Short Ribs Jambalaya

My sister-in-law sometimes makes a beef jambalaya and I think the recipe she executes is the one she found in one of my Cooking Club magazines. Having a hankering for it, I decided to give it a try. I made a couple of changes: one, because I think fire-roasted diced tomatoes are better than regular; two, because apparently I don't follow directions.

Short Ribs Jambalaya
adapted from Cooking Club of America

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2 lb. boneless beef short ribs

4 tsp Creole seasoning
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 c chopped celery
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 (14-oz.) cans fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 c beef stock
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried thyme
2 c long-grain white rice
8 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley

Heat oven to 350°F. Cut ribs into 2-inch pieces. In small bowl, stir together Creole seasoning and pepper; rub into ribs.

Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until hot. Add ribs in batches; cook 3 to 4 minutes or until browned, turning once. Place on plate.

Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic; cook 6 to 10 minutes or until softened, stirring occasionally.

Return ribs and any accumulated juices to pot; add tomatoes, the stock, bay leaves and thyme.

Increase heat to medium-high; bring to a boil.

Cover pot; place in oven. Bake 1 1/2 hours or until meat is tender, stirring halfway through.
Beef mixture baked 45 minutes and stirred before going back into the oven for an additional 45 minutes.

Remove from oven; return pot to stove-top and stir.

At this point, I realized I had accidentally diverged from the original recipe as my mixture was so wet: I hadn't drained the tomatoes. I nixed the addition of 2 additional cups of stock the original recipe calls for. I also realized how much fat was pool at the top of the mixture -- against my better judgement, I didn't scoop it out.

Stir in rice, green onions, and parsley; cover and return to oven.

Bake 30 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes; stir before serving.

While a little greasier than I'd prefer (I totally should have skimmed the fat before adding rice!) the jambalaya turned out great: the beef was succulent, the rice was tender but not at all mushy, and overall the consistency of the jambalaya wasn't too wet or dry. I was concerned about that as I hadn't drained the tomatoes as directed, making up for the extra moisture by omitting 2 cups of stock.

This is an awesome recipe and as suggested by my comments thus far, you want 1) lean beef, and 2) seasonings you like. I liked the Creole Seasoning Blend found on All Recipes, but would have enjoyed a little more spicy kick.

As I'd used English-style beef short ribs and cut the bones from them myself to yield boneless beef short ribs, I realize there might be a boneless beef rib meat section that is leaner than the bone-in ribs and simply cutting the bone out doesn't constitute the same cut. Next time I'll spend the money for the boneless chuck short rib meat from Costco, which is always nicely trimmed and the marbling is quite pretty. Or I'll use the cut I used but will simply skim the fat as my ignored insticts suggested.

Best of all, while no one at my brother's house would be able to tell you as the jambalaya is gone in about the same time it takes to bring it to the table from the stove-top, I can tell you this jambalaya freezes well. So those of you beef-eater loners or couples who think this might be too much to prepare, know you can prep it and love it the first day, then happily store the leftovers for a revisit it later.

Cost:

• beef short ribs: $7.56
• onion: $0.25
• bell pepper: $0.99
• celery: $0.34
• tomatoes: $1.98
• stock: $3.00
• rice: $0.50
• green onions: $0.89
• parsley: $0.99

Total: $16.50 or $2.75 for each of six generous 2-cup servings.

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