Braised Spareribs With Fennel Food

BRAISED FENNEL WITH LEMON

Steps:

• Trim the tops and bottoms from the fennel bulbs, reserving about 1/4 cup of the fronds. Halve the bulbs; cut out and discard the tough cores. Cut into 1-inch thick wedges.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add the fennel and cook, stirring once, until the fennel is browned, about 7 minutes.
• Add 1/2 cup water to the skillet, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper. Lower the heat to medium, cover the skillet, and cook until the fennel is very tender, adding more liquid if needed, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, zest half the lemon and juice the whole lemon; chop the reserved fennel fronds.
• Remove the skillet from the heat and uncover. Stir in the lemon juice and zest. Scatter the chopped fronds over the top.

FENNEL BRAISED WITH OLIVE OIL AND LEMON

Steps:

• Trim the tops and bottoms from the fennel bulbs, reserving a handful of the fronds. Quarter the bulbs. Set each quarter on its side and slice off most of the core. Cut the quarters into wedges about 1-inch thick (don't worry if some pieces fall off the wedge-use those too).
• In a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Add the fennel and cook, without stirring, until golden brown on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Stir and let some more pieces brown for a minute or two.
• Stir in 1/2 cup water, scraping the bottom of the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat to medium and cover the pan. Simmer, shaking the pan and adding more liquid occasionally if the pan is dry, until the fennel is very tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, chop the reserved fennel fronds and mix them with the lemon zest.
• When the fennel is tender, stir in the lemon juice and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the olives, remove from the heat and let stand for about 1 minute to warm the olives. Transfer the fennel to a platter. Sprinkle the fennel frond mixture over the top, drizzle with additional olive oil and serve.

BRAISED FENNEL AND PARSNIPS

Steps:

• In a heavy large saute pan, heat the oil on medium-high heat. Add the parsnips and onions and saute for about 1 minute. Add the garlic, fennel and poblanos and saute for another 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth and stout beer and bring to a boil. Add the bay leaf, rosemary sprig and thyme sprig. Lower to a simmer and cover. Cook on low heat until the vegetables are soft and cooked through, about 40 minutes.
• Remove the vegetables from the cooking liquid. Reduce the cooking liquid to 1 cup. Drizzle the reduced liquid over the vegetables and top with the chopped thyme and oregano. Season with salt and pepper, mixing well to evenly incorporate. Serve immediately.

BRAISED PORK RIBS WITH BLOOD ORANGE, FENNEL, AND BLACK OLIVES

Steps:

• Season the pork all over with salt and pepper. Heat a large, wide pot over high heat, then add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the pork and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer the pork to a platter. Add the fennel wedges to the same pot and sear until lightly browned on both cut sides, about 2 minutes. Set the fennel aside.
• Return the pot to low heat and add the garlic. Sauté for about 1 minute, stirring to release its fragrance, then add the tomatoes, orange juice, and honey. Stir with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Return the pork to the pot, then add the olives, bay leaf, and orange zest. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, and cook until the pork is fork-tender, about 1 1/2 hours, turning it over in the sauce halfway through.
• Transfer the pork to a platter with tongs and keep warm. Discard the bay leaf and orange zest. Add the fennel wedges to the pot. If necessary, add a little water so that the liquid comes about halfway up the sides of the fennel. Cover and cook until the fennel is tender, about 15 minutes. Return the pork to the pot and reheat, turning to coat it with the sauce. Divide the pork and fennel among 6 plates and spoon the sauce over them. Garnish with the chopped fennel fronds and serve immediately.
• Enjoy with Cakebread Cellars Benchlands Select Cabernet Sauvignon or another red wine with firm structure and concentration.

BRAISED FENNEL

Steps:

• Cut the green stalks from the top of the white fennel bulbs and cut the brown, round stump from the base. Cut fronds from stalks. Chop the fronds and set aside 2 tablespoons for serving. Cut bulbs in half 4 times, making 8 wedges out of each.
• Melt butter in a pan over medium heat. Add fennel wedges, flat-side down, and brown for 3 minutes. Flip and cook for about 2 minutes more. Add garlic and thyme and cook for 30 seconds. Add wine and deglaze the pot, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Let wine reduce by half. Pour in chicken broth and orange juice.
• Reduce heat to medium. Cover and simmer until fennel is very tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Plate fennel. Sprinkle with salt and garnish with orange zest and fennel fronds.

