Alton Brown: Beef "Stew"

I put the stew in quotes on this one because it's not like any beef stew I've ever had.  As you can tell from the picture, there's very little liquid, barely even a gravy clinging to the meat and potatoes.  That being said, what is there is supremely delicious.  All that seasoning and low and slow cooking yields the most tender beef, the most succulent potatoes.  It would almost be a sin to drown it in watery sauce.

Beef "Stew"
From Alton Brown, as seen on Good Eats

¼ cup tomato paste
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon paprika
1½ teaspoons dried herbs, any combination of thyme, oregano, and rosemary

3 pounds English-cut short ribs
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 pound red potatoes, unpeeled and sliced
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

Whisk together the tomato paste, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, and dried herbs in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

Season the short ribs with 1 tablespoon of the kosher salt. Place a large griddle over medium-high heat and once a drop of water bounces off, sear the meat until browned on all sides. Once browned, remove the meat to the bowl with the paste and toss to coat. Transfer to a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil and seal tightly. Place the package in a metal pan and put into a cold oven on the middle rack. Set the oven to 250ºF and cook for 4 hours.

Remove the meat from the oven and carefully poke a hole in the pack while holding it over a heatproof container. Drain the liquid into the container and place it into the refrigerator to cool enough so that the fat separates from the rest of the liquid, approximately 1 hour. After 1 hour, transfer the liquid to the freezer and keep there until the fat cap has solidified, approximately 1 hour. Allow the ribs to sit at room temperature while the liquid is cooling.

Retrieve the liquid from the freezer and remove the fat cap that has formed on top. Measure out 1 tablespoon of the fat and reserve the rest for another application. Place the fat into a large saucier and set over medium heat. Once the fat has melted, add the onion along with the remaining teaspoon of salt and stir to separate the onions into rings. Allow to cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the potatoes along with a pinch of black pepper and stir to combine. Next, add the liquid reserved from the meat and stir. Cover tightly and decrease the heat to low so that no heat is escaping the lid. Cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the meat away from the bone, removing and discarding the connective tissue. Once the potatoes are tender, uncover, and set the meat atop the vegetables. Cover and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Serve sprinkled with the parsley.

Makes 4 servings