NVM + 2013
• FLAVOR
Braised Beef Ravioli with Jus Reduction and ParmigianoReggiano Chef Matthew Grunwald whips up a romantic dish. I HAVE A new obsession with ravioli making. Of course, getting your
hands a bit dirty is required when making pasta dough. A simple dough of eggs, “00” flour (which is high in gluten), water, and salt are all that’s required to prepare perfect pasta. When considering a filling for ravioli, you needn’t go any farther than your own pantry and refrigerator for ideas. The combinations are endless, ranging from a simple Italian sausage filling to deep-fried chocolate served with a peanut butter sauce––but that’s a different recipe. Today, I’m going to teach you the way that Italian nonne—grandmammas—prepare ravioli––without the pasta machine and with a rolling pin. This recipe comprises the three Rs of February: rich, robust, and of course, romantic. Braised hind shank is the perfect ingredient for ravioli stuffing. Onions, carrots, celery, thyme, rosemary, shallots, and garlic are flavorings that are incorporated into the braise to create different flavor notes that set this dish apart. As any chef would agree, the best food consists of a simple dish that has been given a lot of love and is executed properly, so let us not forget the sauce. Reducing the liquid that the hind shank cooks in is the simple element that creates a dish that you will find served in the finest Manhattan bistros. Finishing with true “protected designation of origin” parmigiano-reggiano, which comes from Emilia-Romagna, Italy, will truly set this dish apart.
BRAISED HIND SHANK 3 pounds hind shank, bone in 5 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 8 tbsp. kosher salt as needed to taste for seasoning at the end 5 tbsp. freshly ground black pepper 2 each yellow onions, Ω-inch dice 3 each carrots, washed, peeled, and sliced into 1-inch pieces 5 stalks celery, washed, sliced into 1-inch pieces 5-6 cups red wine (cabernet sauvignon/ merlot blend works beautifully) 4-5 cups chicken stock 12 sprigs fresh thyme 4 sprigs fresh rosemary 5 each bay leaves ∑ cup whole black peppercorns Choose a roasting pan to cook with that will allow the stock and red wine to cover the meat completely while it’s cooking! Preheat the oven to 290°F. Heat roasting pan to high heat. Pat the hind shank completely dry with a paper towel and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Press seasoning into the meat. Add extra-virgin olive oil to the roasting pan and let the oil start to smoke. (The hotter the pan, the better the sear and the more flavor you’ll enjoy!) Add hind shank into the pan when the oil is smoking and let sear. Do not move the meat around—this will cause it to steam and you will not get any color on the protein. Cook the hind shank for about three minutes on each side until the meat is a very deep brown. It's OK if there is a small amount of charring on the meat— this will add flavor to the dish. When the meat is completely seared on all sides, remove from pan and reduce heat in the pan to medium. Add in the onion and scrape the bottom of the pan. Let the onions cook until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add in carrots and celery to create a mirepoix. The reason you add in the carrots and celery separately is because you want to maintain the bright flavor of the carrots and if you cook celery too long, it gets bitter. Cook the mirepoix until the carrots start to brown and all the vegetables are slightly tender. Deglaze the bottom of the pan by adding in all the chicken stock and red wine. Scrape the bottom of the pan. Let the braising liquid simmer on medium heat for about five minutes until it reduces by a fourth of the volume. This will concentrate the flavors. Before adding in the herbs to the pot, rub them between your hands to awaken the aromatics and natural oils. Add the thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, and black peppercorns to the pot and let simmer an additional two minutes. Add the hind shank back into the pot, and make sure that it’s completely submerged in the braising liquid. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper accordingly to your taste. Cover roasting pan with foil and tightly wrap. Place the braise in the oven and let cook for four to six hours. The longer that it cooks, the more the flavors will
increase. Remove the braise from the oven when it is fork tender and let cool for 20 minutes. When the hind shank is cool enough for you to handle, remove from the pot and shred the meat. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside. SAUCE Strain the vegetables, herbs, and peppercorns from the braising liquid. Save the liquid, and discard all the rest. Keep the braising liquid in the roasting pan and return to high heat on the stove until the sauce reduces by half. Set aside. PASTA DOUGH 1.5 cup “00” flour or all-purpose flour 1 egg ∑ cup water as needed In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together and turn out onto a flour surface. Knead the dough with a back-and-forth rocking motion for five minutes until the dough is tacky, a bit wet, and elastic. This will develop the gluten strands in the dough and result in excellently textured pasta. Wrap with plastic wrap and allow to sit on the counter for one hour so that the dough can rest. (The gluten strands will relax so that you can roll out the dough.) CREATING AND ASSEMBLING RAVIOLI Rolling pin Damp towel Pizza cutter Pastry brush Braised hind shank filling Pasta dough All-purpose flour as needed Egg wash as needed Unwrap the pasta dough and flour a flat surface. Dust the dough with flour on each side, and cover the rolling pin with flour. The dough should be room temperature at this point. Roll out the dough to about ¬ of an inch thick. Carefully pick up the dough and stretch it out with your fists, being careful not to tear it. Once the dough has been stretched, flour the work surface and the dough. Roll the dough 1 out to a 16—∑ of an inch thickness. Flour the top of the dough again, and flip to the other side. Cut the dough into four large equal squares and cover with damp towels. With the corner of dough you are working with, cut 2-inch-by-2inch squares with the pizza cutter. Place 1 teaspoon of the braised hind shank filling onto the dead center of each square. Place a damp towel on top of the dough with the filling on it. Work with one 2-inch-by-2-inch square at a time. With your index finger, coat each side of the dough with the egg wash. Fold the dough in half. Working from the center out, remove any air from the center of the dough. Gently but firmly pinch the sides of the dough together to seal each side into one cohesive envelope. Place the finished ravioli onto a floured surface. Once all the ravioli have been made, you can either freeze them for up to two weeks or cook and serve. FEBRUARY | MARCH 2013 NORTH VALLEY
77