This dish is incredibly satisfying.

The mild Italian ground sausage is slow cooked with mushrooms, red wine and aromatics until the flavors melt together like your favorite comfort food.

It was that exact flavor profile that inspired this recipe, except it wasn’t a hearty rich Ragù I dreamed of, it was a pizza.

For as long as I can remember my favorite pizza toppings have been sausage and mushroom (very light on the tomato sauce please). The flavor combination is everything!

Our neighborhood gathering spot happens to be an Italian restaurant with a rich personal history.

But it’s the no-fuss comfortable feel we get sitting at the bar that makes this a favorite.

Pre-covid, almost every week Nick and I would choose a night to forgo cooking and belly up to the bar instead. We’d catch up with our favorite bartenders and other folks like us (the “regulars”), have a cocktail, and then we’d order dinner.

Flash forward to a couple weeks ago. After taking nearly a year off from dining-in we went for it. It was a Tuesday, the day had gotten away from us, and we just wanted to sit at the bar. And so we did. I ordered a martini, Nick a G&T and we sipped to our hearts content. For dinner I ordered a sausage & mushroom pizza (on gluten free crust…which is thin & crispy and I positively adore). I’m not sure if it was the nostalgic feeling I got from seeing some old familiar faces or the comfort of my cocktail and pizza toppings but I left Ipp’s inspired that night.

With all of that in mind, it is my intent with this recipe to make it as comfortable as a great slice of pizza (or dirty martini). These gorgeous on-the-vine cherry tomatoes called to me at the market. I knew it would be the perfect way to incorporate the tomato element to this dish without overpowering the Ragù. And since pizza was the inspiration, fresh mozzarella found its way into this giant bowl of love!!

/ comfort food /

noun

“a food that provides consolation or a feeling of well-being”

Because my intention with this dish was to deliver comfort, I served it two ways. Over Herby Polenta {with Smoked Gouda} and over tagliatelle pasta. Both family-style presentations were inviting and delicious and enjoyed by all.

Cheers to the weekend (or weeknight) when dinner is ready in under an hour and delivers familiar comfortable flavors. This Sausage & Mushroom Ragù will do just that. These cocktails will help.

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Sausage & Mushroom Ragù

Cheers to the weekend (or weeknight) when dinner is ready in under an hour and delivers familiar comfortable flavors. This Sausage & Mushroom Ragù will do just that.

Course Main Course

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For Ragu

• 3-4 Tablespoons olive oil divided
• 3 Tablespoons butter divided
• 1 pound mushrooms sliced
• 1/2 sweet onion about 1 cup fine diced
• 1 shallot fine diced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 pound ground mild Italian sausage
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup chicken broth divided
• salt & pepper to taste

To serve

• 2-3 bunches cherry tomatoes on the vine
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 4 servings Herbed Polenta or Favorite Pasta Polenta Recipe Link in Post
• fresh mozzarella or parmesan cheese
• fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions

For Ragu

• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespooon butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Saute mushrooms in batches until golden brown. Adding additional butter and oil as needed. Remove mushrooms from pan and reserve.
• Saute diced onion and shallot until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add ground sausage to pan, using wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Cook until well browned and cooked through. Return mushrooms to pan and stir to heat through.
• Add red wine and cook until almost evaporated. Stir in tomato paste and 1/2 cup broth, mix well. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Add additional broth if needed to desired consistency.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400° F. Place tomatoes on baking sheet; drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes, just until tomatoes begin to burst.
• Prepare Herby Polenta or favorite pasta.

To serve

• Spoon ragu over a bed of creamy polenta or cooked pasta, topped with roasted tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella pieces or parmesan shavings. Garnish with fresh parsley.

The post Sausage & Mushroom Ragù appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

With winter ragging across most of the country, I posed this question on Facebook:

What is your favorite soup?

I received a nice variety of responses, which included some of my favorite soups like Broccoli Cheddar and Italian Wedding and others that I had yet to recreate at home.

Nick described his beloved Steak & Potato Soup as “meaty and full of potatoes, carrots and mushrooms. The broth is rich but not too thick.” I’m fairly certain what he described was available in a can and included the word Chunky on the label :) I can work with that and so chunky this soup would be. A fine balance between a soup and a stew.

