Author Notes

A couple of years ago, I did a write-up on buckwheat honey for the New York Times, and in preparation I met up with Zeke Freeman, one of the founders of Bee Raw honey. He sat me down for a formal honey tasting and took me through several of his favorite varieties. He saved the earthy brown buckwheat for last. While we talked about ways to maximize its rich, faintly funky flavor, he suggested using it for short ribs. With beer. Needless to say, I thought that was a splendid plan.



The recipe below is what I came up with after a little experimentation, and it ran in T Living in November, 2006. It's a rustic version of short ribs (no mirepoix or reductions here), and one that won't take up your whole day. —Merrill Stubbs