This brief burst of winter weather is reason enough to skip the salads and soups and opt for big food- you know, the braised meats like short ribs, osso buco and the like. The rich, hearty flavors, velvety thick sauces and fork tender meat make for a satisfying meal. They’re easy to find on almost any restaurant menu this time of year. If you’d rather stay home, they’re also simple to prepare and even taste better as leftovers.
A couple of stand outs if you’re dining out–the delicious braised pork osso buco from The Bird & The Bear in River Oaks, Elouise Adams Jones’ fun new restaurant (shown above). The earthy mushroom and rosemary sauce is so good you won’t want to leave any behind.
Another hearty choice is Olivette’s Braised Pork and Anasazi Beans. Olivette restaurant at The Houstonian first offered this dish as a special but recently added it to its main menu because guests kept requesting it. This one is topped with a zesty gremolata, a mix of parsley, garlic and citrus that adds a nice brightness to the dish.
If you want to try your hand at preparing some of these slow cooked meals, head to my website Goodtaste.tv. I’ve got the recipe for Olivette’s dish and a few others like The Girl and The Fig’s Sonoma Braised Pork Shank and even a recipe from Les Dames d’Escoffier for an Italian Braised Short Rib that’s served over a cheesy rosemary polenta.
Grab a glass of wine and put another log on the fire!
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Drooling!