Old-Fashioned Meatballs in Red Sauce

Photo by Romulo Yanes, Gourmet

Most of us have a tough time saying no to the lure of a meatball. Well, here is a batch of meatballs ready for the test. These particular ones, a mixture of beef and sausage, are laid out in a pan, then smothered in crushed tomatoes and seasoned with grated Romano cheese. Then they’re baked in a hot oven, which accomplishes two things. First, it saves the step of browning them on top of the stove. And second, the sauce is automatically seasoned with the savory meatball juices and zesty, salty Romano.

Remove ground round and sausage from refrigerator 30 to 60 minutes before cooking, if possible. Place bread crumbs in large bowl and stir in 1/3 cup water. When absorbed,…
View Recipe at Epicurious.com

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage
• 1 pound ground round (15 percent fat)
• 1/3 cup plain dry bread crumbs
• 2 eggs
• 2 large garlic cloves
• 1/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• 1 3/4 cups canned crushed tomatoes in heavy purée

Wine:  Merlot, Italian or Southern Rhone.

Classic Steak au Poivre

Photo by Scott Phillips,

You can tip the pan and ignite the Cognac, or ignite the sauce with a match for an invigorating spectacle. But all these acts of derring-do are unnecessary: just bring the sauce to a boil for a minute to burn off the alcohol, whisk, whisk, whisk, and then add the cream, whisking all the while. Serve with roasted potatoes.

Pat the steaks dry with a paper towel and season both sides lightly with salt. Coat both sides with the peppercorns, pressing so they adhere. Heat the oil in a 12-inch…
View Recipe at Fine Cooking

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup Cognac
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 1 oz. (2 Tbs.) unsalted butter
• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 1-1/2 Tbs. black peppercorns, very coarsely crushed
• Kosher salt
• 2 boneless beef strip steaks (about 1 lb. total)

Wine:  Cabernet Sauvignon or Bordeaux.

Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

Photo by Scott Phillips,

Braising short ribs in red wine gives them deep, dark color and flavor, and fall-off-the-bone tenderness. Customize your own braised short ribs with the Recipe Maker

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 325°F. In an 8-quart Dutch oven, heat 2 Tbs. of the oil over medium heat. Season the ribs with 2 tsp. salt…
View Recipe at Fine Cooking

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup medium-diced celery
• 2 whole dried bay leaves
• 2/3 cup medium-diced onions
• 4-1/2 to 5 lb. English-style beef short ribs (8 to 12 ribs)
• 3 Tbs. vegetable oil
• Kosher salt
• Ground black pepper
• 2/3 cup medium-diced carrots
• 1 Tbs. finely chopped garlic
• 2 cups dry red wine
• 3/4 cup lower-salt beef broth
• 1 to 2 tsp. red-wine vinegar

Wine:  Pinot Noir or Spanish Rioja.

Sear-Roasted Chicken with Honey-Vinegar Sauce

Photo by Scott Phillips,

The overnight refrigeration dries out the skin and helps make it crisper, but you can skip it if you want.

Line a pan or plate with several paper towels and put the chicken in it. Refrigerate uncovered for 8 to 24 hours, changing the towels as needed so the chicken stays dry….
View Recipe at Fine Cooking

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Tbs. cracked black pepper, plus more freshly ground black pepper as needed
• One 3-1/2 lb. chicken, rinsed inside and out and patted dry with paper towels, first two wing segments cut off
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt; more as needed
• 1 lemon wedge
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbs. unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup apple-cider vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 1-1/2 Tbs. honey

Wine:   White wine from France or Spain.