Soup will generally contain meat or vegetables that are typically brought to a boil in water or broth and served with a generous ratio of broth to meat/vegetables. Whereas a Stew has less liquid, is typically simmered for a longer period and is served with more meat/vegetables and less broth.

For the ‘steak’ you can use your favorite cut. I prefer beginning with tender beef that has some nice marbling. This is the star of the show so why scrimp and use a tough cut of meat?! I used Yukon Gold for the potatoes because I like how they hold together yet are nice and creamy. Fresh thyme is a must and caramelized mushrooms go perfectly in this hearty soup.

I pan brown the steak and mushrooms in batches because a nice sear really helps to build flavor. Remove the beef and mushrooms and reserve them until nearer the end of cooking.

Add onions, carrots and fresh thyme to the same pan and sauté until almost tender. Dust the veggies with flour or arrowroot (for GF), then deglaze the pan with red wine and tomato paste to incorporate all those yummy brown bits from the seared steak, all the while building layers of flavor.

Next comes the cubed potatoes, bay leaves and a nice rich beef stock or bone broth. Simmer soup until potatoes are just fork tender, then return the seared steak and mushrooms to the pot and heat through. Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaves before serving.

Homemade Steak & Potato Soup got two thumbs up from my favorite taste-tester. This soup will satisfy your best eaters and is the perfect cold-weather blues buster!!

Making homemade soup reminds me of one of my favorite cooking quotes.

“Cooking is a caring and nurturing act. It’s kind of the ultimate gift for someone, to cook for them. It creates all this beautiful stuff, conversation, appreciation, romance. All the most important things in life you do around a dinner table.” ~ Curtis Stone.

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

Wishing you a happy table. All my best, Libby

The post Steak & Potato Soup appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Here in the sunny south we’ve been experiencing some big weather swings.  Cold one day, hot the next.  Seems that kind of shift leads you straight into flu and cold season.  Yep, that’s right.  About 1/3 of my work family is or has been sick.  The only thing I could think to do was make soup.  Mushroom Soup with Cheesy Portobello Croutons hit the spot.

We had witnessed poor Ania go slowly down hill.  You could see in her face that she just didn’t feel good, but she hung in there, each day hoping that would be the day she would turn the corner and feel better.  When Friday afternoon rolled around I overheard a coworker ask her what would make her feel better.  The answer was soup.  Mushroom Soup.  Note to self, make Ania mushroom soup.

We have a Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup recipe shared already, yet I had a feeling brothy would be better in this case.  So I sent her a text to confirm.

I wanted to do something especially for Ania.  Since she is a low-carb girl, most often when I’m passing samples around at the office, they aren’t on her plan.  I needed a soup that delivered comfort so I followed our French Onion Soup recipe but replaced the onions with mushrooms.  I had to come up with a replacement for the cheesy pumpernickel crouton.

Welcome the roasted Portobello mushroom cap loaded with Havarti cheese aka Cheesy Portobello Crouton.  If you’re a carb lover like me, feel free to melt that thick slice of Havarti over an even thicker slice of toasted pumpernickel bread.

Yes the cheesy crouton delivers complete comfort, and all those yummy mushrooms will make you smile, but the broth…..

The broth begins with cooking down the mushrooms in butter until they release all their natural juices.  Then fresh thyme, garlic, bay leaf, red wine and Worcestershire sauce build on that goodness.  Once the wine is cooked off, nice rich beef broth is added and the mushrooms simmer.  I’m telling you if layers of flavors had a picture in the dictionary this might just be it.

I delivered a big tub of Mushroom Soup {with Cheesy Portobello Crouton}.  I’m pretty certain Ania perked up after she enjoyed a bowlful for lunch.  Share the Love.  It just feels good.

