A Coke and a smile...

Cola Braised Short Ribs

It's been a couple of weeks since I posted, been busy with other stuff. But the combination of people asking when I was going to put up the next one, and the sheer amazing flavor these little guys put forth, is forcing me to share. This is our first time making short ribs, hopefully we didn't just ruin every other recipe for us. The only changes we made to this recipe were to add bourbon at the end to the sauce, and when straining the sauce, using a spatula to force the sediment through the wire strainer to thicken it a bit.

While making this recipe, I learned a couple things: first don't use Korean short ribs, which are sliced very thin. Use the larger, one-bone variety. Second, I thought the rub was very over powering by itself. It was, but when mixed with everything else, it needed to be. Don't hold your head over the pan when browning these... or do, and you'll only do it once:)

Entree:

• Cola Braised Short Ribs

Sides:

• Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• Roasted Green Beans
• Calamata Focacia Bread
• Citrus Arugula Salad

Short Ribs:

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 4 to 5 pounds English-cut beef short ribs, cut crosswise into 2-1/2-inch-long pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 medium garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, small dice
• 2 cups cola (not diet), such as Coca-Cola
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 oz bourbon
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons water

Process:

1. Combine the salt, paprika, black pepper, cayenne, and cumin in a small bowl. Evenly rub the spice mix on all sides of the ribs; set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a 6-quart stovetop pressure cooker over medium heat until shimmering. Working in batches, add enough short ribs to cover the bottom of the cooker without crowding them. Sear, turning occasionally, until the ribs are browned on all sides. Transfer to a large plate and repeat with the remaining ribs.
3. Add the garlic and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the cola, soy sauce, and Worcestershire and, using a wooden spoon, scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pressure cooker.
4. Return the ribs to the pressure cooker, turn to coat them in the sauce, and lock the lid in place. Increase the stovetop heat to high and bring the cooker to high pressure. Reduce the stovetop heat to medium and cook for 30 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary to maintain a visible, steady stream of escaping steam. Meanwhile, set a strainer over a large bowl; set aside.
5. Remove the pressure cooker from the heat and allow the pressure to come down naturally for 15 minutes.
6. Carefully quick-release any pressure left in the cooker, then remove the lid (keep your face away from the escaping steam).
7. Transfer the ribs to a large plate and set aside. Pour the liquid through the strainer, and, using a spatula, force as much of the sediment through as possible. Using a large spoon, skim off and discard the fat from the strained liquid and return the liquid to the pressure cooker (alternatively you can use a fat separator).
8. Return the pressure cooker to the stove over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Place the cornstarch and water in a small bowl, whisk to combine, and add half of the mixture to the pressure cooker. At this point, add the bourbon to the sauce. Cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce is glossy and thickened, about 30 seconds (add more cornstarch mixture as necessary if you want a thicker sauce). Remove from the heat, add the reserved ribs, and turn to coat them in the sauce. Serve immediately.

The mashed potatoes were just your standard mash. Pan roasted garlic was added for extra flavor. Green beans were bought fresh, tossed in oil, salt and pepper, and then roasted on a flat pan in the oven. The salad was just plain arugula, tossed with pomegranate vinegar, lime zest and lemon zest. Then garnished with orange seprims coated with black pepper, and thin sliced red onion. We made a home-made focacia bread with garlic slices, red onion, and quartered calamata olives, although to compliment this meal better, we would leave off the olives next time.

Have fun with this one, it was absolutely delicious!

Sources:
http://www.chow.com/recipes/30305-pressure-cooker-cola-braised-beef-short-ribs