Coffee-braised meats are the latest in "What's new is old" cuisine. It sounds nouveau and unexpected, but the cowboys were stewing meat in leftover coffee grits ages ago, I'm sure. I joined in the fun today with some ribs that I bought for a song at Whole Foods. My sides were paprika dill rice with a squeeze of lime and a simple salad of diced heirloom tomatoes, raw corn, garbanzo beans, and diced onions.
This is how the ribs looked before being thrown on a plate with sides. For a nice big pot, good for multiple meals:- 9 large beef back ribs
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 cup strong coffee
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 can crushed tomatoes, 12 oz or 24 oz depending on your preference
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 Thai chili
- salt and pepper
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
Rub the ribs all over with salt and pepper. If you have time, do this the night before and let it sit in the refrigerator. In a dutch oven, sear all sides of the ribs on high heat. Set aside and put the onions in to cook with the butter. You can add carrots, celery, or root vegetables, but I didn't have any. When the onions are cooked through, sprinkle the flour over them and cook until slightly browned. Add the wine, scraping the bottom to release any brown bits. Then add the tomatoes, heat, and put the ribs back in along with the chili and bay leaves. Add a little water if the sauce does not cover the ribs, but it's better to use a pot that's small enough that you don't use too much sauce. Salt and pepper to taste, turn the flame as low as it will go, cover the dutch oven, and braise for three hours or until the ribs are tender. I let mine go all afternoon, for almost six hours at the barest simmer. You'll notice the liquid turning a little gooey and sticky when the tendons and fat start breaking down. That's how you know you're getting close to being done. Take the cover off and turn up the head to medium until the sauce thickens as much as you'd like.
Here's the stew halfway through cooking, smelling great but still soupy.
3 comments:
What does it taste like? - C
It tastes like any other tomato-y braised beef. The wine and coffee are practically imperceptible. The wine adds a slight tang and the coffee adds a slight smokiness, but in a blind taste test I doubt most people would identify either as ingredients. We're talking about one cup each in over a gallon of stew.
I had oxtails at a Dominican restaurant the other day and was wondering what their yummy sauce was. After seeing your recipe, I think I know now. Cool. G
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