Dayrecipe Food Community

At the restaurant, orzo (rice-shaped pasta) is served alongside the gravy-rich lamb.

Makes 6 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 3tablespoons olive oil
• 612- to 14-ounce lamb shanks
• 2celery stalks, chopped
• 1large onion, chopped
• 1large carrot, chopped
• 6large garlic cloves, chopped
• 3drained canned anchovies
• 2cinnamon sticks
• 2small bay leaves
• 2fresh thyme sprigs
• 5juniper berries or 2 tablespoons gin
• 1/4teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1tablespoon tomato paste
• 1750-ml bottle merlot
• 114-ounce can low-salt chicken broth
• 114-ounce can low-salt beef broth

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 325°F. Heat oil in large ovenproof pot (wide enough to hold lamb in single layer) over medium-high heat. Sprinkle lamb on all sides with salt and pepper. Add lamb to pot and sauté until brown, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes. Transfer lamb to plate. Add next 10 ingredients to pot. Sauté until vegetables brown, about 20 minutes. Mix in tomato paste. Add wine and all broth; boil until liquid is reduced by half, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Return lamb to pot, arranging in single layer; add any accumulated juices. Bring to boil.

Place lamb in oven and cook uncovered until tender, basting and turning occasionally, about 2 hours. Transfer lamb to plate. Skim any fat from top of roasting liquid. Press all liquid and enough of vegetables through sieve set over large bowl to make sauce with gravy consistency. Return gravy to pot; add lamb. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated.) Rewarm lamb over low heat. Transfer to platter and serve.

This sensational dish is best when made with meaty short ribs that are three to four inches long. Serve with a simple green salad and glasses of good Zinfandel.

Makes 6 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 2tablespoons (or more) olive oil
• 6pounds meaty beef short ribs1large onion, finely chopped
• 1medium carrot, finely chopped
• 1celery stalk, finely chopped
• 12whole garlic cloves, peeled
• 2tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1tablespoon dried herbes de provence*
• 2cups red zinfandel
• 2 1/2cups canned beef broth
• 114 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoesin juice
• 1bay leaf
• 1/2cup (about) water24baby carrots, peeled
• 1/2cupniçois olives,** pitted
• 3tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• crème fraîche mashed potatoes

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 325°F. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle ribs with salt and pepper. Working in batches, add ribs to pot and brown well, turning often, about 8 minutes per batch. Using tongs, transfer ribs to large bowl.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons drippings from pot or add oil as necessary to measure 2 tablespoons. Add onion, chopped carrot, and celery and cook over medium-low heat until vegetables are soft, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, flour, and herbes de Provence; stir 1 minute. Add wine and 2 cups broth; bring to boil over high heat, scraping up browned bits. Add tomatoes with juices and bay leaf. Return ribs and any accumulated juices to pot. If necessary, add enough water to pot to barely cover ribs. Bring to boil.

Cover pot tightly and transfer to oven. Bake until ribs are very tender, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours 15 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly, then refrigerate uncovered until cold. Cover and keep refrigerated. Bring to simmer before continuing.)

Add remaining 1/2 cup broth, peeled baby carrots, and Niçois olives to pot; press carrots gently to submerge. Cover, return to oven and continue cooking at 350°F until carrots are tender, about 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Transfer short ribs and carrots to platter. Tent with foil to keep warm. If necessary, boil sauce to thicken slightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over short ribs. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with Crème Fraîche Mashed Potatoes.

* A dried herb mixture available at specialty foods stores and in the spice section of some markets. A mix of dried thyme, basil, savory, and fennel seeds can be substituted.
** Small brine-cured black olives; available at Italian markets, specialty foods stores, and some supermarkets.

This is a real family pleasing stew that needs no tending to once it’s on the go.  If your sure to select beef that has marbeling (fat streaks) in it the meat will be moist, tender and very flavorful. Best served with hot baking powder biscuits, Yumm!