BRAISED PORK WITH ORANGE AND FENNEL

Steps:

• Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Wrap cinnamon stick and anise seeds in a small square of cheesecloth and tie bundle closed with string.
• Pat pork dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a deep 6- to 8-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown pork in 3 batches, turning, about 4 minutes per batch. Transfer to a bowl as browned.
• Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot and cook onion and garlic over moderate heat, stirring, until golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Add ginger, zest, and sugar and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in soy sauce, rice wine, broth, pork with any accumulated juices, and cheesecloth bag. Braise mixture, covered, in oven 1 hour.
• Stir in fennel and braise, covered, in oven until fennel is very tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Discard cheesecloth bag, then season pork mixture with salt and pepper and stir in cilantro.

EINTOPF (BRAISED SHORT RIBS WITH FENNEL, SQUASH AND SWEET POTATO)

Steps:

• Season the short ribs with a sprinkle of salt on all sides. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven set over medium-high. Working in batches if necessary, brown the tops and sides of short ribs, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a large plate and repeat the browning process with the remaining ribs.
• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pot. Add the chopped fennel bulb, (reserve the top and fronds for garnish), shallots and garlic to the pot, season with salt, and toss to coat in the pan drippings. Sauté over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until softened, 3 minutes. Add the fennel seeds and turmeric, and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and break apart the whole pieces with a wooden spoon or other cooking utensil. Cook until the tomato juices are thickened, about 6 minutes. Return the browned short ribs, bone side up, to the pot along with any drippings from the plate. Pour in the chicken stock and bring up to a simmer. Cover and transfer pot to the oven. Braise until the meat is tender, but not falling off the bone, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
• Increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Transfer the cooked short ribs to a plate. Using a colander or sieve set over a bowl, drain out the vegetable solids from the pot and discard, reserving the liquid broth. Skim off and discard as much oil as you can from the surface of the liquid using a spoon or a ladle. (You should have about 3 to 4 cups of broth.) Return the broth to the pot, add the potato and squash, and pour in the coconut milk. Season to taste with salt and the 1 teaspoon black pepper. Add the ginger and return the short ribs to the pot, nestling the pieces between the vegetables so that the meat is mostly submerged in the liquid. Return the pot to the oven and braise uncovered until the potato and squash are tender, the meat is falling off the bone, and the liquid is slightly reduced, 50 minutes to 1 hour.
• On the stovetop but off heat, stir in the greens: The heat from the stew should gently wilt the leaves. Top with the thinly sliced fennel top and fronds. Serve hot in bowls with warm crusty bread for dipping.

OVEN-BRAISED SHORT RIBS WITH FENNEL

Steps:

• Add the onion, celery, and carrot, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring, for about 8 minutes, or until golden.Meanwhile crush the garlic and fennel seeds together with a mortar and pestle or with a large chef's knife. Add to the vegetables and cook for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant. 4. If necessary, rearrange the oven racks to accommodate the large size of the pan. Preheat the oven to 325°F. 5. Add the wine and bay leaves to the Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, or until reduced by half. Stir in the tomatoes and again bring to a boil, breaking up the tomatoes with the side of a large mespoon. Add the browned ribs and any juices that accumulated in the bowl. Turn the ribs to coat them evenly with the tomato mixture. 2. Heat a large (7- to 8-quart) enameled cast-iron or other nonreactive Dutch oven over 6. Cover and braise in the lower half of the oven for 2 to 2½ hours, until the meat is pulling away from the bones. 7. Use a slotted spoon or spatula and tongs to lift the ribs from the pan to a platter. Discard any loose bones. Snip off the strings and discard, or remove the silicone ties. 8. Pour the remaining contents of the Dutch oven through a strainer set over a large bowl. Discard the bay leaves and then spoon the strained vegetables onto the ribs. Cover the platter with aluminum foil and keep warm in the turned-off oven. 9. Defat and save the juices. Refrigerate the ribs and vegetables, tightly covered, and then return them to the Dutch oven with the defatted juices and slowly reheat over low heat. 10. Reheat the juices to a simmer, taste, and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Pour the juices over the short ribs and vegetables and serve hot.