Red Wine & Tomato Braised Short Ribs (Recipe)

Sunday dinner is a tradition and routine for many households. For me, Sundays are usually my best days for slow cooking. This almost always occurs after I visit my local farmer's market in the morning, and I've been inspired by the fresh offerings of seasonal fruits, vegetables and proteins. I really enjoy hearty stews for sunday dinner and I always hope to have enough leftovers for my lunch the next day.

This is a somewhat simplified slow braise, without the pre-browning of meats, and falls more in line with a one-pot meal. I like to use grass-fed, pasture-raised short rib, as it makes me feel better about what I'm eating and I find the taste is cleaner with a rich, beefy flavor.

Here's what you'll need:
2 lbs. of short rib (I prefer bone in), cut into 3-inch chunks
1 small onion, chopped into a medium dice
1 large yukon gold potato, cut into 1.5-inch chunks
2 medium carrots, cut into 1.5-inch chunks
16 oz. tomato sauce
1 cup red wine of your choice
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/8 cup dijon mustard
1 loose heaping tbsp. dark brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. baking soda (optional: this ingredient helps reduce the acid from the tomatoes & wine)
1 green onion, sliced thin (optional)
1/4 bunch chopped parsley (optional)

Here's what you'll do:
- Add the tomato sauce, wine, Worcestershire, mustard, dark brown sugar, salt, and pepper into a large dutch oven or stewing pot (5-6 quart) and whisk all together.
- Add the onions and meat. If not enough liquid to mostly cover, add some water until just covered.
- Turn heat to high, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and forget about it for 2 hours and 45 minutes.
- After 2 hours and 45 minutes, test the meat by squeezing a piece with tongs. If it's very soft, just before the point of falling apart, it's ready. (If it's still fairly firm, cook for another 10-15 minutes or until it reaches the desired tenderness.) Removed meat from the braising liquid onto a plate and set aside.
- Turn the heat back to high and let the braising liquid reduce for 10-15 minutes. If the liquid is already fairly thick, skip this step.
- Add the carrots, potatoes and baking soda (optional) and cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, uncovered, until vegetables are fork tender.
- Give the pot a stir, taste the braising liquid and add more sugar (if too acidic), salt and/or pepper to taste. You may also add any optional herbs at this point, such as chopped parsley and/or green onions.
- Add the meat back to the pot, gently stir to combine and serve hot.
- Enjoy with a biscuit, over cooked pasta, rice or on its own!

Urban Momo--San Jose, CA (Nepali cuisine)

Since traveling to Nepal in 2014, I've been seeking out the flavors that I enjoyed while there. This establishment, located inside the San Pedro Square Market at 100 N Almaden Avenue, came very close (if not better) to the tastes and aromas of Nepal. The Nepali chef and owner is a former guide for mountain hikers and honed his skills cooking for his trekking clients and also while working at local restaurants in Nepal and India. His experience and skills are well exemplified in the food.

Here are some of the things I've enjoyed.

http://www.urbanmomosj.com/



Samosas. Stuffed with potato and spices, these crunchy shells were filled to the max. The cilantro chutney, on the side, gave these golden beauties a nice, fresh, herbal balance.

Chow Mein. This was a seemingly simple plate that was packed with flavor. I opted for the vegetable with egg version of these noodles. They were stir-fried with just enough oil to open the aromas of the spices and infuse each noodle strand with these flavors. The sauce that coated these chewy noodles was a little sweet and savory with hints of turmeric, garlic and soy sauce.

MoMo. These chicken momos were divine. Juicy ground chicken meat and spices were stuffed in these thin wrappers and steamed until just done. They were served, piping hot, with a savory tomato achar sauce. These were very comforting and satisfying.

If this place was near my work, I would happily stop by for lunch on a regular basis. The quality of food with the value of prices gave me a big bang for my buck and I would highly recommend a visit to anyone.