Ask my daughter Oceane what her favorite food is and she will shoot back, without hesitation, “braised ribs.” Who doesn’t love the comforting meaty aroma that fills the house from ribs cooking slowly in Dutch-oven full of savory, gently-bubbling liquid? That’s wintertime comfort-in-bowl if you ask me.
Braising is a long-honored method of cooking which coaxes out tenderness and deep flavors from tougher cuts of meat. The basic technique involves a Dutch oven and four main steps: brown the meat and remove, cook the mirepoix (chopped onion, celery and carrot), deglaze the pan with liquid, and finally return the meat to the Dutch oven, cover and let cook low and slow in the oven or on the stovetop until tender. Pork shoulder, brisket and short ribs are excellent candidates for braising with high fat content and tough flesh that need hours to soften.
My whole family loves braised beef ribs, but I wondered how easily I might be able to swap out a leaner cut of meat without alienating my little fans? Turns out: cutting out a bunch of fat was pretty easy. I sliced up a bottom round roast (about 1 1/2 inch-thick) into chubby sticks, about the size and shape of ribs, and I just called them “boneless ribs” at the dinner table. The kids marveled at the ease of eating without the bones and no one was the wiser on the lower-fat swap. (Plus, I saved money too, which was a bonus.)
Without the full fat and bones, however, I needed a smidge more work to get that richness and flavor of traditional braised ribs. First, I added mushrooms to the braise for earthiness and savory umami with nary an extra calorie to be found — either halved or chopped will work, depending on whether you want them to be visually present, or disappear.
Second, I learned not to go too low in fat, or the resulting meat will be dry, despite being soaked in sauce. Bottom round was a magical happy spot; top round was less successful. Third, if you can, use the oven for the braising; the stovetop required a little more temperature management. Last, note that braising times will vary, so taste and test. Lower fat meat will not need as long as the fattier connective tissue-laden cuts we usually braise.
You can even serve your lower fat braise on cooked quinoa, brown rice, or sauteed cauliflower rice for an extra-healthy version. Or do what we did: mix half whole wheat couscous and half quinoa for a happy kid-friendly compromise.
BRAISED BEEF RIBS
Start to finish: 3 hours, including about 2 hours inactive braising time
Servings: 6
2 1/2-pound bottom round, (or eye of round) about 1 1/2 inches thick
1 tablespoon grapeseed or other neutral cooking oil
2 tablespoons flour
1 yellow onion, chopped, about 1 cup
1 carrot, finely chopped, about 1/2 cup
1 stalk celery, finely chopped, about 1/3 cup
5 cloves garlic, smashed
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
4 ounces baby bella mushrooms, wiped clean, trimmed and halved or chopped
Dash of red pepper flakes (optional)
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup red wine
1 1/2 cup beef broth
1 bay leaf
Water, as needed
Salt and pepper
Nutrition information per serving: 280 calories; 69 calories from fat; 8 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 95 mg cholesterol; 223 mg sodium; 10 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 4 g sugar; 36 g protein.
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