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Mushroom Soup {with Cheesy Portobello Crouton}

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4 -6

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the soup…

• 4 Tbl. butter
• 2 pounds thick sliced fresh mushrooms I used button and baby portobello
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly cracked pepper
• 1 cup red wine can sub white wine or omit
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tbl. flour
• 48 ounces beef stock

For the cheesy Portobello croutons…

• 4 Portobello mushroom caps about 4-inch diameter
• 4 thick slices Havarti or Gruyere Cheese
• olive oil
• salt & pepper

Instructions

For the soup…

• In a large dutch oven over medium-low heat, add butter and sliced mushrooms. Stir to coat mushrooms in butter then allow to cook untouched for 10 minutes. Stir well, then allow to cook for an additional 5 minutes untouched. Stir, cook another 5 minutes, mushrooms should be releasing their liquid. Continue cooking, stirring every 5 minutes until the mushrooms are tender and have released most of their liquid.
• Add in minced garlic, bay leaf, fresh thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook for an additional minute, then add in wine and Worcestershire sauce. Allow to simmer gently until the wine has absorbed. Remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs, discard.
• Dust mixture with flour and cook slowly for 5-7 minutes. Then add beef broth and simmer 10 minutes.

For the cheesy Portobello croutons…

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Using a spoon, scrape to remove the gills from the stem side of each of mushroom cap. Brush both sides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Cut a shallow ‘X’ into the top of each cap. Place in baking pan.
• Roast for 15 minutes on one side, then turn over and roast another 15 minutes. Fill each cap with a slice of cheese, then pop under the broiler until lightly browned and bubbly.
• Fill crocks with soup, top with cheesy Portobello crouton. Enjoy!

The post Mushroom Soup {with Cheesy Portobello Crouton} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

I’ve been itching to make Chicken Cacciatore but sadly one key ingredient stood in the way.  Green bell peppers and I just can’t seem to get along.  Same goes for cucumbers.  Two ingredients you’ll rarely see included in a recipe on Lemony Thyme.  However, an Eat Out of the Fridge/Pantry produce drawer discovery changed everything.

We had a Sprouts Farmers Market open last week half way between work and home.  Pass it every day.  Twice.  I was certain of one thing, that on their grand opening day, the seafood and the produce were never going to be fresher.  And so I went in.

I wish I had taken a close-up picture of the peppers.  All varieties looking so smooth and waxy.  I chose two beautiful poblano peppers and a bag full of jalapenos.  No plan for what to do with them, but they were the prettiest I had seen since our summer Farmers’ Market and they were coming home with me.

Over the course of the week, those glorious peppers inched their way to the back of the veggie drawer faster than me in a workout class.  It wasn’t until my weekend morning fridge cleaning that they were rediscovered, still looking fresh as can be.  What to do with all of these peppers?!

Pulled a pack of chicken thighs out of the freezer and we were on our way to Chicken Cacciatore, Southwest style.  While green bell peppers don’t agree with me (please tell me I’m not alone here), I LOVE smoky fire roasted poblano peppers and have come to enjoy the moderate heat from jalapenos.  They’re both green & peppers and replace green bell peppers in most of our recipes.

Recipe note: To remove the tough skin from the poblano peppers, simply char them, then let them steam in a covered bowl for a few minutes.  I use my gas stove and lay the peppers across the burners, turning them with metal tongs.  You can also use your gas grill or put them under the broiler.  The key is to get them nice and black as shown in the picture above.  Then put them in a bowl covered with plastic wrap until they are cool enough to handle.  Run them under water and gently loosen the blackened skin.  Most of it will just wash away.  Cut a slit the length of the peppers to remove the seeds. Dice and add to your recipe.

The series of photos above are my hope to encourage any hesitant cooks to enjoy our recipes.  After a two to three hour braise you can see how rich and concentrated the tomato sauce becomes.

While I envisioned Chicken Cacciatore as my next hearty comfort food dish, we were able to also enjoy it as a low-carb, calorie friendly meal.  This dish served over spaghetti squash makes it a Healthy Choices meal.  Don’t let the word healthy make you think boring.  Those glorious peppers along with aromatics and seasonings delivered punch and personality…and the most delicious tender chicken.

