Rainy Day No Good For Surf. But A Good Day For Cooking Suzanne Goin's Short Ribs!

While this whale of a storm just rolled in, nobody would call the drought over here in Cali. We need a lot more rain for that, and while we're at it how about some snow in the local mountains so we can ski? Huh, how about it? But while this much-needed rain is good for so many reasons, it's not too great in surf world. For one, depending on the storm, the seas can be choppy and the waves can suck. For another, if you surf in an urban area anywhere close to a storm drain, it's probably a good idea to stay out of the water for a couple of days. However, being stuck inside on a chilly, rain-soaked day isn't a bad thing, food wise. In fact it's a good thing, because it's perfect comfort food weather, and perfect for a long, slow braise. Which got me thinking about Suzanne Goin's recipe for beef short ribs, that mainstay that's been on the menu at Lucques since the start, I think (and for good reason). This was dinner tonight, and it was really really delicious.

Actually I didn't set out today to make short ribs. But I stopped in at McCall's Meat and Fish while out and about, and one of the first things I saw when I walked in the door were these beautiful guys. Don't they look sweet?

And while I didn't have Goin's recipe from "Sunday Suppers At Lucques" in front of me because the book was at home, I've made it before so I decided to wing it. Oh, side note: Suzanne Goin, and her partner in many of her ventures, Caroline Styne, rock. If you've never been to Lucques or A.O.C., you have to go. Definitely don't miss The Hungry Cat, the seafood-oriented spot she opened with husband David Lentz, first in Hollywood and now with outposts in Santa Monica and Santa Barbara. If you haven't gotten to Larder yet, like me I admit, Go! Goin is a quintessential California chef -- her food is sophisticated, but not in an intimidating way, and she's a champion for using seasonal and local ingredients. But back to those short ribs. When I got home with them and looked up the recipe, there were only a couple of things I didn't have on hand: fresh pearl onions (I have some frozen) and fresh thyme (we had some dried). I did, however, have this beautiful chard from the garden to go alongside the ribs, with Goin's potato puree, of course as well! Here's the freshly harvested chard--

I'm not going to give the recipe for the short ribs here. If you want it, just google Suzanne Goin and braised short ribs and there are numerous versions of it out there. But here are some glimpses of the process.

You see the ribs just above. At McCall's they come in one big piece of three ribs, but just run your knife down between the bones and you can separate them. Then I seasoned them well with salt and fresh ground pepper and then refrigerated them for a while. Meanwhile, I diced up some carrot, celery and onion for the braise.

Onto browning the meat. As Goin says in the recipe, take your time with this. It'll take a good ten to fifteen minutes to get the short ribs browned on all the meaty sides, but when you're done, they'll look like this:

Next up, the vegetables get a sauté, and then wine and broth goes in the pot along with the ribs. Like you see here:

Then it's into the oven for two to three hours at a low and slow 325 degrees. By the way, is there a better aroma then short ribs braising in the oven on a cold rainy day? Man, it smells good in this house! And while the meat was in the oven, I made the potatoes and prepped the chard. I don't know if you're aware of this, but you can actually make a potato puree, or even mashed potatoes, ahead of time and reheat them without too much of a problem. I used to be afraid they would turn gluey or something, but they don't. You can reheat in the microwave, or in a slow oven. Anyway here's a batch of whipped potatoes.

On, in a slight departure from Goin's recipe, I used buttermilk because we had some on hand to use up, so no cream, and I also didn't pass them twice through a Tamis! It's just us tonight -- if it was for company I'd put in the extra effort though.

Just before serving, I roughly chopped that chard and then sautéed it in some olive oil, with a little garlic (again a slight departure from Goin, who tosses in the roasted pearl onions).

Once the meat was fully braised, remove the ribs to a baking sheet and let them brown in a 400 degree oven. Then, like Goin instructs, I strained the vegetables out of the sauce and degreased it. In another slight departure (I'm sorry Ms. Goin!) I thickened it with a little cornstarch mixed with water. We just like a sauce that has a bit more heft to it.

And so that was it, which you see on the plate in the first picture. I forgot how great this recipe is, so thank you Suzanne Goin  and my well-worn copy of "Sunday Suppers at Lucques" for reminding me!

For all things Goin, here are some vitals:

Lucques: www.lucques.com

A.O.C.: www.aocwinebar.com

The Hungry Cat: www.thehungrycat.com

Tavern: www.tavernla.com

The Larder at Maple Drive: www.thelarderatmaple.com

The Larder at Burton Way: www.larderatburtonway.com

Books: "Sunday Suppers At Lucques", "The A.O.C. Cookbook"

For excellent beef short ribs: www.mccallsmeatandfish.com