How much fresh herb do you add to a cook?

[Mosca]

I’m just curious. All I do is guess, eyeball the stuff. I’m making some braised short ribs for company tonight, and I just picked some parsley, rosemary, and thyme from the garden, what I think should be enough for a dozen spare ribs. I’ll probably use about half that thyme, and I’d like to have a little more parsley but that’s getting kind of thin; and that’s two 6”-7” sprigs of rosemary, but the stems are pretty woody here in late October so I just stripped the leaves. Sometimes I use the bay leaves, but sometimes I forget them, so, whatever on the bay leaves.

Other stuff is the usual: mirepoix, 4-5 chopped garlics, some balsamic, salt, pepper, etc. Whatever goes into a pot of spare ribs.

Whatever I do, it’s going to be fine, I’m sure. But is this the same amount of stuff everyone else uses?

[Huskee]

I've never really thought about amounts until I read this, like you I just tend to wing it until it looks right. I too am doing beef short ribs for company, although smoked.

[Mosca]

You know I’ve never smoked them? I got that IP a few years back, and short ribs were the first thing I made in it. And I realized that I could decide we were having short ribs at 4, go to the store and get them, and have them on the table by 6:30. And I’ve never looked back.

[Huskee]

Can't beat that! With smoked it's much closer to brisket timing. Mosca

[Murdy]

They are one of my favorite things to smoke. If I were braising them, I know I'd have some red wine in that braising mixture.

And, I don't measure fresh spices as a rule, but one time I did add too much thyme (it was a lot though).

[DavidNorcross]

I rarely measure either. Not sure if this is right or not. But if a recipe calls for a tablespoon, I guess. Aside from that I am like you and add what I think looks correct.

[RonB]

I wing it too, even if a recipe calls for X tbs. I do try to wing the correct measurement though.

[tstalafuse]

I think the rule of thumb is twice the amount of fresh for what a recipe calls for of dried/ground.

[Mosca]

Yep. But if there isn’t a recipe, how do you figure how much to use? I don’t have a recipe for braised short ribs… or more accurately, I have [checks Google] 11,700,000 different ones, which is pretty much the same as having none. So what amount looks right?

[tstalafuse]

Looks like too much parsley to me, but I don't use it very much. I guess I would just go with what you have.

[TripleB]

Wing it baby. I use more basil since it’s more delicate and less of oregano, thyme and rosemary since they have a strong note. Parsley is texture/color herb. Sage, tarragon and dill I don’t use all that much, but I would put those three between basil and it’s strong brethren. FWIW….

[Draznnl]

I wing it until I hit on a mixture that tastes right. Then I write it down or nowadays put it in Paprika.

[HawkerXP]

About this much.

[Mosca]

I had to wait almost 24 hours for this.

[lemayp]

I was thinking special brownies but that works...