What you need
Braised short ribs
1 750-millilitre bottle of port
1 750-millilitre bottle of red wine
6 shallots, chopped
6 garlic cloves, crushed
3 rosemary sprigs
3 thyme sprigs
4 to 5 pounds of short ribs
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium white onions, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
4 cups low-sodium beef stock
(yields 3 pounds of meat)
Meatballs
3 pounds of braised short ribs, diced
1 1/2 pounds ground pork
1 1/2 pounds beef
1 1/2 pounds veal
2 medium white onions, diced
3 whole eggs
2 tablespoons mustard
2 tablespoons ketchup
5 ounces bread crumbs
1 cup whole milk
1 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup dried herbs (oregano, basil, parsley)
8 ounces beer
Salt and pepper
(yields 20 2-inch meatballs)
Mushroom Sunday Gravy
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cups of mixed mushrooms (cremini, portobello, oyster)
2 cups white onions, diced
1/2 cup chopped garlic
1 cup red wine
64 ounces canned tomatoes
32 ounces canned tomato puree
3 tablespoons each dried oregano, basil and parsley
1 ounce sugar
Salt and pepper
1 ounce heavy cream
1 tablespoon butter
What you do
Braised Short Ribs
In a large mixing bowl, combine the port, red wine, shallots, garlic, rosemary and thyme to make a marinade. Place the short ribs in a large plastic bag or container, add the marinade, seal tightly and refrigerate overnight. Remove the short ribs from the marinade and pat dry. Reserve the marinade.
Coat a large ovenproof pot with oil and heat until hot. Sear the short ribs until well browned on all sides. Add the vegetables and sauté until they are tender. Pour the marinade over the mixture and add enough beef stock to cover the meat. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Cover the pot with a lid and place in a 350 F oven. Braise for three hours or until tender. Remove the short ribs and save the liquid. Let the short ribs cool briefly and then dice.
Meatballs
Mix all ingredients well. The mixture should be slightly loose. Before rolling out, sauté some of the mixture so you can taste. Correct seasoning.
Sauté meatballs on all sides in oil. Remove and keep warm.
Mushroom Sunday Gravy
In large pot, heat olive oil. Add mushrooms, onions and garlic, and sauté. Add wine and reduce by two-thirds. Add tomatoes, herbs, sugar, salt and pepper. Simmer for 11/2 hours. Finish with cream and butter.
When sauce has 1/2 hour left to cook, add meatballs and finish cooking. Garnish with freshly grated pecorino toscano. Serves 20.
Chef Stephen Lewandowski,
Tribeca Grill
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