Beer Braised Short Ribs with Plantains

Mymy Suajico – Santiago 蔡马安

If drinking beer brings out a person’s character and animates his personality, so does it goes the same when you cook with it. Its flavor component : Barley & Hops when blended in cooking delivers an earthy essence. So goes, the darker the beer, the richer the taste. For this recipe I chose Miller Chill, a light brew with a hint of lime to purposely avoid it from overpowering the natural full flavor of the short ribs.

Though short ribs are usually tender, they are best slow cooked to tenderize even more. Plantains in this case, makes a great accompaniment to counter the sourness of beer. Again, the Yin and Yang principle applied in cooking.

Ingredients:

2 pc.                       Plantains, sliced
1 whole                   white onions, chopped
½ pc                       Jalapeno (for heat)
½ cup                     Celery, chopped
1 pc.                       Red Bell Pepper, sliced
1 lb.                        Short Ribs
3 pcs                      Bay leaf
1 bottle                   Miller Chill (or any Beer)
½ can                     tomato Paste
1 cup                      Chicken or Beef stock

                              Salt & Pepper

                              Olive Oil (EVOO)
                              Parsley for garnish

Procedure:

Boil 4 cups of water, drop in short ribs and bay leaf
Cook in medium heat for 3 hours++ or until the meat is tender, discard liquid
Add in beer and braise the short ribs with all the rest of the ingredients. Pot braise until all of the flavors have blended in
Remove from heat, Season with salt & Pepper and stir in EVOO (at least 1 tbsp.)
Garnish with Parsley and serve with bread on the side

Don’t forget to couple with Beer!

                             

Salmon Avocado Tartare

Mymy Suajico – Santiago 蔡马安

 

Tartare is simply the preparation of raw chopped meat with seasonings and spices. The most common version of which is the steak tartare where in high grade is chopped and marinated into spirits, spiced, chilled & served.

For this recipe, I chose Pink Salmon for its buttery flavor, firm texture and it’s freshness – a quality which is most imperative for raw preparations.

Clockwise: chives, cucumber, olives,pink salmon,avocado, celery

Ingredients:

1 pound                skinless fresh salmon fillet, chopped
1/3 cup                 minced chives or green onions
5 tablespoons       chopped green olives
2 tbsp.                   Chopped celery
1 pc.                      Ripe but firm avocado
½ pc.                     Chopped cucumber
2 tablespoons       Dijon mustard
2 tbsp.                   light cream cheese
2 tablespoons       Extra Virgin olive oil
1/3 cup                 freshly squeezed lime juice (3 limes)
1 teaspoon            coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon            red pepper flakes
Salt to taste

Procedure:

In a bowl, mix all first 6 ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk the next following 4 ingredients
Drizzle and blend in gently with the chopped mix
Season with the black & red pepper, salt to taste
Keep chilled and serve as a salad appetizer or as canapés

Nice with Riesling or with Kirin Light!