Carino's: Chef's Corner

Since we are smack dab in the middle of the holiday season, I've been working on some new hearty and festive dishes to fit the season.  One of these dishes is the new Madeira Braised Short Ribs with Parmesan Cream Risotto.  Since I want Chef's corner to be a way for all of us to learn about new ingreidents and techniques, I thought talking a little bit about this dish would be a great way to do just that.

The focal point of the Madeira Braised Short Ribs is the meat itself, which is a cut of beef that comes directly off the rib bones of the cow.  The best example to something similar that I can think of is pork spareribs, however this is beef.  Similar to pork ribs, this meat is best slow-cooked until tender and in this case, we slow roast them for about 8 hours to make sure they are tender.  When it is time to prepare them at the restaurant, we sear them in a pan for a few minutes to give them some color and texture on the outside, which also helps seal the juices into the meat.  We then slowly braise the short ribs in Madeira wine (a sweet, yet flavorful European wine) and chicken demi-glace for about 8 minutes, allowing the liquid to evaporate off and tenderize the meat even more.  This also allows the flavors of the sauce to concentrate within the meat.  Add some sun-dried tomatoes and wow - the combination of sweetness with seared and tender beef is unbelievable!!  This new dish is only available through December, so come and try it soon before it is gone!