A Southwestern holiday

Tired of the traditional ham or turkey for your holiday meal? Mix things up and add a Southwestern twist. 

No one does Southwestern cuisine better than Tonto Bar & Grill , in fact, they were voted "Best Southwestern" restaurant by Phoenix Magazine. 

Perhaps it's because they use fresh and natural desert ingredients that are picked from their property behind the restaurant.  They shared a few of their non-traditional holiday recipes with us. 

If you'd rather have Tonto Bar & Grill do the work, no problem.  They are offering house baked pies and cakes to go, along with special meals for Christmas Eve and New Years Eve.

Local AZ Stronghold Red Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs:

Ingredients:
5lb. Boneless Beef Short Ribs
6ea. Leeks
3ea. Yellow onions
6ea. Celery stalks
4ea. Carrots
15ea. Garlic cloves
6ea. shallots
10ea.  Black Peppercorns
12 sprigs fresh thyme
8ea. Parsley stems
2ea. Charred oranges (halved)
4ea. Bay leaves
2 qt. veal stock
1 c. beef consomme
2 bottles AZ Stronghold Red Wine
Salt and pepper
butter

Preparation:
1.  Season short ribs with salt and pepper and sear off until golden brown in large roasting pan.
2.  Pull out short ribs and set aside
3.  Dice up all the vegetables and add to pan and sauté on low heat for 15    minutes
4.  Add red wine to deglaze
5.  Add remaining ingredients to pan and cover with foil
6.  Cook short ribs at 250'F for 8-9 hours until very tender
7.  Take braising liquid , strain, and reduce down until it thickens
8.  Finish sauce with 2Tb. Butter and serve over short ribs.

Local Honey- Orange Glazed Roasted Winter Root Vegetables

Ingredients:
3 Tb. Shallots (minced)
3Tb. Garlic (minced)
¼ c. Apple-cider Vinegar
2 c. Local Honey
1 c. Agave Nectar
2 qt. Fresh Orange Juice
8 sprigs fresh thyme
Salt and pepper
Winter Root Vegetables :
Parsnips (peeled and roasted)
Candy-striped Beets (roasted, then peeled)
Rutabaga (peeled and roasted)
Baby Carrots (peeled and roasted)
Baby turnips (peeled and roasted)

Preparation:
1.  Sweat garlic and shallots in a little oil
2.  Add apple-cider vinegar
3.  Add rest of ingredients and cook on medium high heat until liquid reaches a thick syrup-like consistency.
4.  Roast off all root vegetables until cooked through but not mushy in oven at 400'F with olive oil, brown sugar, salt and pepper
5.  Toss roasted root vegetables with honey-orange glaze and 1 tsp. butter  until warmed though and butter is incorporated over medium heat on stove

Horseradish Potato Puree

Ingredients:
10 russet Potatoes (peeled)
1 c. heavy cream
½  c. butter
½ c. sour cream
¼ c. horseradish
Salt and pepper

Preparation:
1.  Boil the potatoes in salted water until soft
2.  Drain the water from potatoes and put in mixer on low speed
3.  Slowly add heavy cream, butter, sour cream, and horseradish
4.  Season with salt and pepper to taste

Tonto Bar & Grill    
Information & Reservations  (480) 488-0698
www.Tontobarandgrill.com