It was about this time last year I was writing you from Italy. My mother, Aunt Nancy, and Cousin Allison decided to take a mother-daughter trip across this delicious country. We ate too many delicious things to name. We even had the opportunity to dine in a Michelin (one of the highest awards given) restaurant. We enjoyed Italian street food, small coffee shops, dessert shops, mom and pop restaurants, fruit stands and even picked up a few things from the markets. But no other meals were like those that Zia or Aunt Billie cooked for us. We were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to enjoy real home-cooked Italian food and for better or worse, it has had me only wanting more. Last week I was visiting my mother and like it was nothing, Mom told me she had some short ribs in the pressure cooker. I carefully removed the steamy lid, and the savory smell of herbs filled the air. This was the kind of meal that we would have had at Zia Billie’s house or Mom would cook especially if I was having company! This could also be found at a restaurant too, but nothing is ever as good as Mom’s cooking. I was thrilled. To say it was delicious would be an understatement. The carrots tasted like candy they were so sweet. But my favorite was the aroma. I would bring the fork to my mouth and I honestly had to stop and enjoy the lingering smell. My sense of memory flooded with thoughts of Italian nights, Zia Billie offering us more on our plates, and an array of tastes new and familiar. This dish is cooked with the spices of northern Italy. As an Italian dish the broth, or the soho would be served over pasta, then the meat and vegetables would be served as a second course followed by salad.
Italian meats are prepared there so you can have the broth over the pasta, as the first course. Spaghetti is not served in Italy with a big thick meat sauce like it is here. Sometimes butter is going to be added to the sauce, and to thicken it and to give it more flavor. Parmesan cheese will be added to it, and is freshly grated.
If you pasta then don’t put the sauce just over the pasta. I was enjoying the ribs and veggies that night at my mother’s as is, and it was filling and incredible. If you do decide to use pasta, make sure and cook the pasta before adding the ribs and sauce. Before the pasta is completely cooked take it out and put it in the sauce. It will absorb the sauce and give the pasta a much better flavor and will thicken the sauce. When adding the pasta to the sauce, continually move it around in the sauce so it doesn’t burn or stick. Just keep it in there 90 seconds to two minutes. If you are craving something that tastes like home but has a sophisticated twist, give today’s recipe a try. Short ribs are good any time of year and in my opinion, anytime of day. The bones and the broth have collagen in them, which we all really need.
Good luck and enjoy!
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Italian Short ribs (Instant pot recipe)
5-9 lbs. short ribs
1 large can of whole tomatoes
6 cups of water
one large onion
6-8 large cloves of garlic, mashed
10-12 stocks of celery
1 lb. carrots cut in 1/3’s 4-5 bay leaves
1 teaspoon rosemary
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 cloves
sea salt to taste
pepper if desired
(I didn’t add potatoes because I didn’t have any, but normally potatoes would be added later so they didn’t overcook!
Mushrooms could also be added in the beginning, if you have them available.)
The broth is cooked down, so that it thickens. Skim the fat off before serving. This recipe can be used with any in expensive cut of meat. You can put your meat in frozen, and it will be falling off the bone.
If you cook it in a slow cooker, you can put it on the night before and cook it through the night. I recommend cooking it in an 8 quart Instant pot for 35 minutes.
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The recipe and photo used in today’s article are from the kitchen of Chef Babz ([email protected]) with a little help from her mother, Dr.Rita Goldman.
