Braised Bone-In Short Ribs

WITH POTATO GNOCCHI

Paired with 2020 Mineral Springs Ranch Pinot Noir

Short Ribs:
4 # Bone-in short ribs
1 Bunch thyme
1 Head garlic, peeled, smashed
6 Bay leaves
Kosher salt
Cracked black pepper

The night before you plan to cook the short ribs, season the them generously with salt and pepper, thyme, garlic and bay leaves. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next day:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2 Carrots, large dice
2 Ribs celery, large dice
1 Onion, large dice
1 bottle Dry red wine
4 quarts Beef or rich vegetable stock

Gnocchi:
Serves 4-5 for an entrée
(If you need to make more, rather than doubling the recipe, just make two batches.)

2 1⁄2 # Russet potato
3⁄4 Cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 Large egg, beaten
1 Tablespoon salt

To finish:
6 Ounces grated parmesan
1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped

The next day, pull short ribs from the fridge. Heat a large Dutch oven on medium-high heat choosing one that will fit all your ingredients (about 12 quarts). Add a swirl of olive oil and sear the beef on both sides until golden brown (save the garlic, herbs from the overnight cure). Next, add your mirepoix (carrot, onion, celery) and your leftover herbs and garlic from the night before into the pan and caramelize until golden brown. Deglaze with red wine (pour the entire bottle into the Dutch oven) and stir the bottom of the pan to scrape up any of the fond (or bits of fat, meat and veg that get stuck to the bottom). Allow the wine to bubble and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the beef, then add enough beef stock to cover the meat. Place the lid on your Dutch oven (alternatively cover in tin foil), and place in the oven for about 3-4 hours until the meat is fork tender and falling off the bone.

Once the beef is tender, pull it from the braising liquid and set aside. Strain the stock and put it back on the stove to reduce, discarding all the used vegetables and herbs. Reduce your braising liquid by at least half. Taste for seasoning. Meanwhile, once the beef has cooled, pull it apart with your hands or rough chop it, discarding the bones. Add it back into the reduced stock on the stovetop and gently simmer until your pasta is ready. Taste the beef and stock, it should be richly flavored and plenty salty. If not, season again.

Now it’s time for gnocchi! Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Prick your russet potatoes with a fork and place them directly on the oven rack. Cook for about an hour (or up to 75 minutes depending on your oven and size of the potato) until fork tender. Immediately slice open the potato and scrape out the innards. Run them through a food mill once to ensure an even texture.

Place potato innards into a metal mixing bowl and sprinkle with salt. Using a fork, mix the potato with the flour and then slowly add the egg. Turn the dough onto a floured work surface. Lightly knead the dough (it is imperative you do not over mix). Using a rolling pin, shape the dough into a rectangle and fold it over itself. You aren’t looking to flatten the dough – be sure you keep it a nice thick rectangle the entire time. Do this again, turning the dough the opposite way, as if you were folding a napkin. If the dough is too sticky, sprinkle with flour. Cover with a towel and let rest for 10 minutes. Prepare two half-sized sheet trays with parchment paper, and sprinkle with flour.

Once your dough has rested, cut off a 2-3 inch wide and 4-5-inch-long piece of dough using a bench knife. Use flour as you go and roll the dough into a 3⁄4” rope using your hands. A rolling pin would not work for this application. Again, with your bench knife or a utility knife, cut small dumplings, about 1⁄2” wide each. Scoop these up and place on your prepped sheet tray. These dumplings are fragile so be careful with your dough (don’t crush it when rolling!) and do not pile them up on the tray. Repeat until all your dough is shaped into dumplings.

At this point, the gnocchi can be frozen, then bagged and saved for a future use! When you’re ready to serve, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. In small batches, boil your dumplings for about 1-2 minutes until they float. Using a slotted spoon, remove them from the water and place on a clean sheet tray. Sprinkle with olive oil so they don’t stick together. Boil all of your gnocchi this way. Next, heat a cast iron skillet or rolled steel pan on medium high. Once the pan is hot, add olive oil to the pan and get it nice and hot.

In small batches, fry gnocchi on both sides until golden brown. Use a fish spatula (or slotted spatula) to transfer them to a warm tray (ast this point, the gnocchi are ready to eat and can be served as is. However, in this recipe, we will be tossing them with our braised beef). If the gnocchi are sticking, you are either crowding the pan, the pan isn’t hot enough, or you aren’t using enough fat. They will take about 1-2 minutes on each side to achieve a crispy texture and golden-brown color so don’t rush the process. Once the dumplings are all friend, transfer them to a large metal bowl. Scoop warm short ribs and braising liquid into the bowl and gently toss to coat.

TO SERVE:
Serve in a shallow pasta bowl, garnish with grated parmesan and chopped parsley. Enjoy immediately!