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Chicken Cacciatore {B is for Braising}

Cook Time 3 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 2 fire roasted poblano peppers skins and seeds removed, diced
• 4 chicken thighs
• 2 Tbl. avocado or other high heat oil
• salt & pepper
• 2 jalapeno peppers seeds removed, diced
• 1 large onion diced
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 3 plum tomatoes diced
• 28- ounce diced tomatoes preferably no salt added
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp. Mrs. Dash onion seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• salt & pepper
• 1 medium spaghetti squash
• grated parmesan cheese to serve

Instructions

• Season chicken thighs with salt & pepper. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan. Brown chicken on all sides. Remove from pan. Drain off fat.
• Sauté onion and peppers until tender; about 10 minutes. Add in garlic and sauté for an additional minute. Deglaze pan with red wine, scrapping up any browned bits. Add plum and canned tomatoes with juice, chicken broth, and seasonings.
• Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 2 – 3 hours.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut spaghetti squash in half, length-wise. Scoop out seeds. Rub insides with olive oil. Place cut-side down on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes or until a fork pierces the skin easily. Scrape flesh into a bowl. Season to taste. Serve with chicken cacciatore and a dusting of parmesan cheese

The post Chicken Cacciatore appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Beef Bourguignon.  Boeuf Bourguignon.  Beef Burgundy.  I think we grew up with this dish.  No, not the first two.  My Mom made beef burgundy often.  The cuts of meat may have started out a bit tough requiring extra cooking love, but the end result was melt in your mouth wonderful. This year’s Christmas Eve Prime Rib was as good as any we’ve had in the past.

Prime Rib has become a Christmas Eve tradition.  Three consecutive years of repeat behavior qualifies as a ‘tradition’ in this house.  We always have more than we can eat.  That is the plan after all.  We LOVE our leftovers, and deciding how to repurpose them is a challenge we look forward to.  Yesterday we decided on Beef Bourguignon.

When it comes to tender meat, braising is where it’s at.  The process is relatively effortless, yet turns out the most tender and flavorful results.  Always reading and absorbing what the masters have worked so hard to perfect, I’ve become a bit of a geek and I mean that in the most affectionate way.  Cooking is an art and also a science.  That’s when we’re at our best in the kitchen.

My Mom was a newspaper editor.  Our kitchen table was her home office.  No matter where we lived, mom gave Sarah and I the bedrooms.  She claimed the kitchen.  We both have elementary school drawings of Mom.  Beautiful, with big hoop earrings, hair tied up in a knot, a glass of burgundy (Gallo Brand sold by the jug), and a Tareyton cigarette burning in the ashtray.  She was passionate.  About everything.  We were often whisked out of bed in the middle of the night to ‘catch’ a story.  And if there wasn’t a story that week, we became the story.  Mom had such a gift with words and fought for every story.  She would have been a masterful blogger with life experiences I’ll never achieve.

I described ‘mom’ at the kitchen table to and the response was “you may be the modern version.”  I’d love to be that.

The post Beef Bourguignon appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

I’m Libby with Lemony Thyme and the voice behind this blog, however I learned the fundamentals from a variety of sources.  When I started this blog 2+ years ago, my family was supportive yet cautious.  I’ll tell you more about that but first I must introduce a staple recipe, Slow Braised Beef Short Ribs.  Fall off the bone beefy goodness.

Both of these pictures were taken pre-Lemony Thyme.  Just any given night celebrating food and capturing the moment with the click of a cell phone.  From time to thyme I scroll through the thousands of photos I have archived.  Is there a recipe we need to recreate for the blog?  A gem in the rough?  Or a picture of a midnight snack that warrants a sober revisit?

I stumbled upon these photos, taken on two separate occasions, and was reminded of how much I adore Slow Braised Beef Short Ribs.  When I first threw out the idea of starting a blog, as I said previously, some were supportive yet cautious.  Cautious about sharing too much.  Sharing exact ingredient measurements is unfathomable to some.  The early view was that our site should attract people like us, home cooks who know their way around the kitchen.  Throw out some recipe inspiration and quality pictures and let individuals create their own versions of our dishes.  I understood where this was coming from, yet I quickly learned that offering recipe inspiration WITH details would allow budding food enthusiasts (like our kid) to utilize our recipes.

