What's for Dinner? (1.23.11)

It feels like the last time I was in the kitchen was before Christmas - between the holidays, sickness and tech, I haven't been able to get my cook on lately.  So, refreshing to spend a bit of time working out of the West Town Tavern cookbook and making a hearty dinner to combat the deep freeze outside.  Shannon gave the cookbook for Christmas, signed by Susan Goss - the chef/owner and GCFD board member.  It was nice to know that my kitchen instincts are not so far off from her researched and perfected recipes.  On with it, you say... Into the dutch oven with a splash of oil go a few pounds of beef short ribs - salted and peppered - until well browned on all sides.  Then a couple chopped carrots, celery stalks, red onion, parsley and a bay leaf.  Once that's all well coated, a half bottle of wine and some chicken stock (to about ¾ of the way up the meat) join the party, then into a 325° oven for the rest of the afternoon.  Or 3-4 hours depending on your timeline. Later, a couple cups of red wine vinegar and about half as much brown sugar simmer away and reduce down to a little more than a cup of syrupy, glossy liquid, to which a couple handfuls of raisins are added until it reduces down to a cup.  If you're French, you call this a gastrique; if you're not, you probably just call it a sauce.  Meanwhile, a pound of brussel sprouts are trimmed, halved and blanched for just a couple minutes, shocked and dried.  A couple of russet potatoes are cubed and simmered with a few cloves of garlic in some salted water until soft and tender.  The brussel sprouts go into a skillet, hot enough to just smoke some olive oil, until they start to just brown at the edges, which is the signal to reduce the heat a bit.  Not too much, because you still need them to caramelize for the next 10 minutes or so, but low enough you don't scorch your oil.  Now we add the deliciousness!  After draining and returning the potatoes and garlic to the pot, mash them well with ¾ cup of cream and a couple tablespoons of butter, salting and peppering to taste; then whisk for a few seconds to make them light and fluffy.  Toss the brussel sprouts with another bit of butter, and let them sizzle and crisp while the butter browns.  Salt and pepper these too!  The short ribs ought to be fall-apart tender, and get sauced with a couple spoonfulls of the gastrique.  Use the raisins to decorate the plate. If you want to be really decadent, top the mashed potatoes with an extra pat of butter.  Or not.  Your heart may thank you.

Wine with Dinner:  2007 Wind Gap Wines Syrah Sonoma Coast - It needed a few hours in the decanter, but finally the beautiful dark cherry, olive, plum and earth started to unwind from each other and take on their own personalities. This Syrah was just the right balance of acidity and oomph to stand with the richness of the food, but a good Zin or even Malbec could be nice here, too.