Sunday Dinner Remixed: Merlot Braised Short Ribs

Typically in my house growing up Sunday dinner was where it was at. It was the culmination of one week and the start to another. My mother or grandmother would deck the table with DELICIOUS food…and after church it was a time to eat, eat, and eat some more. You can see why I looked forward to these times.

It was typically something that took hours to prepare. Pot roast, short ribs, baked chicken, roast turkey, etc. was always on the menu. Well, I’m paying tribute to my roots with this one.

I’ve braised beef short ribs in merlot with root vegetables. That’s placed atop smashed celery root and braised collard greens. And trust me…it’s easy to do.

Braised Beef Short Ribs

So easy, you don’t even need a recipe. Just chop a bunch of different root vegetables (carrots, celery, potatoes, turnips, bell peppers, onions, garlic, etc) and place them over the meat. Season liberally with only salt and pepper and a bit of water in the pan. Cover tightly and bake in the oven on 350-degrees for about 90 minutes. When you remove the foil you should notice a fair amount of fat in the pan. Simply drain the fat and at this point add in a bit of red wine (something of really good quality) and perhaps a bit of beef stock with some seasonings (I use garlic powder, a touch of cayenne, bay leaf, rosemary, and thyme). Cover and let go for another 90 minutes or so. The meat should be incredibly tender at this point. Make a slurry (1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed thoroughly with one 2 tablespoons of cold water) and pour that into the sauce. Let it go UNCOVERED for another 15 minutes or so and the sauce should be nice and thick. If need be add a bit more salt and pepper. That’s it…it’s one of those things that you have to feel your way through.

Braised Collard Greens
-2 bunches of collard greens, chopped & cleaned
-2 tablespoons of olive oil
-1 tablespoon of butter
-1 tablespoon of minced onion
-1 tablespoon of minced garlic
-1.5 cups of chicken stock
-Salt and pepper to taste
-1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning

On medium high heat, saute garlic and onion in olive oil and butter until aromatic. Toss in collards and combine seasonings. Add chicken stock and cook for about 10 minutes covered. Remove lid and cook for another 10 minutes or until majority of the liquid has evaporated.

Smashed Celery Root
So simple…no recipe needed. Peel and cube one celery root. Boil in water until fork tender. Drain well. Add 1/4 cup of butter milk, minced garlic, 2 tablespoons of butter, and a few pinches of salt and pepper to taste…that’s it. Smash it all together until it resembles lumpy mashed potatoes.

Plating Instructions:
1. Place celery root on the bottom.
2. Place collards over celery root.
3. Place short rip on top.
4. Spoon a bit of sauce over the top.
5. Sprinkle plate with cracked black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.