SERVES: 4-6

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 teaspoons cooking oil
• 2 lbs beef cut into large chunks, use a less expensive cut that has some marbeling in it
• 8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
• 2 stalks celery, cut into 1 inch pieces (don’t forget to include the leaves if there any)
• 1 carrot, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 onion, sliced into 8 wedges
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons dry onion soup mix
• 1 teaspoon Worchesteshire Sauce
• 1 cup beef broth
• 3-4 grinds of black pepper (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat the oil in a large pot.
2. Add the beef and brown well on all sides
3. When beef is beginning to brown nicely add the fresh mushrooms and onion wedges.
4. When the mushroons and onions almost cooked add in the celery and carrot.
5. Stir well and add the can of mushroom soup and onion soup mix, Stir well
6. Pour in beef broth, Worchesteshire Sauce and season with fresh ground black pepper if desired.
7. Continue cooking on the stove top at low heat until the meat is tender (about 3-4 hours).
9. Or transfer to a crock pot and cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours, or on High for 4 to 6 hours.

Debra L. Warren of Lake Forest, Illinois, writes: “I have often indulged in Jay Lovell’s phenomenal cuisine at his Lovell’s of Lake Forest restaurant, and the ribs he prepared for an event I attended were out of this world. Could you possibly persuade the chef to share the recipe?”

The espresso powder gives the sauce great depth of flavor.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 2tablespoons hot mexican-style chili powder
• 1tablespoon paprika
• 1tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 1/2teaspoons salt
• 3/4teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4pounds baby back pork ribs112-ounce bottle dark beer118-ounce bottle good-quality barbecue sauce
• 1/2cup water
• 2tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
• 1tablespoon instant espresso powder

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 400°F. Whisk chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper in small bowl to blend. Rub spice mixture all over ribs. Place ribs in heavy large roasting pan.

Boil beer in medium saucepan until reduced to 1 cup, about 5 minutes. Pour beer around ribs. Cover pan tightly with foil. Bake ribs until fork-tender, about 1 hour 30 minutes.

Combine barbecue sauce, 1/2 cup water, brown sugar, and espresso powder in heavy medium saucepan. Simmer until flavors blend and sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. (Ribs and barbecue sauce can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool slightly, then cover separately and refrigerate.)

Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Brush ribs with some barbecue sauce. Grill ribs just until heated through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer ribs to platter. Bring remaining sauce to simmer. Brush ribs with more barbecue sauce. Serve ribs, passing remaining barbecue sauce separately.

“I’ve always loved to cook,” writes Mary Gareffa of East Longmeadow, Massachusetts,
“and though at eighty-nine I’m slowing down, I still love it. My grandfather and my father were both cooks in a monastery in Reggio Calabria, Italy, before they moved to this country, and luckily for me, my father was my cooking teacher. He showed me how to make the tomato-and-sausage sauce for the pasta. When my son was young, he used to tease me for standing over the pot of sauce, stirring and simmering it slowly, but that’s the way my father showed me. A sauce is like a baby; you have to be gentle with it. And I know I must be doing something right, because my grandson, Jason, called me just last week to get the recipe.”

Tender meatballs — bound with bread softened in milk — in a good old-fashioned Tomato-Sausage sauce.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 33/4-inch-thick slices italian bread with crusts (each 3×5 inches)
• milk
• 1pound ground sirloin
• 2tablespoons (packed) grated parmesan cheese
• 1large egg
• 1tablespoon minced fresh italian parsley
• 1large garlic clove, minced
• 1teaspoon salt
• 1/2teaspoon ground black pepper2tablespoons olive oil
• tomato-sausage sauce1pound spaghetti, freshly cooked
• additional grated parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS Place bread in medium bowl; cover with milk. Let stand until bread is soft, about 10 minutes. Place meat in large bowl. Mix in 2 tablespoons cheese and next 5 ingredients. Squeeze bread almost dry; discard milk. Blend bread into meat mixture. Using 1 rounded tablespoon for each, shape mixture into 24 meatballs.

Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add meatballs; sauté until brown and cooked through, turning often to hold shape, about 15 minutes. Add meatballs and drippings in skillet to pot of Tomato-Sausage Sauce. Simmer to blend flavors, about 10 minutes.

Place pasta in large bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups sauce and toss to coat. Top with meatballs and remaining sauce. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese.