Recipes from the Farm — beef

The Tri-Tip comes from the bottom of the sirloin and is named for its triangular shape. It's been popular on the West Coast since the 1960s but is quickly catching on everywhere else.  It full of flavor and when cooked correctly and cut thinly against the grain, its as good of a cut of steak as any! John is a big fan. I typically sear nicely in the cast iron pan and finish in the oven to 135 degrees (medium rare). That's mainly because we don't always start a fire to grill. But during the summer, cooking over a fire is really nice. 

There are several cuts of beef that those "in the know" repeatedly request. Osso Bucco, short ribs, and Tri-tip are a few that come to mind. These less known cuts can be a fun challenge to those of that love to try new things.

This week our spotlight is on short ribs, a less know cut than our typical beef rib and coming from the plate, found directly below the rib. The plate is attached to the brisket and includes the skirt steak, which is well known for being a thin but full of flavor cut.

There are so many interesting but lesser known cuts of beef and we've set out to cook with all of them this year!

We will be sharing what we learn and our recipes with you as we go. Last weekend we pulled out some short ribs and braised them for 4 1/2 hours. We were so happy with the richness and texture of the meal. It was absolutely perfect for a winter night.

Interestingly, short ribs contain lots of bone marrow (because they come from a thicker part of the bone) which cooks out during braising and turns to gelatin which is exceptionally nourishing and healing to your joints and digestive system.