Sarah Leah Chase’s New England Open-House Cookbook is a wide-ranging cookbook that reflects the bountiful ingredients and recipes of New England, served up in evocative prose, gorgeous full-color photographs, and 300 delicious recipes. Try the Moxie-Braised Short Rib Beef Stew from the cookbook, below.
And after the recipe, don’t miss your chance to win New England biscuits and jam from our friends at Stonewall Kitchen!
Moxie-Braised Short Rib Beef Stew
Serves 4 to 6
INGREDIENTS
- 5 pounds meaty beef short ribs (each rib 4 to 5 inches long)
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black peppercorns
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
- 1 cup peeled and diced carrots
- 1 cup diced celery
- 2 cups diced peeled yellow or white onions
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 cup beef stock or broth, homemade or store-bought
- 1 bottle Moxie (20 ounces), not diet, unfortunately
- 3 tablespoons blueberry jam, such as Stonewall Kitchen wild blueberry jam or Nervous Nellie’s wild Maine blueberry preserves
- ¼ cup cider vinegar
- Buttered egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or soft polenta, for serving
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. Place a wire rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet.
- Season the short ribs all over with salt and cracked peppercorns to taste. Place the flour in a shallow dish and dredge the ribs, shaking off any excess.
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or other large, heavy pot over medium heat. Working in batches so as not to overcrowd the pot, sear the short ribs on all sides until golden brown, 7 to 9 minutes. Place the browned short ribs on the prepared baking sheet to catch any juices.
- Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat in the pot and add the carrots, celery, onions, and bay leaves. Cook the vegetables over medium heat until they begin to soften, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the beef stock or broth and 1½ cups of the Moxie, scraping up any browned bits clinging to the bottom of the pot. Set the remaining 1 cup of Moxie aside. Return the ribs to the pot with the juices from the baking sheet and let come to a simmer. Cover the pot tightly, transfer it to the oven, and braise the ribs undisturbed for 3 hours.
- Remove the pot from the oven and, using hinged metal tongs, carefully transfer the short ribs to a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, keeping the meat attached to the bones as best you can. Wrap the short ribs securely in the foil and refrigerate them overnight. Pour the liquid in the pot through a fine mesh strainer, pressing down on the vegetables to extract as much liquid and flavor as possible. Discard the vegetables. Refrigerate the liquid in a separate container overnight.
- Skim the solidified fat from the surface of the strained liquid and discard it. Pour the liquid into a clean Dutch oven or other large, heavy pot and let come to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk in the blueberry jam, cider vinegar, and enough of the remaining 1 cup of Moxie to thin the sauce to a medium-thick consistency, whisking until the jam is completely dissolved. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and cracked peppercorns to taste if needed.
- Remove all the meat from the short ribs, shredding it into 1-inch chunks, and add it to the simmering sauce. Cook the stew slowly over medium-low heat until the meat is heated through, about 15 minutes. Ladle the hot stew over buttered egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or soft polenta. Sprinkle the top of each serving with the parsley and enjoy the stew hot.
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