Lemony Thyme will always be a work in progress representing our love for food and food photography.  I’ve put in a request for Slow Braised Beef Short Ribs so that I can picture them again, but this time with my big girl camera.  More importantly, I’m ready to enjoy these melt in your mouth short ribs, perched on a bed of mashed potatoes with pan gravy so unctuous I’m certain I’ll call out….for more.

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Slow Braised Beef Short Ribs

Cook Time 3 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 5-6 beef short ribs
• salt & pepper
• 3 slices bacon
• 1 onion large diced
• 2 carrots sliced
• 1 celery rib sliced
• 2 cups rich beef stock
• 1/2 cup good but not great cabernet or pinot noir
• 2 Tbl. Worcestershire
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• Season a large Dutch oven by laying 3 slices of bacon across bottom over medium heat. Cook bacon until crispy, remove bacon and pour off all rendered fat. Reserve bacon for another dish or enjoy as a pre-dinner snack.
• Season short ribs with salt and pepper, then add to Dutch oven; brown on all sides & edges, 2-3 minutes per side. Remove and add onion, carrots and celery to pan and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.
• Add wine and deglaze pan, scrapping all brown bits with wooden spoon. Return short ribs to pan, nestle in vegetables. Add beef stock to bring liquid up to just over half way up the ribs. Then add garlic, Worcestershire, and thyme.
• Cover pan and braise in oven, checking every 1/2 hour to insure slow burble (not boil). Reduce heat accordingly. Total cooking time approx. 3 hours or until meat is tender and pulling away from bone.
• Serve short ribs on a bed of mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower for a low-carb option, with a ladle of pan gravy.

The post Slow Braised Beef Short Ribs appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Many years ago I went to Kansas City on a business trip.  I was invited to dinner with a dear friend at one of the wonderful Steakhouses in town.  I informed in advance that besides amazing steaks, this particular establishment was famous for their Steak Soup.

Side Note: If we ever go out to dinner together, you and I, be prepared that I most always have to order last.  I make my decision on what to order mostly based on what everyone else at the table has ordered.  I like to be sure as many dishes as possible have been covered.  Because I’m certain, when the time is right, my dining companions will offer me a bite.  My family affectionately calls this ‘Want a bite Lib?’

I’m also that girl that goes to Kansas City, is dining in a landmark Steakhouse, famous for their Steak Soup, and orders the Lobster Bisque.  On this particular occasion I made the right choice.  The steak soup was not at all what we expected and the lobster bisque stole the show.

Recipe inspiration:  This past Saturday evening we enjoyed a long overdue dinner with friends at their brand new home.  Great company, catching up, cooking together, and a wonderful meal…that began with Jalapeno Popper Dip.  I’ve discovered a new weakness.

By the time the perfectly cooked NY Strip steaks were presented…we were slowing down and savoring every bite.  Yes, we took home a doggy-bag.  The next day, I wasted no time turning the leftovers into a ‘what-steak-soup-is-supposed-to-taste-like’ Steak Soup.

Since we served this soup on Sunday, and Shelby was here to enjoy it (she had no interest in any of the other assorted dishes I offered up), I’ll call this a Sundays with Shelby post.  Then she delivered the most incredible 90-minute work-out-the-knots massage and it became an extra special Share the Love Sunday.

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Steak Soup

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 12 ounces NY Strip steak or favorite steak trimmed and diced
• 8 ounces button mushrooms sliced
• 1 medium onion diced
• 2 celery ribs diced
• 2 carrots diced (omit for low-carb)
• 1 Tbl. olive oil
• 1 Tbl. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tbl. flour
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 cups beef broth
• 1 cup red wine we used Mirassou Cabernet Sauvignon
• 1/2 cup cream

Instructions

• In a heavy bottom pot, sauté mushrooms in olive oil until lightly browned on both sides. Remove.
• In same pot, sauté onion, celery, carrots until tender, about 8-10 minutes. Remove.
• Add steak pieces and sauté over medium heat until browned, stirring constantly 2-3 minutes. Add Worcestershire and stir another minute. Dust in flour, thyme, salt & pepper; stir for another 2-3 minutes.
• Add beef broth, deglazing pan, followed by wine. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about an hour, until steak is tender. Return sautéed veggies to soup and heat through.
• To serve, whisk in cream and heat through. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

The post Steak Soup appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 Tbl. Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 shallot, minced
• kosher salt & freshly cracked pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Instructions

• Whisk together all ingredients, except the olive oil.  Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the olive oil.  Continue whisking until the dressing thickens slightly.
• Store unused portion in the refridgerator for up to a week.

