Beer Braised Holiday Top Of The Rib Food

BEER-BRAISED COUNTRY-STYLE PORK RIBS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Pat the ribs dry, season with salt and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the ribs in batches and cook until browned, about 8 minutes per side. Remove to a plate. Add the onions and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon paprika and season with salt.
• Add the beer; bring to a boil and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 8 minutes, scraping up the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Add the chicken broth, bay leaves and thyme; when the liquid begins to simmer, return the ribs to the pot and transfer to the oven. Cook, uncovered, turning the ribs once or twice, until the meat is almost tender, about 1 hour.
• Mix the vinegar and honey in a measuring cup. Remove the pot from the oven and place on the stovetop; bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the vinegar mixture and bring to a boil, then return the pot to the oven. Continue to braise, uncovered, until the ribs are tender, 15 to 20 more minutes. Return the pot to the stovetop and transfer the ribs to a plate. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium heat; skim off the fat and cook until thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Return the ribs to the pot and heat through. Discard the bay leaves and thyme. Photograph by Con Poulos

BEER RIBS

Steps:

• Combine the light brown sugar, smoked paprika, celery salt, garlic powder, onion powder, allspice, 2 tablespoons salt and a generous amount of pepper in a small bowl. Rub the mixture on both sides of the rib racks.
• Wrap each rib rack in 3 pieces of aluminum foil and refrigerate for 6 hours and up to overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Place the ribs side-by-side on a baking sheet. Unwrap the foil slightly, pour 2 tablespoons beer over each rib rack and then seal the foil tightly. Bake until the ribs are tender, and the meat can easily be pierced and pulled away with a fork, about 2 hours 30 minutes. Let cool, uncovered, until warm, about 20 minutes. Alternatively, cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.
• Put the shallots and remaining beer in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil until the beer reduces to 1/4 cup, about 10 minutes. Whisk in the ketchup, molasses, whole-grain mustard, chipotle in adobo sauce, chopped chipotle and sherry vinegar. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly and reduces to about 1 1/4 cups, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Prepare a grill or large grill pan for medium-high heat. Clean and oil the grill grates.
• Brush the top of each rack of ribs with 1/4 cup of the barbecue sauce. Working in batches as needed, grill, sauce-side down, until browned and slightly charred, about 4 minutes. Cut the ribs between the bones, slather with the remaining 1 cup of sauce and serve.

BEER-BRAISED SHORT RIBS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F. Set a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add the olive oil. While the pot is heating, season the short ribs on all sides with salt and pepper. Brown the short ribs over medium-high heat in batches with ample room between them so they brown, not steam (if they start to burn, decrease the heat a little), 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from the pot and reserve on a plate.
• In the same pot used to brown the ribs, sauté the bacon and onion over medium heat until the onion is soft, about 3 minutes; add the garlic and sauté 1 minute more. Stir in the beer, soy sauce, vinegar, and Worcestershire. Return the browned ribs to the pot, cover, and cook in the oven for 3 hours. Remove the pot from the oven and stir in the carrots and port. Cook until the meat is tender and just about falling off the bone, another 1 1/2 to 2 hours, for a total cooking time of 4 1/2 to 5 hours. After 4 hours of braising, stick a knife in the thickest rib; if the meat is still firm, continue cooking. Remove the pot from the oven; pour the liquid into a large glass measuring cup and let it sit until the fat rises to the top, about 15 minutes. Pour off the fat and return the liquid to the cooking pot.
• TO MAKE THE CORNMEAL MUSH: Heat the milk until steaming in a large, heavy saucepan set over medium heat. Slowly pour in the polenta, whisking constantly. Turn the heat to low and continue whisking for 10 to 15 minutes until the mixture thickens. If it seems hard to whisk, thin with an additional 1/4 cup of milk. The cornmeal should be on the loose side. Whisk in the butter, salt, and Parmesan. Serve immediately topped with short ribs.
• The short ribs can be made a day ahead, refrigerated, and reheated just before serving. The cornmeal can be made an hour or so before serving. Reheat over medium heat; add milk in 1/4-cup increments until the mixture is creamy and smooth.