For a Houstonian, the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, is always the city's biggest cultural event. Attendees will usually arrive dressed in a western fashion ranging from the scruffy to the exquisite. In terms of dress, nearly everyone here can appreciate a fine pair of cowboy boots. You can add or subtract elsewhere but, for the sake of fashion, it all starts with the boots. Most Texans will own a pair of boots which are most likely a highly prized possession and the owner's most expensive footwear.
We fully recognize that we're not cowboys, or cowgirls as the case may be. We're urbanites yearning for a greater depth of cowboy heritage and, as a result, we end up corralled in a complex of guilt. We'll react to this guilt in a myriad ways. Some will spend a week's vacation trail riding into Houston for the rodeo. The ride culminates in a downtown parade. Others take to barbecuing with zeal. Here, barbecue enthusiasts are legion and, within that legion, many are inspired by the cattle drive chuck wagon; they often dream of turning pro. And, as a constant nag against reason, shouldn't we all become horse owners and expert riders?
What is your region like?
While this recipe won't give you a chuck wagon experience it will give you some very tender and tasty beef ribs. We'll use a slow-cooker as a stand-in for the chuck wagon's dutch kettle. It's not much of a relationship but we'll bring in the herd with it anyways!
Wine Braised Beef Ribs
Ingredients:
- 3 lb. bone-in beef ribs, sliced through to separate into individual ribs
- salt
- pepper
- 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 habanero pepper, minced
- 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup, ketchup
- 1 750-ml bottle dry red wine (think Cabernet Sauvignon)
- 10 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 1 Tbsp. mexican oregano
- 3 dried bay leaves
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups low-salt beef stock
Season the ribs with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium-high. Brown the ribs on all sides. You may have to do this in two batches, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer the ribs to your slow-cooker (also known as a crock pot).
Add onions, carrots, celery and habanero pepper to pot and cook over medium-high heat. Stir often, cooking until onions are browned, about 5 minutes. Add flour and ketchup, while stirring constantly cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in wine, bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and simmer until wine is reduced by half, about 25 minutes.
Add flat-leafed parsley, rosemary, mexican oregano, bay leaves and garlic to the pot. Stir in beef stock. Bring to a boil then transfer to your slow-cooker combining with the ribs. Cover and cook on high for 2 1/2 hours. If you're more comfortable cooking in the stock pot then just add the ribs back in, cover and cook on low for 2 1/2 hours.
Transfer the ribs to a platter. Strain sauce from pot into a measuring cup. If fat rises to the surface just spoon it off and discard. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper. The sauce serves nicely over potatoes or rice.
Comments:
Be sure to use a dry wine. If the wine tastes a bit sweet then use less of it. This is a deeply flavorful dish which will probably do just fine with dried herbs. The beef should fall off the ribs when done though serving bone-in lends an interesting rustic touch.
Additional Comments:
After the Civil War there were few railroads operating in Texas and it was the cowboy's job to drive the herd to where railroads did operate. Some of the first cattle drives went to Sedalia, Missouri. I t wasn't but a year or two before Texas cattle drives into Missouri were blockaded by local farmers because the Texas cattle brought with them disease carrying ticks. The long horned cattle of Texas were immune to the disease but other cattle weren't. The cattle drives then shifted their terminus westward to Abilene, Kansas (via the Chisholm Trail) and Dodge City, Kansas (via the Western Trail). These two trails, along with the Goodnight-Loving trail, which took Texas cattle into Colorado, are the most famous cattle drive trails. In their time, the trails were considered an awesome wonder. Eventually, the railway companies expanded their operations further into Texas and the famed cattle drive era came to an end.