The post Red Wine Vinaigrette Recipe appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

I was invited to be a Sunday Dinner guest in my own home.  Doesn’t get much better than that.  So while I’m writing about this dinner, this Braised Rib End Pork Roast was a combined effort and oh so delicious.

To begin, assemble your favorite dry rub.  For us that consisted of fairly equal amounts of dried thyme, sage, oregano, yellow mustard, garlic powder, Mrs. Dash Garlic Herb seasoning, salt & pepper.

Apply the rub to all sides of the roast, pressing it in as you go.  Then brown the roast in a dutch oven with canola oil until it is deep brown on all six sides.  Once browned remove the roast.  Add a generous amount of thickly sliced onions into the dutch oven and saute until just tender.  Then add 1 cup of dry red wine, stirring to deglaze the pan.  Next add several garlic cloves minced, 3-4 whole carrots, and 2 bay leaves.   Return the roast to the pan and add enough broth (chicken or beef works fine) to raise the liquid level to half way up the roast.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.  Cover the dutch oven and start the braising process on the stove top, bringing the liquid to a gentle boil, then transfer to the oven.  The objective in braising is to maintain a slow burble throughout the cooking process.  You may need to adjust the oven temperature up or down at 30 – 45 minute intervals.  For a 3-4 lb. roast you should plan on 2 1/2 – 3 hours of total cooking time.  When the meat pulls away from the bone, remove it (and the carrots) and allow to rest 15 minutes before slicing.

Now for the really good part.  All that beautiful braising liquid is begging to become a wonderful rich sauce.  Return the dutch oven to the stove top and bring liquid to a boil.  Make a corn starch slurry using some of the braising liquid and 2 Tbl. of corn starch.  Whisk in the slurry mixture and continue to simmer until the sauce has reduced by about one third.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve your Braised Rib End Pork Roast with your favorite mashed root vegetables and a generous ladle of the amazing sauce.  Oh how I love Braisings!!

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Braised Rib End Pork Roast

Course Entree

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 45 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 3 1/2 lb. Rib End Pork Roast

For the dry rub…

• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tsp. dried sage
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. dry mustard
• 1 tsp. Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb seasoning
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper

For the braising…

• 2 Tbl. canola oil
• 2 onions thick sliced
• 1 cup red wine
• 3-4 garlic cloves minced
• 5-6 whole carrots peeled
• 2 bay leaves
• 3-4 cups broth chicken or beef
• 2 Tbl. corn starch

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

For the dry rub…

• Combine dry rub ingredients and apply to all sides of the roast, pressing it in as you go. Then brown the roast in a dutch oven with canola oil until it is deep brown on all six sides. Once browned remove the roast.

For the braising…

• Add sliced onions to the dutch oven and saute until just tender. Then add red wine, stirring to deglaze the pan.
• Next add garlic cloves, carrots, and bay leaves and return the roast to the pan. Add enough broth to raise the liquid level to half way up the roast. Cover the dutch oven and start the braising process on the stove top, bringing the liquid to a gentle boil, then transfer to the oven.
• Plan on 2 1/2 – 3 hours of total cooking time. When the meat pulls away from the bone, remove it (and the carrots) and allow to rest 15 minutes before slicing.
• Return the dutch oven to the stove top and bring liquid to a boil. Make a corn starch slurry using 2 Tbl. of corn starch to about 1/2 cup of braising liquid. Whisk the slurry mixture back into the braising liquid and continue to simmer until the sauce has reduced by about one third. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve roast with your favorite mashed root vegetables, carrots, and a generous ladle of the amazing sauce.

