Beef Short Rib Ragù With Gnocchi Buns Food

BEEF SHORT-RIB RAGù WITH GNOCCHI BUNS

Steps:

• Heat a glug of oil in a large lidded casserole over a high heat. Add the short ribs and brown all over (about 10 minutes). Watch they don't burn and be careful of the hot oil. Remove the ribs to a plate, turn the heat to medium, then add the pancetta. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp, then remove from the pan and add to the plate with the short ribs.
• Turn the heat to low and add the celery, carrot, garlic and onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring, then add the red wine and beef stock. Bring to the boil, then simmer until reduced by half.
• Heat the oven to 150°C/130°C fan/gas 2. Add the bay leaf, basil, chopped tomatoes and sugar, bring back to the boil, then add the short ribs with the resting juices and the pancetta. Cover with a cartouche, put on the lid and cook in the oven for 4½ hours. Let the meat cool, then shred it, removing and discarding the bones and excess fat.
• Meanwhile, for the gnocchi buns, peel and chop the potatoes into equal pieces, put in a pan and cover with cold, salted water. Bring to the boil, then simmer until just tender (15-20 minutes). They should yield easily to the tip of a knife but not be falling apart. Drain and steam dry in a colander for a few minutes, then pat dry with kitchen towel. Beat with the paddle attachment in an electric stand mixer until smooth (or pass through a potato ricer). Add a big glug of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt and bring together. You may need to add a little more oil to get a smooth mash. Spread out on a baking sheet to cool completely.
• Put the yeast, flours, sugar and salt in a large bowl and mix to combine. Make a well in the centre, then add the warm water and stir to combine. Mix in a handful of the mashed potato with a wooden spoon. Keep mixing in the potato a handful at a time, then turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface once it becomes too much for the bowl.
• Keep kneading and adding the potato bit by bit. It will look like it's not going to combine, but it will. Once all the potato has been incorporated, knead the dough for 10 minutes by hand or for 5 minutes in an electric mixer with a dough hook until it's smooth and elastic.
• Set aside somewhere warm in a large, covered, lightly oiled bowl for 2 hours until doubled in size. Gently knead to knock out the air, then divide into 16 round, even-size buns. Place, spaced a little apart, on 2 large oiled baking trays, lightly cover in oiled cling film and leave to prove for about 45 minutes.
• Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Brush the buns with beaten egg, then bake for 25 minutes until golden and hollow sounding when tapped on the underside. Cool until just warm, then tear open and serve with the hot ragù and basil leaves.

SHORT RIB GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Sprinkle the short ribs all over with 1 teaspoon salt. Brown the short ribs all over, in batches if needed, removing to a plate as they brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
• When all of the ribs are out, add the carrot, celery and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Make a spot in the center of the pot and add the tomato paste, rosemary, thyme, red pepper flakes and three-quarters of the garlic. Let sizzle for a minute or so, then stir into the vegetables. Add the wine and bring to a boil, then cook until reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the bay leaves and 3 cups stock. Return to a simmer and add the short ribs in one layer. Cover and bake, stirring halfway through and adding more stock to keep the ribs almost covered, until the short ribs are very tender and falling from the bone, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove the short ribs from the oven. Use 2 forks to shred the meat, discarding the bones and cartilage.
• For the crispy panko topping, heat the remaining tablespoon olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining garlic and cook until sizzling. Add the panko. Cook and stir until the crumbs are coated with the oil. Continue to cook and toss until the crumbs are crisp and golden, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, then stir in 2 tablespoons parsley and season with salt. Set aside.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the Gnocchi. Return the sauce in the Dutch oven to a simmer. Add the Gnocchi to the boiling water and boil until they float. Simmer until cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes from the time they begin to float. Remove with a large spider to the simmering sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons parsley and toss to coat the Gnocchi in the sauce, adding a little of the Gnocchi cooking water if the sauce seems too dry. Serve in pasta bowls, sprinkled with the crispy panko topping.
• Dust a baking sheet with flour and set aside. Put the whole, unpeeled potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water by about an inch. Bring to a simmer and cook until tender when pierced with a knife, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and let cool just enough that you can peel them. (They should still be quite warm.) Use a ricer or food mill to rice the potatoes right onto your work surface in a thin layer. Let cool completely.
• Sprinkle the salt and some pepper over the cooled potatoes. Drizzle the beaten egg over the potatoes and sprinkle the flour over the egg. Flour your hands and knead the dough until it comes together in a loose clump. Knead just until the dough comes together in a cohesive mass (don't overwork it)-the dough should be a tight ball, not crumbly, but not too moist. You know the dough is right if you cut it in half and it's the texture of chocolate chip cookie dough (without the chips!).
• Cut the dough into quarters, keeping the others covered as you work. Roll a piece of dough into a long snake about 3/4-inch thick and cut crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick pieces. Dust the pieces well with flour. Hold a fork in your non-dominant hand. Rest a piece of dough at the top of the tines of the fork and roll down with the thumb of your other hand, making a little concave depression in the gnocchi to catch sauce. Repeat with the remaining dough. Transfer the floured gnocchi to the prepared baking sheet. (Gnocchi can also be frozen right on the baking sheet-once they are solid, transfer to a zip-top bag for longer storage. Add a minute or two to the cooking time if cooking from frozen.)

