The Owl with the Goblet: Braised Short Rib and Truffle Pappardelle

Enchante my favorite followers! It is Saturday night and the hubs is glued to the tube, flipping back and forth between about a million college football and MLB payoff games. I'm cuddled up on the couch with a crisp glass of sauvignon blanc and two sleepy dogs by my side. Perfect kind of night if you ask me :)

I just finished writing this recipe and am hoping that after you see the long paragraphs written below, you don't immediately write this off as too labor intensive. This is a show-stopper meal through and through.

Last weekend, we were at our local farmers market and one of my favorite vendors, Casa Truffle, had some fresh truffles on hand. He lifted the the lid of that container and I was destined for a date with these beautifully aromatic gems. It's funny how one ingredient can get those wheels turning in your head. As soon as I got my grubby little paws on those fresh truffles, I remembered the gorgeous short ribs that I saw at our local Fresh Market and I knew it was on.

At the market, I also found these peppery little radish sprouts that I have been using on everything all week. I ended up buying one ounce of fresh truffles and in addition to showering this dish with them, I have also been topping my scrambled eggs with them each morning. I even managed to make a pound of truffle butter with the remainder. Let's just say I have been in truffle heaven all week.

So, back to this recipe. This is definitely a weekend recipe. You can even break it up into two days, braising the short ribs on day one and finishing the sauce on day two. Before you make this, please read the recipe from start to finish so you can better understand what goes into all of the steps. Here are a few tips:

Reduce the sh#$ out of the sauce. First when you pour in the wine. Then when you remove the short ribs from the oven, reduce with the vegetables to extract more flavor. Then again after you strain. This is going to concentrate and deepen the flavor.

Remember that the short ribs will significantly shrink when cooked. I am usually cooking for two, and this recipe with 4 pounds of short ribs made at least 6-8 servings. We were eating leftovers all week and it did not get old... not even in the slightest.

I used 1 pound of fresh pappardelle that I found from Mazzaro's, but you can easily substitute the starch in this with polenta, potatoes, or even a thin slice of toasted bread.

For me, this is was a tough recipe to document because it truly embodies what "cooking" really is. This is a dish that I would normally "wing-it", but for you, I have documented the entire process. And even though it seems like a long process, I assure you the end result is worth its weight in gold. This is restaurant quality food in the comfort of your own home.

Please leave me comments if you have any questions at all. Enjoy the rest of your weekend and cheers to good food!

Braised Short Rib and Truffle Pappardelle

4 pounds short ribs, seasoned with salt and pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 carrots

3 ribs celery

2 onions

6-8 mushrooms

8 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 bottle red wine (cabernet sauvignon)

4 cups beef broth

3 bay leaves

2 sprigs rosemary

1 bunch flat leaf parsley (reserve some for pasta and garnish)

3 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup half & half

For assembly

pasta, polenta, mashed potatoes or cauliflower (or any other vehicle to serve with the braised short ribs)

crème fraîche

fresh shaved truffles and/or truffle oil

radish sprouts, arugula, spinach (any green of choice will do!)

Instructions:

Place a large dutch oven with olive oil on the stovetop and preheat to medium-high. Season short ribs liberally with salt & pepper. Once pan is HOT, add short ribs to the pan. Do not add more than 4 or 5 short ribs at a time to make sure they have enough room to brown. Sear on both sides for 2-4 minutes, until short ribs develop a brown crust. Place the short ribs on a plate while you brown the rest.

In same pot, add carrots, celery, onions, mushrooms, and garlic. Saute over medium heat until vegetables are caramelized and soft; about 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and mix until vegetables are coated. Turn heat up to high and add entire bottle of wine. Cook over high heat until wine has reduced by almost 1/2; about 10 minutes. Add beef broth, bay leaves, rosemary, and parsley. Add browned short ribs and any juices on plate back to the pot. Cover with lid and place in the oven. Cook at 350 degrees for 2 1/2 hours.

Remove pot from oven, Short ribs should be soft and falling apart. Remove short ribs from pot and place them on a large plate to cool.

While short ribs are cooling, place pot back on the stovetop over high heat and bring liquid to a boil. Cook for 15-20 minutes until sauce has reduced by almost half. Strain vegetables and solids from from the broth and place the liquid back on the stove to continue reducing for another 10-15 minutes. You are aiming to end up with 3-4 cups of liquid.

In a separate container, whisk together flour and half & half. slowly whisk mixture into the reduced stock. Bring mixture up to a boil and then reduce to simmer. Sauce should be slightly thick and coat the back of a spoon. Be sure to taste the sauce and adjust with salt & pepper as needed.

While you are reducing the stock, remove bones from short ribs and shred the meat, picking out any large fatty/gristle parts. Shred the meat into bite sized pieces and arrange in a single layer onto a cookie sheet. Just prior to serving, place meat under broiler for 3-5 minutes to slightly brown and caramelize the meat.

Prepare pasta in boiling water (boil water when stock is reducing). I like to toss my pasta with a little butter, fresh chopped parsley, and grated parmesan prior to serving.

Time to serve: