Braised Beef Short Ribs

with potato purée, swiss chard, and horseradish cream

Courtesy of chef Suzanne Goin from Sunday Suppers at Lucques Cookbook

Short Ribs

- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon thyme leaves, and 4 whole sprigs thyme

- 1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper

- 3 dozen small pearl onions

- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

- 1 cup diced onion

- 1/3 cup diced carrot

- 1/3 cup diced celery

- 2 bay leaves

- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

- 1 cups port

- 2 cups hearty red wine

- 6 cups beef or veal stock

- 4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley

- 2 bunches Swiss chard, cleaned, center ribs removed

- Potato purée (recipe follows)

- Horseradish cream (recipe follows)

- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Potato Puree

- 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes

- 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes

- 3/4 cup heavy cream

- 3/4 cup whole milk 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into chunks

- Kosher salt

Horseradish Cream

- 3/4 cup crème fraîche

- 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish

- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Short Ribs

1) Season the short ribs with 1 tablespoon thyme and the cracked black pepper.

2) Use your hands to coat the meat well.

3) Cover, and refrigerate overnight.

4) Take the short ribs out of the refrigerator an hour before cooking, to come to room temperature.

5) After 30 minutes, season them generously on all sides with salt.

6) When you take the ribs out of the refrigerator, preheat the oven to 425°F.

7) Toss the pearl onions with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon thyme, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper.

8) Spread them on a baking sheet and roast them about 15 minutes, until tender.

9) When they have cooled, slip off the skins with your fingers and set aside.

10) Turn the oven down to 325 degrees F.

11) When it’s time to cook the short ribs, heat a large sauté pan over high heat for 3 minutes.

12) Pour in 3 tablespoons olive oil, and wait a minute or two, until the pan is very hot and almost smoking.

13) Place the short ribs in the pan, and sear until they are nicely browned on all three meaty sides.

14) Depending on the size of your pan, you might have to sear the meat in batches.

15) Do not crowd the meat or get lazy or rushed at this step; it will take at least 15 minutes.

16) When the ribs are nicely browned, transfer them to a braising pan.

17) They should lie flat, bones standing up, in one layer.

18) Turn the heat down to medium, and add the onion, carrot, celery, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves.

19) Stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up all the crusty bits in the pan.

20) Cook 6 to 8 minutes, until the vegetables just begin to caramelize.

21) Add the balsamic vinegar, port, and red wine.

22) Turn the heat up to high, and reduce the liquid by half.

23) Add the stock and bring to a boil.

24) Pour the liquid over the short ribs, scrap- ing any vegetables that have fallen on the ribs back into the liquid.

25) The stock mix- ture should almost cover the ribs.

26) Tuck the parsley sprigs in and around the meat.

27) Cover tightly with aluminum foil and a tight-fitting lid if you have one. 28) Braise in the oven for about 3 hours.

29) To check the meat for doneness, remove the lid and foil, being careful of the escaping steam, and pierce a short rib with a paring knife.

30) When the meat is done, it will yield easily to a knife.

31) Taste a piece if you are not sure.

32) Let the ribs rest 10 minutes in their juices, and then transfer them to a baking sheet.

33) Turn the oven up to 400 degrees F.

34) Place the short ribs in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, to brown.

35) Strain the broth into a saucepan, pressing down on the vegetables with a ladle to extract all the juices.

36) Skim the fat from the sauce and, if the broth seems thin, reduce it over medium-high heat to thicken slightly.

37) Taste for seasoning.

38) Heat a large sauté pan over high heat for 2 minutes.

39) Tear the Swiss chard into large pieces.

40) Add 3 tablespoons olive oil to the pan, and stir in the cooked pearl onions.

41) Add half the Swiss chard, and cook a minute or two, stirring the greens in the oil to help them wilt.

42) Add a splash of water and the second half of the greens.

43) Season with a heaping 1/4 teaspoon salt and a pinch of ground black pepper.

44) Cook for a few more minutes, stirring frequently, until the greens are tender.

45) Place the Swiss chard on a large warm platter, and arrange the short ribs on top.

46) Spoon lots of braising juices over the ribs.

47) Serve the hot potato purée and horseradish cream on the side.

Potato Purée

Note: at the restaurant, we pass the mixture through a fine-mesh tamis [twice] using a rubber spatula. This makes an extremely smooth purée. You can skip this step if you want a more rustic-style potato purée.

If you are going to serve the purée immediately, you can hold it in a double boiler or in a warm oven. Otherwise, let the purée cool, then refrigerate it. Reheat the purée gently over medium-low heat, stirring often, and adding more cream if necessary.

1) Place the potatoes, whole and unpeeled, in a large sauce pot.

2) Add 2 table- spoons salt and fill the pot with cold water.

3) Bring the potatoes to a boil over high heat, turn down the heat to low, and simmer about 45 minutes, until tender.

4) One type of potato may be done before the other, so check doneness and remove one variety first, if necessary.

