Cross Rib Roast with Garlic Herb Rub

• 3 lb Cross Rib Roast 
• Garlic Herb Rub (Recipe from The Grassfed Gourmet by Shannon Hayes)

Garlic Herb Rub recipe: 

• 1 tbsp dried thyme
• 1 tbsp dried rosemary
• 2 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground fennel (optional)
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 1/2 tbsp sea salt
• 2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 450.

Rub roast with garlic herb mix.

Cook roast for 15-20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 until meat thermometer reads 130 (rare) to 140 (medium), roasting time is approximately 20 minutes per pound. Remove from oven, tent and let stand for 15-25 minutes. Cut thin slices to serve. Serve with mashed potatoes and roasted carrots and onions. 

Tip: I always save my roast drippings to make gravy (de-glaze and make in the same roaster, no need for extra dishes!). I also keep the the strained potato water and add as needed instead of water or broth.   Delish!

Braised Grass Fed Beef Cheeks in a red wine and tomato sauce.

• Prep time:20 mins
• Cook time:3-5 hours.
• Serves:4

Ingredients: 

• 4 Whole grass fed beef cheeks (approx 3 lbs)
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Med onion chopped
• 1 Large carrot chopped
• 1 Stalk of Celery chopped
• 1 Large garlic clove finely chopped or crushed
• 1 Bay leaf
• 2 Cups red wine or ▼
• 1  Cup red wine vinegar and 1 ½ cup beef or chicken stock
• 1  Can whole or sliced tomatoes (not strained)
• 1 Tsp salt
• 1 Tsp pepper

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 325°F.

• In a 5 quart oven proof pot, heat 2 tablespoons of Olive oil on high. 
• Let your cheeks air dry a few minutes,  then salt and pepper both sides
• Test the oil with a small piece of meat. You want to hear a nice loud sizzle,  the goal is to get a nice brown searing all around your cheeks. Once seared, turn the heat down, take the cheeks out and set aside. Leave all fat and drippings in the pot 
• In the same pot add the onions, carrots, celery,  and garlic. You might have to add a bit more oil at this point. Cook on medium heat until veggies are tender. Add the red wine or red wine vinegar and stock and the bay leaf. Bring to simmer. Reduce sauce depending on cooking time. Longer cooking time  reduce sauce by a 1/4,  8-10 mins.
• Add the cheeks and any dripping back into the pot. Pour in your tomatoes. Put the lid on and set it in the oven for 3-5 hours. Start checking it  at 3 hours to find your desired texture and tenderness. Once done, the cheeks should be ever so tender! Can be served with a variety of sides. We did ours with a creamy sweet potato puree.

Chicken Cardamom Masala

• Yield: serves 4
• prep time: 30 mins
• Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients

• ½ cup plain full-fat yogurt (or coconut milk)
• 2 tablespoons garam masala
• 6 to 10 cardamom pods (lightly bruised)
• 1 piece of cinnamon stick (1 inch long)
• 2 teaspoons chili powder, or more to taste
• 2 teaspoons fresh chopped ginger
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 chicken cut up, or 4 chicken thighs halved.
• 1 teaspoon of powdered turmeric
• 2 tablespoons of canola oil
• 4 onions, chopped
• 3 to 5 cloves of garlic. chopped
• 4 to 6 tablespoons of cashews
• 1 to 2 tablespoons of tomato paste or ketchup
• ¼ cup of heavy cream (optional)
• chopped herbs (cilantro) for garnish

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, garam masala, cardamom, cinnamon stick, chili powder, ginger, and salt. Add the chicken, turning to coat. Let marinate for as long as you have time, refrigerate if more than an hour.
• Using a rubber spatula, scrape off as much of the yogurt marinade from the chicken as possible; Save the marinade. pat the chicken dry using paper towels, and sprinkle it with the turmeric.
• Heat the oil in a large pot over high heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning occasionally for 10 minutes, or until the skin in nicely brown. If you don't have a big enough pot, do it in 2 batches.
• Remove the chicken, reduce the heat, and sauté the onions and garlic for 4 to 5 minutes, until starting to soften. Add the chicken, the saved marinade, cashews, and the tomato paste, cover. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, untill the chicken is cooked through.
• Stir in the cream(optional) and cook for 2 more minutes.
• Garnish with cilantro

Variation

If you would like to make a thick sauce without adding a lot of calories, add another cup of yogurt along with the marinade and chicken.

Braised Short Ribs

by The Smitten Kitchen  

• Yield: Serves 4 to 6
• Prep Time: 1 hour
• Cooking Time: 3-4 hours 

Ingredients

• 6 beef Short Ribs
• 3 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves, and 4 whole sprigs thyme
• 2 tbsp. cracked black pepper
• butter for searing
• 1 diced medium onion
• 2 diced carrot
• 2 diced celery
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 ½ cups Ruby port
• 2 ½ cups red wine
• 6 cups beef stock
• 4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
• salt & ground black pepper

Directions:

Once short ribs are at room temperature rub thyme and the cracked black pepper to coat the meat well. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.

Turn the oven to 275-300 degrees F.

Take the short ribs out of the refrigerator to come to room temperature and then season them generously on all sides with salt. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add butter and wait a minute or two, until the pan is very hot and almost smoking. Place the short ribs in the pan, and sear until they are nicely browned on all three meaty sides. Depending on the size of your pan, you might have to sear the meat in batches. Do not crowd the meat and take your time. When the ribs are nicely browned, transfer them to a plate to rest.

Turn the heat down to medium or lower, and add the diced onion, carrot, and celery. Stir and scrape up all the crusty bits in the pan. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, until the vegetables just begin to caramelize. Add thyme springs, bay leaves, balsamic vinegar, port, and red wine. Turn the heat up to high, and boil for a few minutes.

Add the stock and bring to a boil. Arrange ribs in the pot, lying flat in one layer.  The stock mixture should almost cover the ribs (you can add water to top it up). Arrange the parsley sprigs in and around the meat. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and a tight-fitting lid if you have one. Braise in the oven for about 3 hours to 4 hours.

To check the meat for doneness, pierce a short rib with a paring knife. When the meat is done, it will yield easily to a knife.

Let the ribs rest 10 minutes in their juices, and then transfer them to a baking sheet.

Turn the oven up to 400 degrees F. Place the short ribs in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes to brown. You can also grill the short ribs on the barbecue.

Strain the broth into a saucepan, pressing down on the vegetables to extract all the juices. Skim the fat from the broth and taste for seasoning.

If you have leftovers, you can make a French dip. Take the meat off the bone. In a sauce pan, heat it up with a small amount of broth (so it doesn't dry out the meat). Place the meat into a baguette with grainy mustard and a slice of mozzarella and dip it into the heated broth.