The post Braised Rib End Pork Roast appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Today marks the 100th birthday of the witty and talented, Julia Child.  She is being celebrated across many food sites today I’m sure.  While I remember watching The French Chef on PBS and being captivated by Julia’s quirky voice and clear love of cooking, it wasn’t until I was reintroduced to her character in the hit movie Julie & Julia that I fell in love with her.  I’m sure there are many forums that have addressed this movie’s effect on food blogging.  It certainly captivated me….though I had no thought of writing about food at that time.

“We should enjoy food and have fun.  It is one of the simplest and nicest pleasures in life.” ~ Julia Child.

Coq au Vin, French translation “rooster in red wine” is a wonderfully rich chicken dish with tender onions and mushrooms.  It is our pleasure to make it today in honor of Julia’s 100th.

Sauté  bacon in heavy Dutch oven until browned.  Remove bacon and add chicken to brown.  Return bacon to the pan and cover, cooking on low for 10 minutes, turning chicken once.

After browning the chicken, uncover pan and add cognac.  Flambé by igniting with a match, swirl pan to burn off alcohol and extinguish flame.  Add red wine and enough chicken broth to almost cover chicken pieces.  Stir in tomato paste, garlic, bay leaf, and thyme.  Bring liquid to a simmer, then cover, and simmer slowly for about 30 minutes until chicken is tender and instant-read meat thermometer reads 165 degrees.

While the chicken is cooking prepare the Brown-Braised Onions and the Sautéed Mushrooms (see previous post).

Once chicken is done cooking, remove to a side dish, leaving the cooking liquid in the pot.  Bring liquid to boil and cook to reduce to about 2 cups, then remove bay leaf.  Make paste from 3 Tbl. flour and 2 Tbl. softened butter and then add into the 2 cups of hot cooking liquid.  Whisk and simmer for 1-2 minutes until sauce is nicely thickened to coat the chicken.

Serve chicken on a platter with the Brown-Braised Onions, Sautéed Mushrooms, and a side of green peas and perhaps some rice or crusty bread.  This wonderful dish can be made ahead and reheated allowing the layers of flavors to really incorporate.  Such a wonderful representation of Julia Child’s mad skills and let us not forget her blunt approach to cooking and life really.  I leave you with this quote…

“The best way to execute French cooking is to get good and loaded, then whack the hell out of a chicken.  Bon appétit.” ~ Julia Child

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Coq au Vin {Bon appétit Julia}

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 – 3 lb. frying chicken cut up skin on and thoroughly dried
• 4 oz. bacon
• 2 Tbl. butter
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup cognac
• 3 cups red wine we used Pinot Noir and would recommend reducing to 1 1/2 cups
• 2 cups homemade chicken stock
• 1 Tbl. tomato paste
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp. dried
• 3 Tbl. flour
• 2 Tbl butter softened
• Parsley sprigs
• Brown-Braised Onion see previous post for recipe
• Sautéed Mushrooms see previous post for recipe

Instructions

• Cut bacon into 1/4″ pieces and sauté in 2 Tbl. butter in heavy Dutch oven until browned, remove to side dish.
• Dry chicken thoroughly and add pieces into the hot oil and brown on all sides, then season with salt & pepper.
• Return bacon to the pan and cover, cooking on low for 10 minutes, turning chicken once.
• After browning the chicken, uncover pan and add cognac. Flambé by igniting with a match, swirl pan to burn off alcohol and extinguish flame.
• Add red wine and enough chicken broth to almost cover chicken pieces.
• Stir in tomato paste, garlic, bay leaf, and thyme.
• Bring liquid to a simmer, then cover, and simmer slowly for about 30 minutes until chicken is tender and instant-read meat thermometer reads 165 degrees.
• While the chicken is cooking prepare the Brown-Braised Onions and the Sautéed Mushrooms (see previous post).
• Once chicken is done cooking, remove to a side dish, leaving the cooking liquid in the pot.
• Bring liquid to boil and cook to reduce to about 2 cups, then remove bay leaf.
• Make paste from 3 Tbl. flour and 2 Tbl. softened butter and then add into the 2 cups of hot cooking liquid.
• Whisk and simmer for 1-2 minutes until sauce is nicely thickened to coat the chicken.

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