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It’s been months since executive chef Bobby Hammock has been able to cook for guests visiting the Country Music Hall of Fame.
While the Museum has re-opened, both the restaurant, 2/22, and the event spaces that Hammock oversees remain closed—but that’s given the normally busy chef the opportunity to cook in his own kitchen.
“It’s not a bad thing,” he says. “It’s what I love and it’s good to practice in a home kitchen instead.”
This fall, he might pull out this savory beef recipe, which is a hit with event guests. The braised beef short ribs turn out full of flavor and incredibly tender.
“It’s not a filet mignon, but there’s so much marbling in the ribs, which brings the flavor. And, short ribs can be less expensive,” Hammock adds; he recommends sourcing from Porter Road Butcher.
For events, his team will serve this with creamy mashed potatoes and may also add roasted, butter-basted garlic shrimp. “It gives it that really elegant finish,” Hammock says.
Braised Beef Short Ribs with Roasted Garlic Buttered Shrimp
Courtesy of Executive Chef Bobby Hammock, Country Music Hall of Fame
Braised Beef Short Ribs
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 boneless beef short ribs
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 small can tomato paste
- 1 cup red wine plus 1⁄2 cup for slurry
- 1 pint (2 cups) beef stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 1⁄2 teaspoon thyme leaves
- 1⁄2 teaspoon rosemary leaves
- 1⁄4 cup cornstarch
Directions: Place a large oven-safe pan over medium heat and add olive oil. Season short ribs with salt and pepper and brown in the hot oil on all sides. Remove and set aside. Add onions, carrot, celery, and garlic to pan and cook until vegetables turn slightly brown. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring continuously, until tomato paste turns dark, scraping the bottom of the pan when necessary. Deglaze the pan by adding 1 cup of red wine. Bring to a simmer and reduce by about half. Add beef stock and herbs. Place the short ribs back into the pan. Bring to a simmer and remove from cooktop. Cover with lid or aluminum foil and place in 325-degree oven. Cook for 90 minutes. Ribs should be very tender and almost falling apart. If not done enough, cook for an additional 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Remove short ribs from broth and strain broth into a sauce pan. Bring broth to a simmer.
Whisk together the cornstarch and remaining red wine and add to the broth, stirring to combine. Let simmer until it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season to taste if needed. Plate the braised short ribs and spoon broth over each serving. Serve with the Roasted Garlic Butter Shrimp and mashed potatoes (or your preferred starch) on the side.
Roasted Garlic Buttered Shrimp
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces unsalted butter, melted
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 1⁄4 teaspoon paprika
- 12 to 16 raw shrimp, tail removed; peeled and deveined
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Directions: In mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, garlic, lemon juice, chopped parsley, and paprika. Add shrimp and toss until all pieces are coated evenly. Take 3 to 4 shrimp and bundle them together into an individual portion; you can be creative by twisting the shrimp tails together. Season with salt and pepper. Bake in preheated 400-degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Cooking time will depend on the size of the shrimp. Remove and serve.
Country Music Hall of Fame; countrymusichalloffame.org