SHORT RIB RAGU WITH PAPPARDELLE AND PECORINO ROMANO

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Place a 5-quart casserole or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil, and heat until it is almost smoking. Season short ribs generously with salt and pepper. Working in batches if necessary, add short ribs to the hot oil. Cook ribs until browned on both sides. Remove ribs from casserole, and transfer to a large bowl. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, prepare bouquet garni: Place bay leaf, rosemary, thyme, and parsley in the center of a square of cheesecloth. Bring edges together, and tie with kitchen string. Set bouquet garni aside.
• Add carrots, celery, onion, and shallots to oil in the casserole, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and golden, about 10 minutes.
• Add flour and tomato paste to the casserole, and stir to combine. Add ruby port; stir with wooden spoon until all browned bits have been scraped from the pan and the bottom of the casserole is clean. Add red wine, and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half. Add garlic, beef stock, and the reserved bouquet garni.
• Return browned ribs to the casserole. Bring the liquid to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover the casserole, and place it in the oven. Cook until ribs are very tender, about 3 hours.
• Remove the cooked ribs from the casserole. Set the casserole on the stove top over medium heat, and simmer to thicken sauce just slightly. As soon as the short ribs are cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones, and shred into small pieces. Degrease the sauce and discard the bouquet garni. Return shredded meat to casserole, and simmer to reduce sauce by about half.
• Fill a large pot with water and add a few tablespoons of salt. Set over high heat, and bring to a boil. Salt well, and stir in pasta. Cook until pasta is al dente. Drain pasta, and serve with short-rib ragu, sprinkle with the parsley. Serve with freshly grated Percorino Romano.

SHORT RIB RAGU WITH PAPPARDELLE PASTA

Steps:

• Pat the short ribs with paper towels to remove any excess moisture, then season generously with 2 teaspoons kosher salt.
• Add the olive oil to a Dutch oven or large, heavy-bottomed pot and heat over high heat until shimmering. Add half the short ribs and sear on each side until deep brown, about 10 minutes total. Remove from the pan and set aside. Repeat with the remaining short ribs.
• Add the onion, shallot, carrot, garlic, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Sauté over medium heat until the vegetables are softened and browned, about 15 minutes. Add the tomato paste and sauté for a few more minutes, until darkened and thickened.
• Pour in the wine (the alcohol will burn off at this point). Use a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits from the bottom and sides of the pan. Reduce the liquid by half, about 15 minutes.
• Add the crushed tomatoes, beef stock, bay leaves, rosemary, and thyme to the pot. Stir to combine.
• Add the short ribs, making sure the meat is submerged. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer for about 31/2- 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Skim excess fat off the top as needed. The short ribs are done when the meat pulls apart easily.
• Discard any bones that the meat has fallen off of, as well as all the herb stems. Pull out any remaining bones and discard. Using two forks, shred the meat in the pot (you can also take the meat out onto a cutting board to shred and add it back into the pot.
• Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 15 minutes over low heat.
• Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. If making homemade pappardelle cook about 5 minutes until al dente. Strain pasta and add to the pot of ragu sauce. Turn gently to incorporate all the pasta with the sauce.
• Garnish with finely chopped parsley and freshly grated parmigiano cheese. Mangia!