Grilled Cheese with Pulled Short Ribs
Grilled Cheese with Pulled Short Ribs
Serves 8
2 tablespoons, plus 1 teaspoon grapeseed or canola oil
2 pounds boneless beef short ribs
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 carrot, chopped
1/2 rib of celery, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
6 medium cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
Sachet (recipe follows)
3 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium canned beef broth
One 2-pound loaf sourdough bread, cut into 16 slices
12 ounces fontina or Bel Paese cheese, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons Pickled Red Onions (recipe follows)
4 teaspoons unsalted butter, room temperature
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large ovenproof saucepan with a lid over medium-high heat. Season short ribs with salt and pepper and add to pan. Sear ribs on both sides until caramelized, about 5 minutes. Remove ribs from pan; set aside. Add carrot and celery to pan and cook 5 minutes. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until caramelized, about 5 minutes more. Return short ribs to the pan and add wine and sachet.
Cook until the wine is almost evaporated, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Add the beef broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover and transfer saucepan to oven; cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours. Uncover and continue cooking the short ribs for 1 hour, basting ribs every 15 minutes with the cooking liquid. Cook 1 hour more, for a total of 4 hours cooking time. Remove short ribs from oven and let cool in their liquid, 30 minutes. Transfer ribs to a plate, and with two forks, slightly shred following the natural grain of the meat; set aside.
Raise oven temperature to 350 degrees. Top 8 slices of bread with about 1 1/2 ounces of cheese each. Add 1 teaspoon of pickled onion. Top with 1/4 cup pulled short ribs and a second layer of cheese. Top with remaining slices of bread to form 8 sandwiches. Brush both sides of each sandwich with 1/2 teaspoon butter.
In a cast-iron skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add sandwiches to skillet, and immediately turn so that all the oil is absorbed. Weight down sandwiches with a small ovenproof skillet; cook for 1 minute. Turn sandwiches, return weight, and transfer to oven. Cook 2 minutes, remove weight, turn sandwich, and continue cooking 1 minute. Remove from oven, and slice sandwich on the diagonal. Repeat process with remaining sandwiches.
Sachet
Makes 1
4 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
6 sprigs fresh thyme
2 fresh bay leaves
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
One 5-inch piece dark green leek top, washed
Wrap all ingredients in a small piece of cheesecloth. Tie to enclose with kitchen twine.
Pickled Red Onions
Makes 5 cups
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
3 medium red onions, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/8 cup sugar
3 fresh bay leaves
3 sprigs fresh thyme
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Toast the coriander seeds in a small, dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add mustard seeds, and toast 1 minute more; set aside. Soak onions in a large bowl of ice water, about 10 minutes. Drain, pat dry, and transfer to a medium heatproof bowl.
Place vinegars, sugar, bay leaves, and thyme in a small saucepan and slowly bring to a boil over medium heat; add reserved coriander and mustard seeds. If mixture seems too acidic, add a little water. Pour mixture over onions and let stand 5 minutes. Drain, discarding liquid, and season onions with salt and pepper. Toss onions with olive oil and store, refrigerated, in an airtight container until ready to use, 2 to 3 weeks.
