The Long and Short of It: 2009's Signature Dish

My weekend post about the Best Foods of 2009 omitted one very important “player” on the dining scene. That’s because Braised Short Ribs deserve their own story.

This meaty, melt-in-your-mouth-tender dish is hotter than hot. It shows up on menus in homey outposts of Americana and temples of haute cuisine alike. Folks in San Diego are calling the recently-concluded Restaurant Week “Short Rib Week,” because virtually every participating restaurant worth its finishing salt featured the cheap but cherished cut of meat.

These are some of the best rib riffs I found in 2009.

Chef Carl Schroeder’s Prime beef short ribs give new meaning to the word tender. The Market, Del Mar chef sears them first, then slowly braises them in an intensely flavorful  sauce of reduced veal stock and reduced Cabernet Sauvignon. Delicious but discreet accompaniments -- sweet onion-potato puree, Sherry-glazed cipollini onions and seasonal sauteed vegetable – allow the meat center stage.

At ART in Seattle’s Four Seasons Hotel, chef Kerry Sears did a special Valentine’s 2009 menu of dishes to go with sparkling wine. One of the loveliest was the Duo of Organic  Beef -- a grilled filet and braised short ribs, served with exotic mushrooms, delicate English peas, black cherries and a sweet tart verjus sauce.

One of my favorite local eateries, Beaumont’s in La Jolla’s Bird Rock neighborhood, doesn’t just settle for first-rate meat and long, careful cooking to win us over.  Here we’re talking  passion fruit-glazed short ribs, served with polenta soufflé, crispy leeks and a tiny taste of blue cheese fondue.

 

I’ve never met an Alex Stratta  creation that I didn’t love. And the braised short ribs from this cooking legend --- who dominated Las Vegas when he was at Renoir in the Mirage and continues to do so at Alex in the Wynn -- are a mouthwatering case in point. Stratta treats American Wagyu beef to 72 hours of braising, then serves it with onion jam, pancetta and whipped potatoes. In my book, that’s a better “pay-off” than even the loosest slot machine. This photo is from the Los Angeles Times' Las Vegas blog.

 

Not only did I discover a hidden gem of a restaurant when my East Coast family introduced me to Belford Bistro in Belford, New Jersey , I also discovered one of the tastiest short rib preparations. Husband-wife chef team Kurt Bomberger and Crista Trovato give their boneless ribs the classic treatment – seared and braised in Cabernet for four hours. They then team the ribs with  “sides” that threaten to steal the show. I loved the roasted butternut squash that’s browned in butter along with homemade gnocchi, herbs, spinach and pine nuts.

I’m pretty sure you can find a braised short rib dish in just about every block of New York City. But not many will rival that of chef Gavin Kaysen at Café Boulud. Kaysen does a Dry Aged Beef Duo that involves a perfectly lovely seared strip loin steak that’s blown away by the braised short ribs sharing the plate. A terrific cauliflower gratin and Swiss chard are on the side. 

 

 

 

Comments

[Angela Smalley]

Jean-Georges' new Market at W Boston has short ribs: soy-glazed short ribs with apple-jalapeno puree and rosemary crumbs. Alas, I don't eat red mean, but I hear they are divine!

[Barbara Frye]

Dear Maureen, I am in Fl with Ellen and she just showed me your blog of your trip to Venice with your Mom & Marcia. Your mother looks great. It
was a great trip. Tell Betty I will be in touch with her soon.
Maureen I am wondering if you know a chef by the name of Michel LeBorgne of the New England Culinary Institute? He is a friend of Karen's and he just wrote a book called "No Crying in the Kitchen"-we thought you might enjoy it.
Maureen, we are going to continue reading your blog-it is amazing how much you have seen and the wonderful places you have gone. Ellen says to say hello to her godmother and I say send love to my godchild-YOU! Love, Barbara & Arne