Easy tailgate classic: beer-braised short ribs

Cold, Hard Football Facts for Sep 12, 2009

By Kerry J. Byrne

Chubby tailgate maestro

In my "other" life as a food writer, I've collected thousands of recipes over the years. Many of my personal favorites are found here in CHFF's delicious and nutritious tailgate section.

It's only rarely, though, that I make one of these dishes that jumps out not just as a tasty football crowd pleaser, but as one that's incredibly easy to make. These recipes that combine flavor with ease are the best for tailgates, and this one for beer-braised short ribs is high, high on the list in both categories.

The best part is that I just found out that the chef who created it, Christine Todaro, owns a catering business in a football town, Foxboro, Mass. In fact, her company is right there on Route 1, the same road where you'll find Gillette Stadium.

Christine Todaro's Beer-Braised Short Ribs
3½ lbs. meaty short ribs

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

½ lb. carrots, chopped

½ lb. onions, chopped

½ lb celery, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2½ cups of beer

1 8-oz. can crushed tomatoes

2 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon liquid smoke

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Season the short ribs with plenty of salt and pepper, then set aside. Heat a heavy roasting pan with 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Brown the beef on all sides to seal in the juices, working in batches so that you don't crowd the pan (about 7-10 minutes per batch). Transfer seared ribs to a plate. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan, lower heat to medium, and then add carrots, onions, celery and garlic. Saute 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beer, tomatoes, mustard and liquid smoke. Increase heat to high, then nestle the ribs in the sauce. Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake 3½ to 4 hours. Skim off top layer of grease (or don't, it has flavor). Serves 4.

By Kerry Byrne

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