Braising

As the cold weather continues to ripple through our bones, we tend to think that the idea of having good, wholesome food might as well be thrown right out the window. With our wonderful cooking method braising, it is not true. What is braising? Without giving the scientific reasoning behind caramelizing sugars and breaking down proteins using wet cooking methods, it is simple. Braising is searing your meat/vegetables and then covering them with liquid and continuing to cook until tender, usually for meats about 4 hours; for vegetables maybe 1 hour.
In the case of beef shortribs (3 lbs.), season each of the ribs with a light touch of salt and pepper (The salt has no where to go when braising) and then sear them until they are brown on all sides on medium-high heat. Next, brown up vegetables consisting of 1 each onion, celery stalk, and a carrot. When these are nice and brown (caramelized), add half a bottle of red wine and reduce the red wine in the pot by half while scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon. Next, add water until the shortribs are covered and then add some whole peppercorns and any herbs you deem appropriate (thyme, rosemary, its up to you!) Next, bring the pot up to a low boil and then cover it in foil (or use a lid) and place it into a 350 degree oven for about three hours.
The short ribs are done when the meat is soft to the touch and the bones can easily twist inside of them (give them a tug!) the cooking times vary according to size, however, the store-bought shortribs I have been using tend to be small and cook quickly. Now let the shortribs cool in their liquid; removing them while hot will dry out the shortribs and they will also lose flavor. After the liquid is cooled and the shortribs are removed, take out the solidified fat that has cooled, and then strain the liquid into another pot and reduce it until it is thick (that is why you LIGHTLY season the shortribs) and then add the shortribs back into the liquid so they heat up again. Serve your shortribs over some horseradish mashed potatoes and brussels sprouts with guanciole. Spoon the remainder of the sauce over the shortribs and you have yourself a wonderful cold weather treat!
Sounds tough? Not really. Takes a long time? Nope. The oven and your cold garage (for cooling your ribs after they have cooked) do most of the work after the initial browning, and the browning (caramelizing) only takes maybe 20-30 minutes max. So give them a try and let me know how your shortribs turn out!

Holiday Parties

It is finally December and we in Columbus are having our first snowfall. December raises everyones spirits up from the doldrums of every day life because it is the holiday season. Everyone knows that Christmas is right around the corner, but is everyone having a Christmas party? There are several different forms of holiday parties...
1.Business/corporate/office holiday party - For those who work hard through the year, the office party seems to bring everyone back to together again after 365 days of hard work.
2.Cocktail party - Usually a small group (Under 30) who meet either at a restaurant, or, have a small catering at their house or office to have a drink and some nice nibbles (tappas, amuse bouche) and talk about what's going on outside the office.
3.House party - House parties are usually large catered holiday events that bring families and friends together. It is the one time of the year where everyone tends to relax and let loose all of the worries in the world for at least a few hours.
Here at California Catering Company, we specialize in all types of parties. "How do I go about scheduling a party?", someone might ask. Simple, just think about what you want and then drop us an e-mail with your contact information and an idea of what you might have in mind. We will get back to you and make up an outline of whatever it is you desire and get with you on the rest of the details. Simple as that. The easiest way to contact us is through our e-mail, cali.catering@gmail.com and the rest will be history. In the next few days, we will be posting examples of holiday parties for everyone to look at so be sure to check this site on a regular basis.