Feast of Papi

Why is it that Mothers get brunch on their day, but Dads get grillables? Is there something so feminine about pancakes and burnt toast? Clearly, most of us belive there is something masculine and primal about cooking food over an open flame.

But there are Dads who are the Champions of Breakfast: they are the ones that shuffle the cereal during the week and man the griddle on the weekends. For them I’d whip up some aebleskivers, the round pancake balls that you can fill with jam or Nutella or whatever makes you happy.

Maybe your Dad is The Sandwich Man: a guy who likes nothing better than to plop on the couch with a huge hoagie and a beer. A perfect pile of Italian spiciness from Delmonico’s might fit the bill. Better yet, go get a couple of pounds of pastrami and every fixin’ you can think of, and let him create the perfect bite.

Meat can be manly without being grilled. Grab a couple pounds of grass-fed beef short ribs from the boys of Braucher’s Sunshine Harvest Farm at the Mill City Market, and brine it in beer overnight. A quiet three hour braise will give you a tender, flavorful dish that would be tasty with some nicely spiced onion rings. No grill required.

Short Ribs
(about 4 lbs. of beef ribs)
Place short ribs in Ziploc bags, cover with Guinness, seal and allow to marinate over night.

Mix together:
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. tumeric

Remove ribs, and pat dry. Rub spice mix over all sides. In large pot, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil over high heat until hot. Brown the ribs on all sides, working in batches if needed. Place ribs aside on a separate plate.

Thrown in a some chopped garlic and slices of sweet onion (Vidalia)and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Turn off heat, add short ribs and enough Guinness to cover them. Cover and place in 350 degree oven for about 3 hours. Remove, drain and chow down.