Monday, November 19, 2007

Cranberry Orange Spice Braised Short Ribs


It's finally cold (well, for Arizona) enough for me to feel like it's really fall. I wore a light wrap to work this morning and drove with the heated seat on - a huge breakthrough considering the steamy weather we have had this fall.

So...time for a new braised recipe and since short ribs are delicious (and one of my boyfriend's favorite things I make) I created a new recipe.

According to Brian, this might be the best attempt at short ribs I have ever had - so this recipe is a keeper. Meltingly tender, sweet yet savory and a bit tart to balance the richness of the ribs. And a final good thing - this makes your house smell really yummy for many hours while cooking.

Cranberry Orange Spice Braised Short Ribs:
(serves 4-6)

4 lbs beef short ribs
Olive oil for searing
Salt and pepper
2 c orange juice
2 c beef broth
1 c fresh cranberries
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cinnamon stick
2-3 whole star anise
1/2 c brown sugar (or to taste)
Chopped fresh parsley for color/garnish if desired

Directions:
Generously season short ribs with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 300. In a large oven-safe stock pot or dutch oven, sear short ribs in batches in olive oil until browned on all sides. As they are browned, let them stand on a plate.

Once all ribs have been seared, pour off rendered fat leaving just a film of oil. Quickly saute garlic, cinnamon stick and star anise - not allowing garlic to brown. Deglaze pan with beef broth. Add orange juice and sugar and bring to a slow simmer. Add short ribs back in, stir in cranberries and allow to simmer. Once simmering, cover and place in oven and braise for 5-6 hours. Serve short ribs with their own cooking juices and sauce, making sure a few cranberries are served with each serving. Serve atop noodles, cous-cous, rice or with whatever sides you prefer.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Kirsten. I think I've just seen Jesus. Seriously.

Peabody said...

Where are you because all of my friends said it is still in the 80's there...and well, that's not cold!
Your ribs look great...perfect for our 40 degree weather.

Kirsten said...

Terry...I ADORE any braised meat...so your comment rings true and is infinitely flattering. Thanks!

Pea...I am embracing 3 a.m. to 7 a.m. and braising. Actually, it is nice here, but not cold any hour the sun is up. :)

But today at about 7 a.m. on the way to work I was cold enough to turn on my heated seats to high and wrap up and drink coffee...so it was huge for us. (shivering at 70 :-)

Greg said...

Oh my, you can't go wrong with braised meats. And yours looks fantastic. Speaking from a really cold place where it is well below freezing, this dish would certainly hit the spot.

Unknown said...

Damn me for reading this at 6:30 am and now I'm salivating over this dish. You have definitly outdone yourself. Braising has become one of my favorite things to do!! This recipe is perfect around the holidays. I'll definitely be trying this!

test it comm said...

This sounds pretty good. I like the idea of cranberries in a savoury dish.

Carrie said...

oh, yum! I'm going to have to give this one a try!

Mo said...

Wow, does this sound great. I think I will try it over Christmas in Minnesota. Cold weather, and lots of time to be in the kitchen.

Anonymous said...

I have short-ribs in the freezer I need to find a good recipe for. I can always count on you, Kirsten! Looks delicious!

Tanya said...

I just came close to licking the screen-- and I'm not even a big meat eater.

Joel said...

Haven't looked at the site in a while Kirsten - this looks great (plus I have all the ingredients in my house right now!). Going to try this over the weekend with my new pressure cooker. Thanks for the recipe.