Short Ribs Ragu (Fine Cooking) Time consuming, but delicious, according to the reviews. Serve over mashed potatoes, pasta or polenta. 3 to 4 lb. meaty bone-in beef short ribs, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil 3 oz. thickly sliced pancetta (about 3 1/4-inch-thick slices) or 3 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch squares 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 heaping cup) 1 celery stalk, diced (about 1/2 cup) 1 carrot, diced (about 1/2 cup) 1/2 cup sliced white mushrooms 3 large cloves garlic, coarsely chopped 2 Tbs. tomato paste Pinch crushed red pepper flakes 1/2 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth 1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 300F. Cook the ribs: Trim away any excess fat from the top of each rib down to the first layer of meat, but don't remove the silverskin or tough-looking tissue that hold the ribs together or onto the bone. Pat the ribs dry with paper towels, and season them with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven (or other heavy pot with a lid) over medium heat until hot. Add only as many ribs as will fit without touching, and brown them on all sides, turning with tongs until nicely browned, 3 to 4 min. per side. Transfer to a platter, and continue until all the ribs are browned. Pour off and discard most of the fat from the pot. Return the pot to medium heat, and add the pancetta or bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pancetta or bacon has rendered some of its fat but is not crisp, about 3 minutes. Add the onion, celery, carrot, mushrooms, and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 min. Add the tomato paste and red pepper flakes, and cook for 2 min., stirring. Add the wine, increase the heat to medium-high, stir to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot, and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes and their juices and bring to a simmer. Transfer the ribs to the oven: Return the short ribs (and any juices) to the pot in a single layer, nestling them into the sauce. Crumple a large sheet of parchment and smooth it out again. Arrange it over the pot, pressing it down so it nearly touches the ribs, allowing any overhang to extend up and over the edges of the pot. Set the lid in place, and transfer to the oven. Braise, turning the ribs with tongs every 45 min., until fork-tender and the meat is pulling away from the bone, about 2-1/2 hours. Make the ragu: Use tongs or a slotted spoon to carefully transfer the ribs to a shallow baking dish or wide bowl. Set aside until just cool enough to handle. Skim any visible surface fat from the braising liquid and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. If the tomatoes haven't broken up, break them up with a wooden spoon. If the sauce seems watery, increase the heat to medium-high and simmer to thicken. If not, keep it warm. Taste for salt and pepper. When the beef is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and the bands of connective tissue that encircled the bones. Chop the meat into bite-size chunks or pull into large strips. Return the meat to the sauce, and keep warm until ready to serve, or if making ahead, cool and refrigerate.

This is dinner tonight. SALMON WELLINGTON 1 17.3 oz. package pepperidge farm puff pastry (both sheets-thawed) 4 3/4 inch thick salmon fillet 4 Tbsp. minced shallots 4 Tbsp plus 2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon 1 md egg, beaten (for the glaze) FOR THE SAUCE 1/2 c dry white wine 1/2 c white wine vinegar 1/2 c chilled butter, diced (1 stick) 2 Tbsp. minced shallots Preheat your oven to 425'F. Roll out each pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface to a 12 inch square. Thaw the puff pastry for about 36 minutes. Cut each in half, forming four 12x6 inch rectangles. Place one salmon fillet in the center of each of the rectangles, about 3 inches in from and parallel to one short edge. Sprinkle each fillet with sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper and 1 tablespoon of shallots and 1 tablespoon of tarragon. Brush edges of each rectangle with the egg glaze. Fold the long sides of pastry, enclosing the fillets. Seal the edges of the pastry. Place them seam side down on baking sheet. Brush with glaze. Do not use tin foil, it will stick. Bake the Wellingtons until the dough is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 more minutes. Meanwhile make the sauce. Boil the wine, vinegar and 2 tbsp. of shallots in a heavy saucepan until the liquid is reduced to 6 tablespoons, about 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the butter, one piece at a time, whisking until each piece melts before adding the next. Whisk in 2 teaspoons of fresh chopped tarragon. Season with salt and pepper. Cut into 3rds. Place sauce over pastry and serve hot.

Sauteed Pork Chops with Grape and Red Wine Sauce (Fine Cooking) 8 thin boneless pork chops (about 1-1/4 lb.) Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 3 Tbs. unsalted butter 1 cup seedless red grapes, cut in half 1/2 cup dry red wine 1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary 1/2 cup homemade or low-salt canned chicken broth Season both sides of the pork chops with salt and pepper. Heat 1 Tbs. of the butter in a large (at least 10-inch) heavy skillet on medium-high heat. When the butter has stopped foaming, add four of the pork chops and sear until the edges are browned and the middles are just beginning to brown, 1-1/2 to 2 minutes. Flip the chops and cook until just cooked through, 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer the pork to a plate and cover with foil. Repeat with the remaining chops and transfer to the plate. Add the grapes, wine, and rosemary to the skillet and bring the mixture to a boil, scraping the skillet with a wooden spoon to incorporate the browned bits into the sauce. Boil until syrupy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chicken broth and any accumulated juices from the pork chops and boil the sauce, stirring occasionally, until reduced by about half, another 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the remaining 2 Tbs. butter. Swirl the butter around in the pan until melted. Serve the chops topped with the sauce.

Tortellini Soup INGREDIENTS 2 pounds crosscut flanken short ribs, cut into single rib portions 3 beef bouillon cubes 1 small onion, diced 1âÂÂ1/2 cups 'baby' carrots, sliced into circles 3 stalks celery, diced 3 pressed cloves garlic 1 medium Idaho potato, peeled and diced 2 vineripe tomatoes, diced Black pepper 1 9 ounce package refrigerated prepared cheese tortellini or 2 heaping cups) 2 Tablespoons parsley, chopped Grated pecorino for serving PREPARATION: Place the meat in a deep pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then simmer until meat is tender, skimming impurities from the top as needed. Pull the meat out and set aside until cool enough to handle. When cool enough, remove from bones and cut or pull apart into bitesized pieces. Build the soup in the remaining beef liquid. 2.Add 2 or 3 cups of water to the beef broth and bring to a simmer. Add 3 bouillon cubes to the soup. Add the reserved meat, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, potato, tomato, and some grindings of pepper. Simmer until all is tender, about 45 minutes. Add the tortellini and cook until done per package instructions. Stir in parsley. Serve topped with grated cheese. Found this recipe on a new cooking show TLC channel...the chef is the Cake Boss...I love his recipes....he cooks like my mother.....I made this soup on Monday. Check out TLC channel ...you will find great easy recipes.