Cooking with Booze!

Nothing says the holidays like family, feasts and alcohol! While It is super to gather around the holiday table with family, friends, and a lovely traditional meal; it always seems to go down better with booze. Not only drinking….but cooking with it too! Whether it's beer, wine, or hard liquor, cooks have been pouring booze into the mixing bowl for centuries and coming up with memorable dishes that have a little something extra. As a matter of fact, it is known science that alcohol's unique chemical properties make wine, beer, champagne, sake, and liquor more than just a complementary drink to your meal. Recipes like beer-steamed crabs, tequila hot sauce, rabbit braised in red wine, and more are proof (pun intended) that booze has a true home in the kitchen. To celebrate the world’s finest combo – eating and drinking, we like to add some booze to the pot for extra flavor and depth. We're giving you a great Guinness Stout braised short rib recipe from our Blue Heron Chef Humberto Villalobos. Enjoy the holidays and please drink and eat sensibly! GUINNESS BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIBS(FEEDS 4 +) Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
4 pounds boneless beef short ribs, butcher-cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, peeled, diced ½ “
2 celery stalks, cut into ½” inch pieces
2 tbs tomato paste
2 cups beef stock, divided
1 pint stout beer (recommended: Guinness)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Season the short ribs with salt and pepper
Over medium heat, in a large Dutch oven or deep pan heat the olive oil.
Sear the beef in the Dutch oven until brown, about 5 minutes per side.
Remove the meat from pan and set aside.
Add the onions and garlic to the same pan and saute, until lightly browned.
Scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan using a wooden spoon.
Add the carrots and celery and let cook for 5 more minutes.
Add tomato paste and stir, cook paste until slightly browned
Add 1 cup of beef stock and scrape bottom of pan to remove any more browned bits.
Return the meat to the pot along with the remaining stock and the beer.
Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Bring the stew to a simmer and cook uncovered for 20 minutes.
Cover and braise in the oven for 3 hours until beef is fork tender.