Braised Short Rib Bulgur Risotto with Asparagus and Mushroom

My obsession with wheat berries has translated into alternative forms of the whole grain.  Gluten allergies beware:  although delicious, steer clear!  Bulgur wheat is simply a form of processed wheat berry that has been cooked, dried and part of the bran removed.  I decided to try making something with bulgur that was not a porridge and was not a simple pilaf-like side dish creation.  Instead, I thought:  risotto.

Short ribs were a steal at the store this week, and they are so delicious!  I started by seasoning the shortribs with salt and pepper,  and quickly searing the shortribs in a pan coated with olive oil on all sides until brown with crust.  I put them in a crock pot, covered them with beef broth and a few cloves of garlic and let that cook overnight.

The next evening, I removed the short ribs from the crock pot, allowing them to cool.  The meat was pulled and set aside.  The broth was set aside to separate the fat off of the broth.  I added enough water to the broth to make 4 C of stock.

Then, I prepped the veggies:  one bunch of asparagus, one package of baby portobellas, one shallot, 5 cloves of garlic.  I cut the asparagus into 1 inch pieces and the mushrooms into manageable sized pieces.  I minced the shallot and garlic.  

In a heavy bottomed skillet, I heated olive oil and quickly sauteed the mushrooms and asparagus, just until slightly soft, removing and setting aside.  In the same skillet, I added a bit more olive oil and sauteed the garlic and shallot until soft. To this, I added 1 1/2 C of the bulgur stirring to coat the grain with the oil in the pan.  When the bulgur began to toast, I deglazed the pan with about 1 C white wine.  From there, the basics of risotto began:  add 1 C of the beef broth stock, stirring the bulgur until all liquid is absorbed.  Repeat until all broth is used and bulgur becomes silky and soft in texture.  Add 1/2 C grated parmesan, and 1/2 C cream.  Return the asparagus and mushrooms to the bulgur risotto and incorporate.  Note:  I did not have cream, so I used sour cream.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with a portion of pulled braised short rib on top.  This dish, full of richness, melt in your mouth creamy risotto and short rib, is sure to taste like an expensive and luxurious meal from a top notch restaurant!