6 bone-in beef short ribs

3 ribs celery, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 or 3 onions, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh garlic

1 tablespoon black pepper

1/3 cup brown sugar

4 oz. port wine

1 quart water

1/2 cup flour

3 tablespoons butter

2 oz. Stilton Bleu Cheese

 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

 

Season short ribs with salt, then sear for 2 minutes per side. Place celery, carrots, onions and garlic in bottom of roasting pan with short ribs on top. Mix together pepper, brown sugar, water and port wine and add to pan. Cover with foil and cook in oven for three hours.

 

Remove short ribs from pan and keep warm. Strain off liquid. Combine butter and flour in sauce pan and whisk together over medium heat to form a roux. Cook for three minutes. Pour in strained liquid, bring to a boil, reduce heat and let liquor reduce by half. Slowly add bleu cheese while whisking over low to medium heat. Whisk continuously until cheese is melted.

 

Au Gratin Potatoes

 

3/4 lbs. Russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

1/3 yellow onion, thinly sliced

4 oz. shredded Gruyere cheese

2 teaspoons minced garlic

salt and pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

4 tablespoons butter

8 oz. heavy cream

 

Preheat oven to 350.

 

Sauté onions over medium heat until translucent. Add heavy cream and garlic. Bring to a simmer, then whisk in nutmeg and butter. Simmer until butter is melted.

 

Layer sliced potatoes in a casserole dish. Pour cream mixture over and gently shake dish to incorporate. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes to brown top.

Allow to stand for 10 or 15 minutes before cutting.

 

Brussels Sprouts

 

1 lb. brussels sprouts, quartered

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cups walnuts, chopped

1/3 red onion, sliced

1/4 tomato, diced

1 oz. balsamic vinegar

1/2 oz. extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, to garnish

 

Heat sauté pan and add oil. Put sprouts in and let cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add onion and sauté 3 more minutes. Add cranberries, walnuts, red onion, tomato, balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Simmer until all ingredients are thoroughly heated. 

 

Place on serving dish and garnish with Parmesan.

¼ lb. All-Purpose flour

¼ lb. Semolina

2 whole eggs

2 egg yolks

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tablespoon Kosher salt

 

1 lb. of Pork Shoulder

1 lb. of Boneless Beef Chuck Short Rib

1 medium onion, small dice

1 stalk of celery, small dice

1 medium carrot, small dice

8 cloves of garlic, minced

4 or 5 bay leaves, depending on size

2 sprigs of rosemary

2 sprigs of thyme

1 cup of red wine

4 ½ cups of canned San Marzano tomatoes

1 cup veal stock

Vegetable oil for sautéing

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix the all-purpose flour and semolina together. Mound the flour on a flat, non-porous work surface and make a well in the center. In this well add the whole eggs, egg yolks, olive oil and salt. Use a fork to mix them together. As you whisk the liquids, slowly add flour from the outside of the well into the center until you have incorporated it all.

At this point the dough will be formed, and it will require kneading with your hands for 5 to 10 minutes. Once finished allow dough to rest by covering with a towel or plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, cut into 4 equal size pieces and follow the procedure for making pasta sheets with your pasta roller. Once sheets are formed, place on cutting board and cut into random triangles. Lightly flour the pieces after they are cut so they do not stick to one another.

Preheat the oven to 375°. Cut your pork shoulder and beef short rib into large chunks and season with salt and pepper as desired. Lightly oil a large sauté pan and heat to high. Place the meat into the pan, but do not crowd the pan. Sear the meat on all sides until golden. Remove from the pan and set aside. Reduce your heat to low. Place the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, bay leaves, rosemary and thyme into the same pan. When these items begin to be translucent (4 or 5 minutes) add the wine and reduce by 1/3 cup. Place the seared meat, the contents of the sauté pan, the canned tomatoes, and veal stock into a deep 8 x 8 baking dish. Lightly season and cover with saran wrap and then aluminum foil. Place the dish into your preheated oven and cook for 3 hours. When finished the meat should be very tender. After it has cooled shred the meat into edible pieces and gently smash any large tomato chunks.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. While water is coming to a boil, reheat your sauce in a large sauté pan, allowing space to add in cooked pasta. Cook your pasta for 3-4 minutes, as fresh pasta will cook much faster than dried pasta. Drain pasta in a colander and place it directly in the sauce. Allow for pasta to cook in the sauce to absorb more of the flavor. Top with Parmesan cheese and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.