Braised Short Rib with Cilantro Chimmichuri Yogurt, jalapeño semolina cake, chorizo, and queso fresco

Braised short ribs are awesome, and I love making them.This time, I decided I was going to braise the short ribs with Jameson and red wine (and beef stock). I seared the short ribs in a saute pan on high heat, and then added the Jameson (about 1.5 cups) and let the alcohol flambé until it burned off. Then I turned the heat down very low. 

In the meantime, I had another pot going on the stove where I was reinforcing the beef stock with more vegetables that would go in the braise. I sauteed carrots, celery, onion, and garlic in the pan before adding spices (corriander seed, mustard seed, black peppercorns), bay leaves, then I added the majority of a 750ml Bottle of red wine (had to leave a little of it to drink...) and let it come up to a boil and let the alcohol cook off. Then I added beef stock to the mixture and let it boil. I poured the stock into the pan with the short ribs and Jameson. Then I covered it and put it in the oven at 250 degrees for a bit more than 3 hours.

Once removed from the liquid, trim the short ribs off the bone and trim off any cartilage. Reduce the liquid until it coats the back of a spoon, taste and season accordingly.

I also experimented with savory semolina cakes, adding in the spicy jalapeño. I first whipped egg whites in the mixer until they formed soft peaks, then began adding the rest of my ingredients, the result was a very porous, light and fluffy muffin of sorts. I draped the half muffin with chorizo and queso fresco.

The orange sauce on the plate is a chipotle yogurt, made from blending chipotle peppers, adobo, vinegar, sugar, chile paste, chili powder, salt, and greek yogurt together. It was very spicy.

The Green sauce on the plate is a variation on a chimmichuri sauce. I blended cilantro, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, parsley, and spicy peppers, salt and pepper in the Vita-Prep, and the once it was pureed, I added in yogurt until it reached the desired consistency.

Here is another view of the plate, before the glaze was put on the plate (which I did with a brush)

Scallops with Butternut Squash, Asparagus, Pancetta, Truffle

First meal in my new house on Wadsworth St, the new kitchen is quite amazing. I went to Whole Foods and bought groceries and ended up with this dish! Seared scallops wrapped in pancetta, butternut squash puree with ricotta and pecorino cheese, asparagus and snap pea puree with white truffle oil, garnished with pursalene and micro arugula.

I have had a lot of great scallops this summer, especially notable were the ones I got down in Montauk, NY earlier in the summer when I was on vacation with my family, camping on the beach (its incredibly fun). Montauk is a fishing port and has an amazing selection of fresh seafood. I also had amazing scallops with I was on Cape Cod a few weeks ago.
The ones pictured above were purchased at Whole Foods (at a rather steep price of $24.99/Lb...) but they were absolutely delicious.
I got the inspiration for pancetta from a dish we did when I was working at the EMC Club in Fenway park (the upscale restaurant in Fenway). We did pancetta wrapped cod, and it was delicious. It went very well with the scallops as well.
I saw the butternut squashes in the produce section, and since it's september now I decided it was time to make the transition to fall vegetables. I gently boiled small diced cubes of the squash for about 20 minutes (or until tender) and then strained and pureed it. I added 1C of whole milk ricotta cheese, along with 1/4C grated pecorino cheese. (Salt and pepper to taste)
The asparagus, snap pea, and truffle oil puree came together very well and was absolutely delicious. First, I cut about 4 inches of the stems off the asparagus, to avoid stringy bits in the sauce at the end (if you are not straining it). Then I simmered the trimmed asparagus and snap peas for about 3-4 minutes and then shocked them in ice water. I then pureed the vegetables in the blender and added 1T (tablespoon) of white truffle oil, and salt and pepper. I also added a bit of ricotta for a better consistency and to make sure the sauce held together.
The plate here was something I randomly stumbled upon in a Khols (of all places....) while buying an electric razor. But the plate is awesome, and I wish I had bought 10 of them.
To make the asparagus puree into the dots, I used a small squeeze bottle, that I got at a kitchen store for $0.99

Summer Soup: Chilled Carrot Harissa Soup with Sweet Goat Cheese, Radish, Pursalene, Black Truffle, Beet Puree.

