Cream of the Crop Recipe Week 10: Ribs with Chard

 

Recipe of the Week:  Ribs with Swiss Chard

Short Ribs with Chard by Miriam Meir This is a recipe from our Syrian side of the family.  Ingredients 2 large onions 5-6 celery ribs 4 garlic cloves 2 tbsp olive oil 2-3 lbs short ribs (I use flanken) 2 bunches chard - swiss or rainbow 1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight (or one can) 1 tbsp ground allspice 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tbsp kosher salt, more to taste 2 cups basmati rice Step 1.  Preheat the oven to 300 F. Cut the meat into 2" cubes.  Step 2. Chop the onion, celery ribs and garlic. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof pot, and saute the onion and celery about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 1-2 additional minutes.  Step 3. Move the vegetables to the sides of the pot and add the meat, saute it in the pan so that all pieces touch the oil for about a minute. Add 3 cups water and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and cook over low heat for 30 minutes. Step 4. Wash and coarsely chop the chard. Add to the pan 1 cup water and fold in the chard, chickpeas, salt, allspice and cinnamon.  Step 5. Cover and transfer to the oven for 1.5 hours. Serve with basmati rice or in a pita.  You can make the rice during this time: Thoroughly rinse 2 cups of rice, soak in 4 cups of water exactly 30 minutes Drain and reserve the water Heat up 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan with a good tight lid Add the rice with 2 tsp salt and mix carefully Add 3 cups of water, bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes over the lowest heat.  Tip:  We had leftovers for lunch the next day, along with leafy greens (collard greens here) quickly braised in some olive oil with finely diced garlic cloves, some salt and some Aleppo pepper.    About Miriam Miriam is a mom, lecturer, and part-time grad student. Her family's kitchen is broadly Mediterranean, and inspired by their heritage: Belgian, Israeli, Moroccan and Syrian.