven to 375F. Tie each short rib with kitchen string, and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and brown short ribs on each side. Remove short ribs, and cook carrots, celery, onions, and shallots until onions and shallots turn golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and flour, and cook 2 to 3 minutes.

2. Return short ribs to the pot, and deglaze with port and red wine. Cook until wine is reduced by two-thirds. To make the bouquet garni, bunch rosemary, parsley, thyme, and bay leaves together, and tie the bundle with kitchen string. Add bouquet garni, garlic, and stock to pot. Bring to a boil, and cover. Transfer to oven, and cook until meat is fork-tender, about 3 hours.

3. Transfer short ribs to large platter. Strain sauce through a fine sieve or cheesecloth into a medium-size saucepan. Reduce sauce over medium heat until it thickens to a gravylike consistency. Adjust seasoning to taste, spoon sauce over short ribs, and serve.

Asparagus with Orange Butter
serves 4

20 stalks of asparagus
3 Tbsp. butter
1/3 cup pecans, chopped
1 tsp. orange zest
salt and pepper to taste

Trim stalks of asparagus and blanch in a skillet with 1 inch of boiling water for 3 minutes.

Melt butter over med. heat in small pan, add pecans and cook until nuts are toasted about 4 minutes.

Stir in the orange peel and cook 1 more minute, stirring occasionally. Pour over asparagus and serve.