ragù bolognese

What you will need:
(first to prepare the meat)
8 oz pork shoulder
8 oz beef round or chuck
the peel of 1 orange
6 cloves garlic
2 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp fennel seed
2 tsp rosemary
1 tsp pepper corns
1 tsp coriander seed
4 bay leaves
1 dried red chili seeded

(you will use these next)
2 oz extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion sliced
3 T tomato paste
2 cups beef or chicken stock
1 cup water

salt and pepper to taste

This is simple... just run the first eleven ingredients through your meat grinder with the large die plate. If you don't have a grinder grind the spices in a food processor and mix with pre-ground meat. Next heat up a large sauce pan and add the olive oil and the meat mixture. Cook this on medium heat until the meat is nicely browned. Now remove the meat and add the onion. Sweat the onion until soft then add the tomato paste, keeping the pan on medium heat and stirring, cook until it just starts to brown. Stir in your stock and water until all the tomato paste is incorporated. Now let it reduce on low heat until the liquid part of the ragù will coat the back of a spoon, season with salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy.

Toss the ragù with fresh pasta and flat parsley, basil or whatever herbs you like. Top the dish with a bit of extra virgin olive oil and some freshly grated parmesan.

too short ribs

 

















The ingredients you will need:
4 pieces of short rib (about 2# with the bone in)

(for the marinade... just mix this together and let the short ribs soak in it overnight)
1 cup red wine
2 celery branch rough chopped
2 bay leaves
2 cloves garlic
black pepper

(for the braise)
dutch oven
the short ribs dried off and seasoned with salt and pepper  
the short rib marinade
1 oz olive oil
1 cup diced yellow onion
2 cups carrot large cut
1 bulb garlic with the top cut off and smeared with bacon fat
1 medium tomato diced
1 tsp diced fresh rosemary

(and for the sauce)
2 cups chicken or beef stock
4 oz red wine
everything from the braising pot after you remove the short ribs and skim off the fat
4 oz mushrooms... I used king oyster mushrooms
1 T butter
salt and pepper

You can start by getting your dutch oven hot on the stove and preheating the oven to 325°. Now pour the olive oil in the pot when it starts to smoke add the short ribs. Turn the heat to medium and brown the meat on all sides. Once you've done that remove the shorties from the pot and reserve the excess fat. Return the pan to the heat and add the onion and carrots allow them to get a bit of color. Add the tomato and rosemary. Once the pot starts to stick place the shorties back in along with the marinade and garlic put the lid on and stick it in the oven. It should take about 2.5-3 hours depending on how tender you like the meat.

After the shorties have reached your desired tenderness remove the from the bone and set aside. Add your stock to the pot, while you let it simmer for five minutes or so, and scrape all the caramelized bits off of the pot and into your sauce... then strain it skim off the fat and set aside.

In a hot sauce pan toss a bit off the beef fat, the mushrooms, and a pinch of salt. Cook until the mushrooms start to caramelize then add the red wine, burn off the alcohol and pour in the stock/braising liquid. Let this reduce by about half then put the shorties back in the pan to warm up. Once they are hot plate'em, perhaps with some pomme puree or roasted root veggies, whisk the butter into the sauce season the sauce and pour it on top. 

I always like to top the too short ribs with some flat Italian parsley... they should be really good.

really good beef stew with mint gremolata

For the garnish (mint gremolata):
2 oz extra virgin olive oil
1 T finely sliced parsley
1 T finely sliced mint
1 red chili seeded and diced
1 tsp orange zest
salt & pepper

Just mix the above together and set aside.

Ingredients
For the stew:
(you'll use these ingredients first)
1 dutch oven with a lid
2 beef shanks
2.5 T flour
1 T paprika
2 oz extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

(you'll use these ingredients second)
5 carrots rough chopped
2 celery branch diced
3 red beets .5 inch cubes
1 chunk of fresh horse radish the size of my little finger
1 red and 1 yellow onion diced
5 parsnips rough chopped



(you'll use these ingredients third)
1 head of garlic peeled
4 T paprika
1 T dried onion flake
1 tsp mace
salt & pepper
1 T finely chopped orange zest
2 bay leaves
5 peeled and seeded plum tomatoes
juice of an orange
3 T chopped flat parsley
2 tsp fresh thyme
2 tsp fresh rosemary

1 qt chicken or beef stock


Cooking Steps
Start by dredging the shanks in flour and paprika then sear them until they are nice and brown. Next remove the beef, turn the heat to low and add the chopped veggies. Sweat them until all the brown bits from the beef shanks come loose from the pan.



Now add the next twelve ingredients. Stir until the spices are completely mixed in bring the pot to a simmer return the beef shanks and add your stock. Put the lid on and put it in the oven on 250º. The stew should cook for about 3.5 hours. Take a look every hour or so... add a bit of water if the stew looks to thick. Once the meat is tender and almost falling from the bone remove the pot from the oven. Now take the beef shanks out pull the meat from the bone, pop out the marrow and remove the connective tissue. Put the meat and marrow back in the pot, give it a stir and check your seasoning.



Finally put some of the stew in a bowl add a spoon of the mint gremolata and serve with some crusty bread.