Braised Beef Short in Guinness

feed 6 to 8 people

 

3 to 4 pieces bone-in and boneless short ribs per person, cut into same size

3 tablespoons olive oil

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup buckwheat flour

1 medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

3 to 4 carrots

12 to 15 mushrooms

2 large cans Guinness, 1 bottle light beer

1 liter beef stock

1 rosemary sprigs, 2 sprigs of thyme

2 cups cipollini onions or pearl onions, peeled

 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Season short ribs with salt and pepper.
2. Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over high heat. Working in batches, brown short ribs, about 2 minute per side, transfer to a large metal tray using kitchen tongs and set aside.
3. Once your done with the ribs, in your pot or Dutch oven over at medium heat sweat the yellow onion, then the garlic. 
4. Add your short brown ribs and half the carrots back in your pot, dredge short ribs with flour, coating all sides, add all the beer and beef stock bring to a simmer.
5. Add rosemary, thyme a touch of salt and pepper, place in the oven  no cover for 3 1/2 hours.
6. Roast the cipollini onions on a tray with a touch of olive oil then set aside.
7.  Every hour or so, remove you Dutch oven from oven, and give it a stir.
8.  After about 2 hours add the rest of the carrots and the mushrooms...continue to braise for about another hour and a half or so until meat is almost tender.
9.  Once the meat is almost fully cooked to tender, remove the meat cubes from the sauce and place on a baking sheet and place the baking sheet in the oven on the top shelf for about 30 minutes
10.  Place you pot on the stove top, bring to a boil and let reduce for about 30 minutes or until it becomes just the right thickness.  Remove the meat cubes from the oven and place back into the sauce which is now perfect texture.
11.  Add your cipollini onions and season with salt and pepper.
12.  Serve warm with mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts

Roasted Pecan Caramel Cinnamon Sticky Buns

This is easy to do and really good to eat...

The Dough

·         1 (8g) package quick rise instant yeast

·         1/4 cup white sugar

·         1 teaspoon salt

·         1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

·         1/2 cup warm water

·         1/2 cup + 3 TBSP warm milk

·         1 tablespoons vanilla

·         1 egg

·         1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened

·         4 cups all-purpose unbleached flour

·         Nonstick cooking spray

The Filling

·         3/4 cup brown sugar

·         4 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (good quality)

·         1/2 teaspoon ginger

·         1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

·         1/2 cup finely chopped roasted pecan

·         6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

The Topping

·         1 cup unsalted butter

·         2 cups packed brown sugar

·         7 tablespoons dark corn syrup

·         2 cups pecan halves, chopped or crushed

·         1 tablespoons vanilla

·         3 tablespoons Captain Morgan spiced rum (optional)

Method:

1.      Roast pecan 2 1/2 cups of pecan for about 7 to 8 minutes, set aside.

2.      In a large electric mixer bowl using your dough hook, combine yeast with 1 1/3 cups flour, sugar and salt. Stir in very warm milk and water. Add egg, butter and the remaining flour. Mix at medium to low speed until smooth and elastic for about 4 to 5 minutes adding a little more flour or liquid if needed, cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes.

3.      Meanwhile, prepare the caramel topping by melting 1 cup butter in a saucepan. Stir in corn syrup, brown sugar, rum and vanilla. Cook until sugar is just dissolved. Pour into a 9X13 inch baking pan. Spread 2 cups halves pecans evenly over the caramel sauce mixture. Set aside.

4.      Prepare the filling by combining 1/2 cup roasted finely chopped pecan, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger and nut meg. Set aside. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to a 12X18 inch rectangle. Spread butter everywhere over dough and sprinkle with sugar-cinnamon mixture and do not forget to sprinkle the edges. Roll dough into a cylinder. Brush rolled dough with butter. Using a sharp knife cut dough into 8 large rolls or 12 smaller rolls and place in the prepared pan. Cover with a dish towel and let rise for 1 hour or until your pan looks full.

5.      Preheat oven to 375 °F. Place pan on a baking tray (to catch drippings from sides of pan) and put into the oven. Bake buns for 30 minutes or until golden. Remove pan from oven and immediately invert pan onto a serving tray.

6.      Eat Warm or the next day.

Notes

This recipe was adapted from Liza adaptation, which she adapted from Mark McGough as featured in “The Martha Stewart Show”.

Nothing against handmade, but I do have electricity, so why not use it and since I prefer mine with a bit more sticky sauce and a touch more flavor punch. I have adjusted the recipe for an electric Kitchen Aid mixer.