Braised Boneless Short Ribs of Beef
1 ½ lb. Beef Chuck Flap
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste
8 oz. mirepoix
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 tbsp. tomato paste
½ cup red wine
3 cups beef stock
1 tbsp. thyme
1 tbsp. rosemary
2 bay leaves
Preparation
To make the roast: Dry meat with paper towel, then season on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a pan and sear the meat on all sides. Remove meat to a pan. Discard excess fat from pan, add mirepoix and garlic. Sauté vegetables until translucent.
Add tomato paste to the pan and brown. Deglaze with wine until almost dry. Add stock, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. Bring the mixture to a simmer and pour over the seared meat. Cover pan tightly and cook in a 300-degree oven for 2 ½ hrs. Turn every hour. Remove from oven when the meat is fork tender. Let the roast rest for 45 minutes before slicing.
To make the sauce: While meat is resting, put the liquid and vegetables into a pan. Add a small amount of roux and bring to a simmer for 20 minutes. Skim as necessary, strain through a fine mesh. Adjust consistency if needed. Season with salt and pepper.
Potatoes au Gratin
2 lbs. potato, peeled and sliced
16 oz. (2 cups) milk
16 oz. (2 cups) heavy cream
1 tbsp. cornstarch
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of nutmeg
5 oz. Swiss cheese, grated
4 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated
3 oz. Panko breadcrumbs
3 oz. butter
Preparation
Slice potatoes thinly and place in a pot with the milk and bring to a simmer. Remove potatoes from the milk and layer them in a buttered pan. Alternate layers with grated cheese.
Add the cream to the milk and bring to a simmer. Dilute cornstarch with a small amount of water. Slowly add to the simmering milk/cream. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Pour over the layered potatoes. Top with remaining cheese, sprinkle with breadcrumbs, and dot with butter. Cover and bake in a 300-degree oven until potatoes are cooked. Uncover pan and bake until the cheese has browned.
Roasted Root Vegetables
1 ½ cup rutabaga, peel and large dice
1 ½ cup carrots, peel and large dice
1 ½ cup parsnip, peel and large dice
1 ½ cup turnip, peel and large dice
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 tbsp. parsley, chopped fine
1 tsp. rosemary, chopped fine
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
Poach the vegetables slowly in salted water until almost tender. Drain and cool on a sheet tray. Toss all of the vegetables together with olive oil, garlic, parsley, and rosemary. Place on a parchment lined sheet tray. Season with salt and pepper. Roast in a 375-degree oven until golden and crisp.
Paté à Choux
8 oz. (1 cup) water
8 oz. (1 cup) milk
8 oz. (1 cup) butter
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. sugar
9 oz. bread flour
16 oz. eggs
Preparation
Combine water, milk, butter, salt, and sugar in a pot. Bring to a rolling boil.
Remove the pot from the heat. Add flour all at once, stirring constantly until a ball forms and pull away from the edge of the pot. Cook over low heat 2-3 minutes. Transfer dough from the pot to a mixing bowl and using a paddle mix on very low speed for 1 minute to cool slightly. Make sure the mixture is below 160-degrees before adding the eggs.
Add eggs in 3 parts, mixing well between each addition. The dough should be a medium stiff paste. Place the paté à choux into a piping bag. Using a French tip, pipe out as needed.
Bake in a 400-degree oven for 10 minutes then lower oven to 250-degrees. Bake for 30 minutes more or until moisture has evaporated. Prick with a skewer ½ way though baking to help dry the dough out. When cool cut each piece halfway through, fill with pastry cream then dip or drizzle top with warm ganache.
Pastry Cream
2 cups milk
4 oz. sugar
1 ½ oz. butter
Pinch of salt
1 ½ oz. cornstarch
6 eggs
Vanilla to taste
Preparation
Combine the milk, ½ of the sugar and butter and salt in a heavy bottom pot. Bring to a simmer. Combine the remaining sugar with cornstarch and eggs. Mix until smooth.
Temper the egg mixture by whisking the milk slowly into the eggs, add back to the pot and return to a simmer while whisking. Remove from heat and add the remaining butter and vanilla. Strain through a fine mesh. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Chocolate Ganache
2 cups heavy cream
1 oz. butter
1 lb. chocolate chips
Preparation
Heat the heavy cream and butter in a pan. Put the chocolate chips in a bowl and add the hot cream. Whisk until smooth. Use as a dip for eclairs or an icing for cake. When chilled, roll into a small ball then dip into melted chocolate for a truffle.
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