Got Bock?
Doppelbock Braised Short Ribs
-By Rich Ireland
This is an easy to prepare dish that features hearty German doppelbock lager beer as a braising liquid which then reduces into a complex and flavorful demi-glace that goes great with chewy, buttered bread or buttered noodles/spätzel. The dish should be served with a dark lager beer such as dunkle or märzen style.
Ingredients
16 to 24 oz of beef short ribs (well-marbled)
16 to 24 oz of doppelbock beer
1 large onion cut into medium to large wedges
2 cups of eggplant cut into large cubes (de-bittered by soaking in salt water for 4 hours then rinsing)
Optional: Parsnips or potatoes in lieu or addition to eggplant (cubed)
Salt and pepper to taste
½ tsp dried thyme
2 Tbsp of dark brown sugar
½ Tbsp of canola oil
3 Tbsp of flour (optional for dredging beef before browning)
Directions
Brown the beef in a large skillet or saucepan using canola oil on high heat for 2 minutes per side. Reduce heat and add beer, seasoning and half of the onion wedges. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Add remaining onion and eggplant (or other vegetables) and continue simmering covered for 30 minutes. Taste the sauce; it should be bitter at this point. Add the brown sugar to sweeten to taste. Cover and continue to simmer for an additional 45 minutes or until ribs want to fall apart, making sure the juices do not reduce to the point of burning (add a little water if needed). Serve the ribs with sauce and vegetables over the top.
