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Red Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs over Goat Cheese Polenta

Red Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs over Goat Cheese Polenta

Red Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs over Goat Cheese Polenta

Of the current 1363 recipes on my site, I’d say that this is in the top 5 of tastiest. This preparation is a fusion of French and Italian techniques. The french aspect is using shallots and a french red wine; Italian would substitute onions for shallots and using an Italian wine. Either way you go, these ribs fall off the bone. When serving, place a short rib in the center of a mound of polenta; spooning over the red wine sauce.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time3 hours
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: French, Fusion, Italian
Keyword: Beef, European, French, Fusion, Italian, main course, signature dishes
Author: Alex Gorgos

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs English cut beef short ribs 2 1/2” thick
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 ribs celery finely chopped
  • 2 carrots finely chopped
  • 1 large shallot finely chopped; or 1 medium yellow onion
  • 2 cups red wine French or Italian
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • 2 sprigs rosemary
  • 2 sprigs thyme

Goat Cheese Polenta

  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 2 cups water
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 cup polenta
  • 4 oz goat cheese

Instructions

  • Pat the short ribs dry with paper towel. Season with salt and pepper. Dredge the short ribs in flour.
  • Heat up olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add in the short ribs.
  • Brown on all sides for 3 minutes a side. Remove from the pan.
  • Add in the carrots, celery, and shallots. Sauté for 8 minutes.
  • Pour in the red wine; scraping up the bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook for 5 minutes.
  • Pour in the beef stock. Add in the short ribs, rosemary, and thyme. Place on the cover and put in a preheated 300° oven for 3 hours.
  • The last 20 minutes of cooking the short ribs, bring the milk, water, and seasonings to a simmer in a large pot.
  • Add in the polenta and continuously whisk over low heat for 3 minutes. Place on a cover and cook for 10 minutes.
  • Whisk in the goat cheese and turn off the heat.
Lemon Dill Halibut

Lemon Dill Halibut

Lemon Dill Halibut

This is classic Mediterranean preparation of fish that is highly flavorful and extremely easy to make. I purchased a pound of fresh halibut cut into 8oz portions to ensure the fish properly cooks through. The fillets simply get seasoned, baked, then sprinkled with fresh dill and a squeeze of lemon juice. This recipe also works with just about every type of fish.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Greek, Italian, Mediterranean
Keyword: European, fish, Greek, Italian, main course, mediterranean
Author: Alex Gorgos

Ingredients

  • 1 lb halibut 2-8oz portions
  • olive oil
  • sea salt to taste
  • cracked black pepper
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper flakes
  • 1 lemon
  • 3 tbsp dill chopped

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425°. Line a baking pan in parchment paper. Pat dry the halibut with paper towels. Brush the fillets with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and Aleppo pepper flakes.
  • Place 2 slices of lemon on top of the fillets.
  • Bake for 10-15 minutes.
  • Take off the lemon slices, squeeze the rest of the lemon over the fillets and sprinkle on fresh dill.
Serrano Pepper Sauce

Serrano Pepper Sauce

Serrano Pepper Sauce

This is a great way to make your own pepper sauce at home; regardless of the type of pepper you use. Simply dry toast the peppers with garlic, purée, simmer for a couple minutes with vinegar and salt, then strain into a jar. Serrano peppers are fairly hot; so if you a milder sauce, use jalapeños. If you’re looking for more heat, use some habaneros.
Prep Time2 minutes
Cook Time12 minutes
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: condiment, Latin American, Mexican
Author: Alex Gorgos

Equipment

  • food processor
  • mesh strainer

Ingredients

  • 8 serrano peppers stems removed
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 1 cup white vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

  • Dry toast the serranos and garlic in a small sauté pan over medium heat until slightly charred; about 6-8 minutes.
  • Purée the peppers and garlic in a food processor.
  • Add the purée back into the sauté pan with the vinegar and salt. Simmer on low heat for 5 minutes.
  • Pour the purée through a mesh strainer and funnel into a jar or hot sauce bottle.