Buffalo Rising Online

Dec 3rd 2007, 3:48pm By Christa Glennie Seychew

Buffalo Rising and Slow Food Buffalo have partnered to bring you Sunday Suppers, a regular feature that provides readers with the opportunity to prepare a meal that is simple and delicious highlight­ing some regional ingredients and items that can be purchased from small, local businesses.

Slow Food Buffalo is the local chapter of the international Slow Food movement, an organization that espouses the belief that the benefits of preparing meals from fresh, local ingredients and sharing them with family and friends is a way to invigorate the local economy, retain cultural food traditions, and bring people “back to the table” in a way that is no longer part of our daily lives.

We know that many of you will be entertaining out of town guests during the holidays and have plenty of preparation to do for your grand holiday feast, so this no-fuss meal is a nice alternative to ordering pizza to feed the hungry visitors sleeping in your spare room during the days that surround Christmas.

For the month of December, Sunday Suppers was fortunate enough to enlist the help of Chef Jim Guarino, owner of Shango New Orleans Bistro and Wine Bar, one of the city's best eateries. Their consistently good food, top notch wine list (which was recently awarded by Wine Spectator), eclectic beer selection and lovely Sunday brunch are just a few of the components that make this establishment truly special.

Here Chef Guarino has demonstrated the uncomplicated art of braising. Cooking less expensive cuts of meat, on a low temperature, for long periods of time, in a tasty broth, provides succulent results. Some of the techniques that made Grandma's Sunday roast something to write home about are no longer outmoded, having in the last decade been embraced by America's culinary elite.

"I think that this is comfort food at its finest," Guarino told Buffalo Rising. "It's perfect for a cold winter night. This is my favorite style of cooking...the flavors you get from braised meat are really just fantastic." We think so too, Jim.

The beef short ribs (ask for the "hotel cut") can be sourced from the venerable Meating Place on Grant Street, one of the few butchers that always has them in stock. As a nice accompaniment, Guarino roasted some root vegetables, vegetables that come from a WNY farm and are sold by Mom and Pops Natural Foods, a great organic market that has recently opened in University Heights, just a few yards down Main Street from Shango.

For a demonstration of this recipe, and Buffalo Rising and Slow Food Buffalo's other Sunday Suppers, visit Buffalo Rising's YUM page and look for the blue Sunday Suppers button in the left column of the page.

Braised Beef Short Ribs serves 4

4 14-16oz Beef Short Ribs
4 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 15oz can of organic crushed tomatoes
2 cups red wine
2 cups low sodium chicken or beef stock
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp water

Preheat oven to 350º
Heat olive oil in a large saute pan. Sear short ribs until they form a brown crust on their exterior (about 2-3 minutes on each side). Place in large roasting pan or dutch oven. Add all of the ingredients to the pan. Cover and place in oven for approximately 3 - 3 1/2 hours, occasionally turning the ribs. (Place the root vegetables in the oven on the second rack during the last 20-30 minutes of cooking time.) When the ribs are done, remove them from the pan and cover them with foil. Next, strain the vegetables from the remaining braising liquid, reserving it for sauce. Discard the vegetables. Heat the liquid on the stove top, bringing to a boil and then lower heat. Skim the fat fromt he surface of the sauce. Simmer until the sauce reduces in volume by half. During this process, whisk together corn starch and water, creating a slurry. When the braising liquid has reduced down add the slurry to thicken the sauce. Plate and serve.

Roasted Root Vegetables

1 turnip
2 carrots
1 red onion
2 parsnips
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Chop produce into pieces approximately 1" thick. Toss in oil and place on a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast in oven for the last 25 minutes of cooking time for the ribs.


Shango New Orleans Bistro & Wine Bar
3260 Main Street, Buffalo 14214
716.837.2326