How to Open a Bottle of Red, SON!

You may recall that after our first date with Project Food Blog went well, I promised all of my voters a French kiss.  Well here we are, after a successful 3^rd date, and I think you’ve earned yourself a trip to second base, my friends.   Thank you for continuing to read and vote for my silly kitchen blog, and a congratulatory tip of the hat to you all!  

I thought long and hard about what I wanted to show you with this post.  To go above and beyond to construct a step-by-step photo tutorial on how to execute a dish.  Well, I feel we should start at the beginning.  The beginning of every important dish, life decision, good and bad choice, and rip roarin’ good time.  HOW TO OPEN A BOTTLE OF RED, SON.  

Sing  it with me to tune of the peanut butter and jelly song, all together now! 

First you take the foil and ya cut it, ya cut it!

And then ya take the cork and ya screw it, ya screw it!

RED WINE, RE-ED WI-INE and Whitney!  BFF’s from the start of adult life!

Don’t forget to share with your friends, and let the good times roll!

Did you honestly think I would be in a league with 99 of the most up and coming food bloggers and leave you with a tutorial like that?  I mean I wouldn’t put it past me, but we will try a little harder than that!  See, that previous tutorial is in fact the first step of the dish I am sharing with you today, so it was only appropriate that I teach you my favorite pastime.  

I truly wanted to share something valuable with you, and empower you to make something that for some strange reason causes anxiety for newbies and seasoned cooks alike in the kitchen.  Risotto.  AHH the fine art of risotto! News flash, it’s EASY.  And I have just given you some steps to make it easier already because at this point you should have a glass of red wine in your hand.  So you’re welcome. And a-here we go.

Short Ribs braised in Red Wine, and a Bordeaux Risotto with asparagus. Boom.  I know I just rocked your world.  Try not to get tears in your wine.

First things first, admire that fatty piece of short rib you picked up from Butcher Nick at whole foods.

WOOwee! Look at the marble on that cow! I would like to thank you for being kept from moving your entire life, dear cow, because here you are in my kitchen making miracles.  (Too far? Oh, my b…)

Get 2 tablespoons of olive oil heating in your heavy bottomed (preferably dutch oven) pot while you generously salt, pepper, and flour your short ribs.

Make sure to get the ribs nice and coated with the flour and shake off any excess.  When the pan is good and hot, sear those puppies on all sides.

You want the oil to bubble like this when you put in your ribs, and you don’t want to turn them until they look like this.

While those are doin’ work in your dutch, you need to tend to your flavor savors.  The vegetables.  Once cut and put in the pan, these vegetables are going to soak up every bit of that flavor and it’s going to be epic.

So, you rinse them, you chop them, you love them.  Those are the actual scientific steps. (when in doubt pour yourself more red wine.)  Here you’ll be cutting 1 leek, 3carrots, and 2 onions into a rough chop.  Doesn’t have to be perfect, so don’t stress about this.

(the evolution of an onion)

Smash 3 garlic cloves and remove the skin, and give it a rough chop as well.  Once again, this is for flavor not for looks.

After you have seared all sides of your short ribs, remove them from the pan and place them on a plate for later.  Put your leeks, carrots, onion and garlic into the dutch, and let them cook over medium heat until they begin to sweat, and release their magical aroma.  Yes, I just said that.

 Once they start to look like this, it’s business time.  Add ¾ of a bottle of red wine, and stir, scraping up those brown pieces in the bottom of your dutch.

Add 3 cups of stock (really any stock of your choice, but you’re cooking with beef here so that’s an obvious flavor choice.)  and then replace the short ribs and any released juices (BHAHAH I am sorr, I can’t help it) back into the pot.

 Salt and Pepper really well, and put the lid on your pot. Place them in a 350 degree oven for 3 yes, 3 hours. Don’t even LOOK at those ribs for the first 2 hours.

When you have about 30 minutes left to go on your short ribs (you’ll know because they will be falling off the bone at this point) it is time to start your risotto.  Here is what you need to know about risotto.  Have you ever babysat an infant?  Do you remember the feeling of needing to watch what it was constantly doing? Making sure it was comfy and still breathing?

Well, then you know how to make risotto.  Just stand there, and watch it.  You’ll know when it’s ready for more liquid. Still nervous?  I’ll show you.

First things first, in the same manner that you chopped the onions and garlic for the short ribs, do it again with 1 small onion and 2 cloves of garlic, only this time, make it a dice instead.  (This just means make the pieces smaller, kids.)

Heat 6 cups of stock (your choice) in a pan on low heat, and heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a separate high sided pan, and cook down your garlic and onion, once again, until they release their liquids and start to smell like a happy little Italian moved in next door.

Then you want to add 1 cup of risotto to the pan.  Keep it moving with a wooden spoon, until it turns slightly translucent and smells nutty.  That is your cue that it’s time for liquid.  (this should take 1-2 minutes)

Add ½ cup of red wine to the pan, stirring slowly and constantly until the risotto has absorbed the liquid and looks like this.

Add ½ a cup of the warmed stock, and continue to stir, until once again, the risotto has absorbed the liquid and add another ½ cup of stock.

Continue this process of adding liquid, cooking it out and stirring, and adding more.  Each time you repeat this step it should get progressively more creamy.  It should take 18-22 minutes to completely cook the risotto, and you are looking for a creamy consistency, with a soft risotto that has the slightest firm give in the center. When you are about 5 minutes out, add some chopped asparagus.

 When it’s done, remove it from the heat, and add liberal amounts of salt and pepper, 1 tablespoon of aged balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon of thyme, and ½ cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese.   Stir until combined and it is ready to be chowed.

For a little something extra, right before you start your risotto, wrap some asparagus in strips of thawed puff pastry, and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.  You can bake it off for 20 minutes at 350, and it will be ready when your risotto is done.

And all that started, with simply opening a bottle of red wine.

Voting opens Monday, as always, I will remind you, a babillion times.

Love,

Whit