Chef Bill Fuller's Recipe: Beef Short Rib With Creamy Polenta
Follow KDKA-TV: Facebook | Twitter
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- This week, Chef Bill Fuller, of the Big Burrito Group, is in the Pittsburgh Today Live kitchen with a delicious recipe for a very good cause!
Beef Short Rib With Creamy Polenta
Serves 4 as an entree
Ingredients:
- 8-12 ea. Oven-Roasted Tomatoes
- 4 ea. Braised Short Ribs Portions
- 2 C. Short rib braising liquid, reduced to 1 Cup
- Salt and Pepper
- 4 C. Creamy Polenta
- 20 ea, Leaves fresh oregano
- 1 ea. lemon and orange for zesting
Directions:
1) Make Oven-Roasted Tomatoes and Braised Short Rib well in advance. See recipes below
2) Warm the Braised Short Rib in the short rib braising liquid. Place tomatoes in mixture to warm as well.
3) Make Creamy Polenta.
4) Spoon Creamy Polenta into shallow bowls.
5) Top with Beef short bibs. Spoon Oven-Roasted Tomatoes and extra braising liquid overtop.
6) Sprinkle with oregano leaves.
7) Zest fresh lemon and orange over dishes.
Creamy Polenta
Ingredients:
- 3 C. Buttermilk, whole milk or water or some combination thereof
- ½ C. Stone-ground polenta
- ¼ C. Grated Parmesan Reggiano
- 1 Tbs. Unsalted butter
- Salt and pepper
Directions:
1) Heat the buttermilk in a large pot to boiling.
2) Add the polenta in a stream, whisking constantly until all the polenta is incorporated.
3) Turn the heat to very low and cook until all of the polenta is tender -- with stone-ground polenta, the size of the grain will vary, and larger pieces will take longer to cook than small ones. The cooking time should be 45-60 minutes; stir frequently.
4) Stir in cheese and butter and season with salt and pepper.
5) Uneaten polenta should be poured into a buttered dish about 1" deep and saved for crispy polenta.
Oven-Roasted Tomatoes
Ingredients:
- 2 # Roma tomatoes (or Plum tomatoes)
- 3-4 Tbs. picked fresh thyme
- 2-3 Tbs. Extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
Directions:
1) Place oven on low 180º or whatever the lowest setting is.
2) Wash and dry tomatoes.
3) Cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise (through the tip and the stem).
4) Toss with thyme and extra virgin olive oil.
5) Season well with salt and pepper.
6) Spread cut side up on a sheet pan.
7) Bake in the oven until a lot of moisture has evaporated. I like to leave them overnight. You'll want to play with the time to get them to a dryness that appeals to you.
8) Remove skin.
Braised Short Ribs
Ingredients:
- 1 pc Beef Short ribs (approx. 4 # with bones)
- 2 C. Onion, large dice
- 1 C. Celery, large dice
- 1 C. Carrot, large dice
- 1 C. Syrah
- ½ C. Tomato paste
- 2 pt. Chicken stock
- 2 ea Bay leaves
- 4 sprig Thyme
- 4 sprig Rosemary
- 2 head Garlic, split
- Vegetable oil as needed
- Kosher Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Directions:
1) Pat the ribs dry with a paper towel and season liberally with salt and pepper.
2) In a large heavy bottom pot, heat enough oil to barely cover the bottom of the pot. Just before the oil starts smoking carefully add the short ribs and brown well on all sides. Remove from the pot and reserve.
3) Drain off excess fat from the pot. Add the onions, carrots, and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are golden brown. Add the tomato paste and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes stirring often.
4) Add the wine to the pan and stir well, reduce by about half.
5) Return the ribs to the pan, along with any drippings, add the thyme, rosemary, garlic, bay leaves, and enough stock to cover by about half.
6) Bring to a boil, cover, and transfer to a 350º oven and braise for approximately 2 hours. The ribs should be very tender.
7) Remove the meat from the braising liquid and cool. Strain, and degrease the braising liquid, and reserve.
8) Remove the meat from the bones. Cut into individual portions.
