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THE CHRISTMAS TABLE Recipes and Crafts to Create Your Own Holiday Tradition by Diane Morgan Chronicle Books November 2008 $19.95/softcover Full-color photographs ISBN: 978-0-8118-6093-2 Back to book information Printer-friendly page

Years ago, my husband and I lived in Chicago while he attended graduate school. He was busy studying mathematics and I was busy working and studying cooking with Alma Lach, the local doyenne of French cooking. Alma had been food editor of the Chicago Sun-Times for twenty years and decided to retire and start a cooking school. I was her assistant for five years. Under her tutelage, I learned French cooking in all its glory, precision, and detail. She was a patient but exacting teacher, teaching me the importance of balancing flavors and textures. Although I have substituted short ribs for beef cubes in this recipe, the succulent, deep, rich flavors of the Bourguignonne are a credit to her palate. It would be a mistake to skip the addition of Madeira and Cognac at the end of the recipe — it takes the recipe from wonderful to amazing, and that was always Alma's style. Serve with Puree of Celery Root (page 117).

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 cup all-purpose flour for dredging
6 pounds individual beef short ribs (not cross-cut flanken), about 3 inches long, trimmed of excess fat
2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme, plus 4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bottle (750 mL) red Burgundy
4 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus 1/4 cup minced for garnish
1 bay leaf
1-1/2 cups water, or as needed
1-1/2 pounds small white boiling onions
1 pound baby carrots
1 pound button mushrooms, wiped or brushed clean, ends trimmed
1/4 cup Madeira
2 tablespoons Cognac or other brandy

Position a rack on the second-lowest level in the oven. Preheat the oven to 325°F.

In a large (at least 6-quart) Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed ovenproof pot with a lid, heat the butter and oil over medium-high heat. Spread the flour on a plate. Working in batches, roll the short ribs in the flour, tapping off the excess, and add to the pan, without crowding. Cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes per batch. Using tongs, transfer the browned meat to a rimmed baking sheet. Continue until all the meat is browned. Season the browned short ribs with the salt and pepper.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the pan and return the pan to medium-low. Add the garlic, tomato paste, and minced thyme and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the Burgundy and stir to loosen the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Bring the wine to a simmer.

While the wine is heating, make a bouquet garni by laying the sprigs of thyme and then parsley on top of the bay leaf. Bend the stems and leaves of the parsley around the bay leaf and thyme to form a bundle, and tie the bundle together with kitchen string. Add the bouquet garni to the pot.

Return the browned meat to the pot, and any accumulated juices from the baking sheet. Pour in the water, adding just enough so the meat is barely covered with liquid, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, transfer to the oven, and braise for 2 hours, stirring the meat once after 1 hour. After 2 hours, add the onions and carrots to the pot, stir to submerge them in the liquid, and cook until barely tender, about 30 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until tender and cooked through, about 15 minutes. At this point the meat should be falling-off-the-bone tender and all the vegetables should be tender. (The recipe can be made up to this point 1 day in advance. Let cool, cover, and refrigerate.)

Remove the pot from the oven and set it over a burner turned to medium-low. Skim off any fat from the surface of the cooking liquid and discard the bouquet garni. Add the Madeira and Cognac and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Taste and adjust the seasoning. Use tongs to transfer the short ribs to a warmed platter. Spoon the sauce along with the carrots, onions, and mushrooms over the meat. Garnish with the minced parsley and serve immediately.