5) When the potatoes are cooked through, strain them, and set them aside to cool for 10 minutes or so.

6) Heat the cream and milk together in a small saucepan, then turn off the heat.

7) When the potatoes have cooled, peel them and pass them through a food mill or potato ricer.

8) Put the riced potatoes in a heavy-bottomed pan.

9) Heat them over medium heat a few minutes, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, to dry them out a little.

10) Add the butter slowly, stirring constantly. Season with 2 1/2 teaspoons salt.

11) When all the butter has been incorporated, slowly stir in the warm cream mixture until you have a smooth purée.

12) Taste for seasoning.

13) Pass the purée through a fine-mesh tamis twice if you like.

Potato Purée

1) Combine the crème fraîche and horseradish in a small bowl.

2) Season with a teaspoon salt and pepper.

3) Taste for balance and seasoning.

April 28, 2011

- Blood Orange, Date and Parmesan Salad

- Kabocha Squash & Fennel Soup With Candied Pumpkin Seeds

- Braised Beef Short Ribs

- Wild Flower Honey Panna Cotta with Blood Orange Granita

- Pumpkin Cake With Pecan Streusel & Maple Ice Cream

COOKBOOKS

- Sunday Suppers at Lucques: Seasonal Recipes from Market to Table [buy it]

RECOMMENDED BY

- Chef Chris Kobayashi (Artisan)

RECOMMENDATIONS

Suzanne Goin’s recommendations for where to eat, drink and shop in California, Barcelona, Tokyo, Paris.

- Recipes: Suzanne Goin

- Recommendations: Suzanne Goin

- Chef Q & A: Chris Kobayashi

- Chef Q & A: Josh Whigam

- Chef Q & A: Andrea Cavaliere

- Chef Q & A: Michael Mina

Wild Flower Honey Panna Cotta

with blood orange granita and kumquats

Blood Orange Granita

- 2 cups blood orange juice

- 1/4 cup granulated sugar

- 1/4 cup water

- 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier

Panna Cotta

- 1 1/2 cups whole milk

- 1 1/2 cups heaving whipping cream

- 1/2 cups wildflower honey

- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

- 3 1/2 sheets gelatin (can be found at Surfas restaurant supply)

- 1/2 cup crème fraîche

Directions

Blood Orange Granita

1) Put the sugar and water in a small sauce pot.  Bring to a boil and then cool the syrup down to  room temperature.

2) Combine the cooled syrup with the remaining ingredients and whisk to combine.

3) Pour into a shallow 1 quart container and put in the freezer.

4) Allow the granita to freeze for 1 hour and then, using a fork, scrap the granita every 30 minutes to form large ice crystals until the granita is completely frozen.

Panna Cotta

1) Fill a small bowl with ice water, and insert the gelatin sheets to allow them to soften for 2 to 3 minutes.

2) In a medium saucepan, warm the cream, milk, sugar and honey over medium heat until almost simmering. Remove from the heat.

3) Remove the gelatin sheets from the water, wringing out any extra moisture, and add them to the cream mixture. Stir constantly until the gelatin is dissolved.

4) In a large bowl, mix the crème fraîche with one-half cup of the warm cream mixture, stirring constantly, to temper. Add the remaining cream and stir well.

5) Fill 8 attractive 6 ounce glasses with 1/2 cup of the panna cotta in each glass.

6) Allow to cool, cover with plastic wrap, then refrigerate until completely set, 4 hours or preferably overnight.

To Serve

1) Thinly slice a handful of kumquats and toss them in honey.

2) Fill the tops of each panna cotta glass with a heaping mound of granita. 

3) Tuck in a few honeyed kumquats into the granita and serve.

“Pumpkin” Cake With Pecan Streusel & Maple Ice Cream

Recipe courtesy of chef Suzanne Goin from “Sunday Suppers at Lucques”

Ingredients

Cake

- 1 Kabocha or butternut squash

- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus a little for the pan

- 1/2 vanilla bean

- 2 cups all-purpose flour

- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

- 3/4 cup granulated sugar

- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

- 1 1/2 cups whole milk

- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream

- 3 extra-large eggs

- 1 tablespoon honey

Pecan Streusel Topping

- 1/4 cup pecans

- 1 teaspoon grape seed oil

- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

- 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

- 1/4 cup granulated sugar

- 1 tablespoon brown sugar

- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all- purpose flour

- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

- 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Maple Ice Cream (Yield = 1 quart)

- 2 cups whole milk

- 2 cups heavy cream

- 4 extra-large egg yolks

- 1/3 cup maple sugar

- 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Directions

Cake

1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2) Cut the squash in half lengthwise and place on a baking sheet, cut side up. (Donʼt remove the seeds yet; they give extra flavor.)

3) Cover with foil, and roast about 1 hour, until very tender. Let cool 10 minutes, and then scoop out the seeds and discard them.

4) Purée the warm squash through a ricer or food mill and measure out 1 1/2 cups. (You can reheat any leftover purée, season it with salt, pepper, and butter, and eat it for dinner!)

