Slow Braised Short Rib Kreplach
I love the entire process of braising, and especially relish the fact that I can get double-duty from one batch of melt-in-the-mouth short ribs. I always make extra short ribs and use the tender meat in soups, pasta dishes and these kreplach. I serve the kreplach as a comforting addition to soup or as a playful addition to salads. I also like to crisp up the little purses and serve them on a platter as a hors d’oeuvre. For a crispy appetizer or salad “crouton,” after boiling the kreplach, cook the kreplach in batches over medium heat in a sauté pan with about ½ inch of olive oil until lightly browned and slightly crisped on both sides. For a special occasion and over-the-top presentation to make VIP kreplach, dust the top of the kreplach with edible gold leaf (found at specialty gourmet stores or online). Serve with garlicky-aioli or your favorite dipping sauce.
- Duration
- Cook Time
- Prep Time
- 75 kreplach ServingsServings
Ingredients
For the short ribs
- 5-7 pounds English cut short ribs (English cut short ribs yields big chunks of tender meat versus fl anken cut which has very little meat)
- 2 medium carrots, cut into large dice
- 2 ribs celery, cut into large dice
- 1 medium Spanish onion, cut into large dice
- 8 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 bottle red wine
- 1 cup chicken stock (homemade preferred)
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 bouquet garni (parsley stems, celery rib, thyme stems, bay leaf) )
- salt and pepper
- won ton wrappers or hoemade kreplach dough
- cilantro coconut chutney
Preparation
For the short ribs
1 Preheat oven to 325° or slow cooker to low.
2 Season short ribs with salt and pepper.
3 Heat a large Dutch oven or braiser over medium heat. Working in batches, brown the short ribs on all sides until they are crispy and caramelized (about 5 minutes per side).
4 Drain off all the fat but two tablespoons. Add the carrots, celery and onions to the pan. Brown the vegetables until they are golden brown (about 7 minutes). Add the garlic and continue cooking for two minutes until the garlic has softened slightly and is very fragrant. Add the tomato paste and stir to coat the vegetables. Add the red wine and chicken stock and continue cooking until the liquid has reduced in half.
5 Add the short ribs and bouquet garni to the pan and cover. Cook for 3 hours, or for 8 hours in a slow cooker, until the short ribs can be easily pierced with a fork and have no resistance. 6 Gently remove the short ribs and vegetables from the Dutch oven. Discard the vegetables. Reduce the liquid until you have a thick glaze (about 2 cups).
For the Kreplach
6 Shred the meat with your hands and discard the fat, bones, and membranes. Run the meat and onions through a meat grinder with a medium blade, or pulse in a food processor. (I like my kreplach meat to have a little texture to it and not be pasty.) Combine the ground mixture and skimmed liquid in a sauté pan and cook over medium-high heat until the mixture is only slightly moist. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate while you prepare the dough.
Prepare the dough using this recipe for kreplach dough.
7 Lay one sheet of dough on a floured surface. Trim the dough to a rectangle. Place a walnut size amount of filling every 2 inches. Brush the dough with water around each mound . Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. If using wonton skins, cut them into two 2½ inch squares. Working in batches, lay out the kreplach dough or wonton squares on a lightly floured work surface. Lightly brush the squares with water. Place a teaspoon of meat in the center of the square and fold over to form a triangle. Push out any air bubbles and press the edges together to seal. Place the kreplach on the sheet pan. The kreplach can be frozen at this point and stored in a heavy freezer bag for up to 3 months.
8 To cook the kreplach, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil the kreplach until they float to the top, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon or wire skimmer, transfer the kreplach to a sheet pan.
9 Serve with cilantro-coconut chutney or favorite dipping sauce.
As seen in Joy of Kosher with Jamie Geller Magazine (Late Winter 2013) - Subscribe Now
