I’m quite torn on my feelings about summer. As a foodie, I adore summer for the abundance of fresh produce – berries, sweet corn, juicy melons, and of course, all the hot dogs, burgers, and slabs of seared meat on the grill. Summer holds memories of eating dripping ice cream cones along the sidewalk, root beer floats, and disgustingly greasy elephant ears at state fairs and festivals.
As a runner though, the heat plagues me like nothing else. I can deal with ice, snow, rain, and the freezing Chicago winters, but once the heat gets above 75 degrees, I am a complete wimp. My legs won’t move fast enough, I can’t breath in the humidity, and it just feels like my innards are cooking in a boiler. My pace has skyrocketed from an approximate 8:40 pace to about 10 minute miles, and now I have to get up early again just to escape 100 degree weather. Instead of a refreshing runner’s high, I suffer from “OH MY GOD, THIS IS TOO HOT I’M GOING TO DIE I NEED TO DUNK MY HEAD IN ICE.”
But then I think about what someone on the RW Forums said – that we run outside to experience nature, and to feel the earth changing beneath our feet. We’re out there when the first snowflake falls, when the monstrous geese that usually honk at me bring their babies out in the spring, through the sauna of summer and the tempting smells of the grill, and we’re the first to notice the leaves changing colors. It gets me out there, and keeps me trucking on.
* * *
I was watching Giada’s show on The Food Network the other morning, and caught a braised short-rib recipe that I thought looked delicious and surprisingly easy. I went in search of short rib after that, and it has officially kick-started an obsession. Why short ribs? Because. The first time I made this, Fiance proclaimed it was the best thing I’d ever made. Even though the cooking time is 2.5 hours, the actual prep time is about 10 minutes, and it makes a large enough batch that you can freeze and store, and have it ready for dinner or lunch any day of the week.
Giada’s Penne w/ Braised Short Rib
(this is the unaltered recipe, but I’ve found that even halving it makes enough to last Fiance and me lunch and dinner for 2 days)
- 4 lbs beef short ribs (bone in)
- 1 large onion, diced (I also added diced celery for added flavor)
- 3 gloves garlic
- 5 Roma tomatoes, chopped (I used vine tomatoes)
- 1 cup red wine
- 3 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
- penne pasta (as much as you want)
- Parmesan, salt and pepper, and parsley to taste
Soon They'll Be Falling Off the Bone
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper, and brown on all sides in olive oil or cooking spray in a large pot or Dutch oven (about 8 – 10 minutes). Remove the ribs and set aside.
There Is Nothing Better in Life Than Searing Meat
Saute the garlic and onions (and celery, if you add any) in the same pot for about 2 minutes, scraping up any brown bits from the meat. Add in the chopped tomatoes, Dijon mustard, red wine, and beef broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, and put the ribs back into the pot.
The Waiting Begins
Cover the pot, toss it in the oven, and set your timer for 2.5 hours. You can go for a long run, finish that novel you’ve been writing, do some errands, or if you’re me, open the oven every 2 minutes to take a whiff of the wonderful, beefy aroma coming out (Giada does not recommend this). After 2.5 hours, the meat (short rib is usually a tough cut) will be so tender it will be falling off the bone and tearing apart with the slightest force. Cook the penne during the last 10 minutes remaining.
Hold Your Horses
Discard the bones and shred the meat with two forks. Giada says to remove the meat and ladle the mixture into a food processor to smooth it out. I generally just leave it as it because I like large chunks of celery, tomato, and onion with my pasta. Also, I’m pretty much too impatient to use the food processor – I just throw in the penne, garnish with parsley or Parmesan or whatever, and serve with a side salad.
Have a Fork Handy
Voila!