Summer Soup

On a hot summer day, there is nothing better than a cold soup that's actually delicious. We made this soup at work the other day, and it was great, so I took a cup home and put my own spin on it. My favorite part of this dish is the textures that exist in each component. Pursalene is a delicious leaf green, but is actually considered a weed. It is great to use in soups, salads, or to add color or texture to any dish really. Here, the Pursalene gives a nice fresh crunch when bitten into. (above, Pursalene)

Here is my plating of the dish:

The Goat Cheese I used here is something we use at work, called Moroccan Goat Cheese.
It is so good, that when making it, I think I taste it at least 5 times for "quality control"...

Moroccan Goat Cheese, Ana Sortun Recipe

1/2 Onion- Small dice
3 Oz lemon juice
1 Cup Cilantro leaves- Chiffonade
8 Oz Goat Cheese X2
1/4 Cup E.V.O.O
3/4 Cup Golden Raisin
1/4 C Slivered Almonds (Optionally toasted @325 for 3-5 mins, or until golden)

Dice the onion, and then let it cure in the lemon juice and 1tea Salt for about 10-15 minutes, this will lessen the sharp flavor of raw onion, but still have the nice crunch. Then, mix in the olive oil and goat cheese and incorporate. Mix in the rest of the ingredients and enjoy!
There are many applications for this cheese. I have made it into a ravioli filling, I have eaten it in salads, and even breaded it and deep fried it for a goat cheese fritter of sorts.

Black Truffle: go buy some NOW. Whether it be truffle salt, oil, or the real thing. But I LOVE truffles, so try doing something with them, it works well in pastas, risottos, and as a garnish for a wide variety of things.

Burrata with Italian Speck and Peach Goat Cheese

Burrata is a favorite cheese of mine. It is a fresh cheese, made from mozzarella and cream (so whole milk and cream together). The outside of the cheese has the texture of fresh mozzarella, but the inside is smooth and creamy. Buratta means buttered in Italian, and when you eat the cheese, you know exactly why.
Tonight I made a Burrata dish using Italian Speck (Smoked Prosciutto), Cherry Tomatoes, Peach Goat Cheese, Whole Grain Mustard, Pickles, E.V.O.O., Baby Basil, Truffle Pecorino, and Balsalmic Vinegar.

Method: I started by covering the bottom of my dish with Oil, and placing the Burrata in it. Then I salted and peppered the cheese. Next I squeezed my sauces onto the plate in a circular motion. Next, I placed the Crostini, Mustard, Tomatoes, and Basil on the cheese, and finished with the Spek on the large rim of the bowl. Right before serving, place drops of the Balsalmic into the oil, and it will separate, as shown in the photo. Garnish with Pickle and Chive. Voila! 

There are a few essential culinary tools that allowed me to plate this dish as pictured above. First, invest in a ring mold (a circular mold that helps shape ingredients on a plate), here it helped push the Burrata into a perfect circle shape.

A squeeze bottle (Think of the container of ketchup at a clam shack on the Cape, except cleaner...), This tool will help you be clean and deliberate with your sauces when plating. You can make nice long streaks, as pictured here, and also make Balsalmic Vinegar dots in the Olive Oil. Squeeze bottles can also be used as salad dressing containers, syrup containers, or as a juice dispenser.

The Speck Ham is an essential item in this dish. A good cured meat pairs exceptionally with this cheese.

Peach Goat Cheese:

8oz Goat Cheese

2 peaches

2T Butter

Cut the peaches into 8ths, and sautee slowly in the butter for about 10-15 minutes. Puree peaches in a blender. Add goat cheese to the puree and pulse until homogenized. Let cool in the fridge for 1 hour, or until set. Serve with crackers or raw vegetables.