Braised Short Ribs in Coffee Brine
- 4 cups Water
- 1/4 cups Brown Sugar
- 1 cup Kosher Salt
- 3 teaspoons Instant Coffee Granuals
- 1 leaf Bay Leaf
- 3 whole Juniper Berries - Slightly Crushed
- 5 whole Peppercorns -- Slightly Crushed
- 1 pound Beef Short Ribs
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 whole Medium Onion, Coarsely Chopped
- 1 whole Carrot - Coarsely Chopped
- 1 stalk Celery, Coarsely Chopped
- 1/2 heads Garlic -- Peeled And Left In Whole Cloves
- 1/4 cups Brandy
- 1 cup Beef Broth
- 1/2 cups Dry Red Wine
- 1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste
- Salt And Pepper, to taste
- Prepare the brine by dissolving sugar, salt and coffee in the water.
- Add the seasonings.
- Place ribs in large zip lock bag and add the room temperature brine.
- Seal the bag and put it into a large pat to prevent leaks.
- Refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.
- Remove ribs from brine and dry thoroughly.
- Discard brine.
- Season ribs lightly with pepper.
- Heat the oil in a Dutch oven and brown ribs on all sides over medium-high heat.
- Do this in batches if necessary so that the ribs are not crowded.
- Remove ribs from pot when they have browned and add the vegetables (onion, carrot, celery and garlic) into the remaining fat.
- Saute vegetables on medium heat until soft, about 10 minutes.
- De-glaze pot by pouring in the brandy and scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Return ribs and any juices to the pot and add broth, wine, and tomato paste.
- Check seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.
- Do not over salt, as the ribs will have absorbed some salt from the brine.
- Turn burner to low and braise, with the pot covered, for 3 1/2 to 4 hours until very tender.
- Alternately, the covered pot may be placed into a 300 F oven for the same amount of time.
- Remove ribs from sauce, place on a plate and cover with foil.
- Skim fat from sauce and simmer it to reduce for 15 minutes.
- If you choose you may strain sauce for a smooth gravy and add a cornstarch slurry for a thicker consistency.
- Serves 2 with leftovers.
water, brown sugar, kosher salt, coffee granuals, olive oil, onion, celery, garlic, brandy, beef broth, red wine, tomato paste, salt
Taken from tastykitchen.com/recipes/main-courses/braised-short-ribs-in-coffee-brine/ (may not work)