2020 Cook the Books – Fleming College

Preheat oven to 250°F(120°C). Remove the meat from the top of short rib bone and scape until clean (no tissue left on the bone). Then secure the remaining meat to the bone with butchers’ twine. Season the short ribs with salt, pepper, and coat with the oil. Over high heat, sear all sides of the meat and add to an oven-safe dish. Add onions, carrots, and celery to the pan and sweat until translucent, add the garlic and continue to cook for about a minute; add to oven-safe dish. Deglaze the fry pan with the red wine and then add the red wine reduction, beef stock, rosemary, and thyme to the short ribs. Cover with tin foil and place in the oven for approximately 6-8 hours or until tender.

Wash and peel the russet potatoes. Using a vegetable spiralizer;, twirl the potatoes to get long shoestring like strands. Using a deep fryer (preheated to 360°F (180°C)) fry the potato until golden brown. Set aside on a paper towel lined pan to dry. Season with salt

Start preparing the vegetables. Keeping the beets, carrots and butternut squash separate (as beets will stain the other vegetables) season with salt, pepper, and thyme leaves. Coat the beets and carrots with oil and lay flat on a baking dish. Cover and reserve for later. In a small saucepan boil butternut squash until slightly over tender. Drain and place in a blender. Start to puree, slowly adding the maple syrup until the squash is at the proper consistency. Season to taste with salt and fennel.

Roughly, 90 minutes before the short rib is completed, place beets in a preheated 400°F (205°C) oven and cook for 30 minutes. Then add carrots and cook for an additional 30 minutes. Remove them from the oven when they are roasted golden brown, but still have el dente.

About 45 minutes to 1 hour before the short ribs are complete, start the risotto. Place a sauté pan over medium-high heat, add bacon and begin to cook until the fat is rendered. Add oil to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and sauté until translucent. Then add the barley and stir until barley is evenly coated with oil. Slowly start to add beef stock one, 2 oz ladle at a time, making sure the barley has soaked up the stock before adding more. Continue this process until barley is 90% cooked. Add the sliced shitake mushrooms, to the rendered bacon fat and sauté until soft. Once sautéed, add the bacon and mushrooms to the risotto. Finish the risotto with parmesan and goat cheese and stir until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, reduce 1 cup(250mL) red wine, and 2 cups (500mL) braising liquid by half. Add maple syrup and continue to reduce the sauce until it coats the back of a spoon. Season to taste with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. If you run out of time or would like a thicker sauce please use an arrowroot slurry.