One Rib Short of a Win

Last week's game had me on the edge of my seat. There were mistakes and there were some glorious  plays even before the amazing comeback to tie the game.

Chase Daniel showed true Bears grit. Nagy called some amazing plays and Kyle Fuller continues to be an intercepting force to be reckoned with. Last week I decided to cook for Chase Daniel. Coming from a wealthy Texas community I knew we needed some beef. Perhaps I should have gone with a big, thick Texas-size Rib Eye. Instead I made delicious Short Ribs. They just weren't enough. 

This week I'll put the culinary focus on Kyle Fuller who hails from Maryland. Football is apparently in his genes. His three brothers are also current or former NFL players. Wearing Shaun Gayle and Devin Hester's #23, Kyle has some big shoes to fill. Let's help him by preparing a nice Maryland dinner tonight.

One Rib Short of a  Win

Ingredients: 
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
2 TB Butter (Divided)
4 LB Beef Short Ribs with the bone
Salt,, Pepper and Dry Mustard to taste
1 Cup Flour
2 Cups Chopped Onion
1 Cup Chopped Celery
1 Cup Chopped Carrots
2 TB Minced Garlic
3 Bay leaves
1 TB Dried Thyme
1 Cup Red Wine
8 Cups Beef Stock


Directions:
1.   Put flour, salt, pepper and dry  mustard in a zip lock bag. Add ribs and shake. Dispose        of the extra flour.
2.   Heat oil and 1 TB butter in a large pot.
3.   Brown the ribs on all sides - Set aside.
4.   Add onions to the pot and saute for 2 minutes.
5.   Add carrots and celery and saute for 1 more minute.
6.   Season with salt, pepper, garlic, bay leaves and thyme. Cook 1 more minute.
7.   Deglaze the pot with red wine, scraping up all the bits on the bottom.
8.   Add ribs and remaining TB of butter. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer          for 2 hours or until the sauce thickens.

Serves 6

Keep The Fun Flowing

Chase Daniel will get his second start this season after an impressive game against the Lions on Thanksgiving.  As Chase preps to face the Giants, I'll be working up a Texas-size menu to thank him for last week's performance.

The Texas-inspired menu will try to evoke the toney community of Southlake, Texas where Chase led his high school to the 5A State Championship and was named 5A State Player of the Year in 2004.

Southlake, Texas is home to a long list of notables including Terry Bradshaw. So what does a Bears fan cook for such an illustrious group? Let's get cooking for a Giant-size win!

Superbowl Shuffle 2.0?

Happy Thanksgiving indeed! Watching the Monsters of the Midway have fun is Soooo much fun! The celebrations after a touchdown are reminiscent of the Superbowl Shuffle.

I admit to being worried when I heard Trubisky wasn't going to play. I didn't realize we had a first class backup. Thank you Chase Daniel for an awesome game. Enjoy this short clip of Chase in disguise at Bears Training Camp. This year's team has been having fun since day one.

Preparing the special recipe for this game, I considered several choices. Often I go back to my childhood favorites because my mom's family is still around the Detroit area. That proved to be a good strategy on Thanksgiving when I went with my Mom's Thanksgiving Stuffing. Not everyone loves it, but it's something I'm Thankful for.

Mom's Stuffing

Ingredients:
3/4 # Chicken Livers
5 Stalks Chopped Celery
2 Chopped Onions
1/4 # Butter
8 oz can Mushrooms
1 Egg
20 oz Chicken Stock
2 1/2 C Water
2 loaves Dry Bread - put on baking sheets a few days before you prepare the stuffing
Salt, Pepper and Sage to Taste - Sage will get stronger as it cooks so don't overdo

Directions:
1.  Chop onion and celery
2.   Combine with chicken livers in food processor. Grind thoroughly.
3.  Place mixture in large pan. Add: butter, egg, mushrooms, water, salt and pepper
4.  Simmer for 45 minutes
5.  Pour over dried bread. Add sage and salt to taste
6.  Use chicken stock to moisten to desired consistency.
7.  Either stuff in chicken or turkey or bake at 350 for about 45 minutes covered.