5) Turn the oven down to 350 degrees F.

6) Cut a circle of parchment paper to fit the bottom of a 10-inch round cake pan. Brush the bottom of the pan with a little butter, and then line it with the paper.

7) Place the 8 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan.

8) Slice the vanilla bean lengthwise down the center, and use a paring knife to scrape the seeds and pulp onto the butter. To make sure not to lose any of the seeds, run your vanilla-coated knife through the butter (donʼt use your fingers, because the seeds will stick to them).

9) Add the vanilla pod to the pan, and cook the butter over medium heat 6 to 8 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally,until the butter browns and smells nutty. Remove the vanilla pod and discard.

10) Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a large bowl. Add the salt. Make a well in the center.

11) In another large bowl, whisk the reserved 11/2 cups squash purée, milk, 1/4 cup cream, eggs, and honey to combine. Pour the liquid into the well in the dry ingredients, and whisk until incorporated. Stir in the brown butter, scraping with a rubber spatula to make sure you get all the brown bits from the pan.

12) Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 25 minutes, then remove the cake from the oven and sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top. Bake the cake another 45 minutes, until the topping is crisp and the cake has set. (The center of the cake will still be somewhat soft and wonʼt pass the toothpick test.)

13) Cool the cake on a rack for at least 15 minutes.

14) In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip 1 cup cream to soft peaks. Cut six slices from the cake and serve with scoops of maple ice cream and dollops of whipped cream.

Note

You can roast the squash and make the streusel a day ahead of time. Be sure to drain the squash after itʼs roasted and just before using it; it often continues to give off water. I have been told you can substitute canned pumpkin in this recipe.

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Kabocha Squash & Fennel Soup With Candied Pumpkin Seeds

Recipe courtesy of chef Suzanne Goin from “Sunday Suppers at Lucques”

Ingredients

Soup

- 2 pounds Kabocha squash

- 2 medium bulbs fennel

- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

- 2 teaspoons fennel seeds

- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

- 2 cups sliced onions

- 1 tablespoon thyme leaves

- 2 chiles de árbol

- 1 bay leaf

- 3/4 cup sherry

- 10 cups chicken or vegetable stock or water

- 1/4 cup crème fraîche

- Candied pumpkin seeds

- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Candied Pumpkin Seeds

- 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds

- 2 teaspoons unsalted butter

- 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds

- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

- Generous pinch each of ground cinnamon, paprika, and cayenne pepper

- 1 teaspoon honey

- Kosher salt

Directions

Soup

1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2) Cut the squash in half lengthwise, and remove the seeds. Place the squash cut side down on a cutting board, and use a sharp knife to remove the peel. Slice the squash into 1-inch-thick wedges.

3) Cut the fennel in half lengthwise and then into 1/2-inch-thick wedges. Toss the squash and fennel with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and some freshly ground black pepper. Place the vegetables flat on a baking sheet and roast about 35 minutes, until tender and slightly caramelized.

4) Meanwhile, toast the fennel seeds in a small pan over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes, until the seeds release their aroma and are lightly browned. Pound them coarsely in a mortar.

5) Heat a Dutch oven or soup pot over high heat for 2 minutes. Add the butter, and when it foams, add the onions, fennel seeds, thyme, chiles, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon salt, and a good amount of freshly ground black pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-high, and cook about 10 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are soft, translucent, and starting to color.

6) Add the squash and fennel, and stir to coat with the onions for a minute. Turn the heat back up to high and pour in the sherry. Let it reduce for a minute or two, and then add the stock and 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat, and simmer 20 minutes.

7) Strain the soup in a colander set in a pot. Put a third of the solids into a blender with 1/2 cup of the broth. (You will need to purée the soup in batches.) Process at the lowest speed until the squash mixture is puréed. Add another 1/2 cup broth and then turn the speed up to high and pour in more liquid, a little at a time, until the soup has the consistency of heavy cream. Blend at least a minute on high speed, until the soup is completely smooth and very creamy.

8) Transfer to a container, and repeat with the rest of the ingredients. You may not need all the liquid. Taste for balance and seasoning.

9) Pour the soup into six bowls, spoon some crème fraîche in the center of each, and scatter the pumpkin seeds over the top. Or serve family-style in a tureen with the crème fraîche and pumpkin seeds on the side.

Candied Pumpkin Seeds

1) Toast the cumin seeds in a small pan over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes, until the seeds release their aroma and are lightly browned. Pound them coarsely in a mortar.

2) Melt the butter in the cumin pan over medium heat. Add the pumpkin seeds and sugar, then sprinkle the spices and a healthy pinch of salt over them. Toss the pumpkin seeds to coat them well with the butter, and cook a few minutes, until just after they begin to pop and color slightly.

3) Turn off the heat, and wait 30 seconds. Add the honey, tossing well to coat the pumpkin seeds. Spread on a plate and let them cool.

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