Crab and Cucumber Linguine

Many of you know that I like cutting edge cuisine and that I have a bit of a fascination with it. But aside from foams, gels and "airs", I like simple stuff, too. This dish is a simple, yummy plate of food. It would not have been had I used second-rate crab meat; it's the main ingredient. There is simply nowhere to hide.

I added some garlic and the zest of the lemons along with everything else and finished it with a garlic and chile-infused olive oil. Great interplay between the citrusy and fresh lemon with the chile heat and good crab meatiness. I had leftover dill and used that, which brought an added lift. Quick to throw together, too!

400 g Iinguine
1 teaspoon dried red chilli flakes or 2 fresh red chillies
1 small or 1/2 large cucumber
2 large dressed crabs and 6 large claws, yielding about 250g brown meat and 200g white
juice and zest 2 large lemons
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley or dill
6-8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put a large saucepan of water on to boil. Cook the pasta until it is al dente, then drain and return to the saucepan. Meanwhile, place the chile flakes in an egg cup, just cover with boiling water and leave for a few minutes until soft. If using fresh chillies, trim and split them, scraping away the seeds. Slice into skinny strips and then into tiny dice.

Remove the skin from the cucumber with a potato peeler. Split it in half lengthways and use a teaspoon to scrape out the seeds and their watery surround. Thinly slice the cucumber into half moons. In a bowl, mix together the drained chile flakes or fresh chile, garlic, dressed crab, juice and zest from half of the lemons and the chopped parsley (or dill) and season lightly with salt and generously with pepper. Crack the crab claws and scrape the meat off the flat central 'bone', leaving it in big chunks, directly into the mixture. Slowly stir in 4 tablespoons of the olive oil to make a thick but slack mixture.

Stir the cucumber and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil into the drained pasta, stirring to mix thoroughly and encouraging the cucumber to wilt slightly. Now add the crab mixture, adding more lemon juice or oil to taste. Serve with forks and spoons.

Brined Pork Chops

What do you think of when I say pork chops? One of two things I bet:

1) A horrible, hockey puck-like piece of grey leather that you used to eat when you were a kid

2) A totally wonderful, amazing, soft and juicy piece of meat that you wish you could have every day

The memory of Option 1 is hard to erase. I am here to tell you it is possible (and easy!) to achieve Option 2 results. The key is using a brine, and using a meat thermometer.

Let's clear something up straight away. Pork SHOULD be pink. It's OK. Now, you wouldn't want to cook it rare, but more of a medium rare (around 140-145F) is fine. In fact, it's perfect. Anything above that, and you're getting into hockey puck land. So get a thermometer and pay attention to the temp for consistent results.

Here's another thing. Vanessa is getting bolder in the kitchen about tackling new things to cook. I didn't touch these. She made these all by herself. And they were amazing. Just a little science and some brine are all that's keeping you from having consistently spectacular pork chops every time.

8 cups water
¼ cup coarse salt
3 tablespoons sugar
3 bay leaves
2 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
1 garlic clove, smashed
4 loin pork chops (each about 1 1/2 inches thick)
¼ cup olive oil or vegetable oil
Mix together the water, coarse salt and sugar in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add the bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon stick, peppercorns and garlic. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

When mixture is at room temperature, strain it over the pork chops (they must be completely immersed in the brine). Marinate chops in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours and up to 12 hours.

When ready to cook. remove chops from brine and dry them with a towel. Place oil in a
heavy saute pan that's large enough to hold the chops in a single layer without crowding; place the pan over moderate heat. Add the chops. After a minute or so, using tongs, shift them slightly in the pan to make sure they're not sticking. Cook until well browned on the first side, about 8 minutes. Turn over and brown on the other side. Cook further, turning occasionally, until the chops reach an internal temperature of 137F. (NOTE: You'll want to let these rest on a plate for 5 minutes or so, as they will continue cooking a bit. The resting helps the juices redistribute and the meat relax so that is REABSORBS the juices). Remove from pan, season and serve immediately.

Grilled T-Bone Steak Tuscan Style (Bistecca alla Fiorentina), Cannellini Beans

Saturday saw some gorgeous weather. It's days like these the cry out for the use of a grill. Fortunately, the weather folks have been fairly accurate around here for the most part, so we were able to put an order in for a giant T-bone steak through our local meat market.

We had Steak Florentine for the first time in Florence, Italy. It was in this little out-of-the-way place that wasn't geared toward tourists. The steak was thick, gutsy and served rare. It was wonderful and simple. This recipe is a reasonable replica, I think. The key here is a steak that is at least 1 1/4" thick. And did I mention that it has to be rare?

Anyhow, we did it up with some cannellini beans that we had soaked and then cooked down in some veggies and herbs, finishing them off in a pan with some butter, olive oil and some more herbs. All served with a fantastic Malbec. Delicious and simple, this serves 4.

2 T-bone steaks, 1 1/2 inches thick
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided use
¼ cup minced garlic
4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons minced rosemary leaves
3 tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat a gas grill to high and leave one burner off. If you are using a charcoal grill, build a fire and let it burn down until the coals are glowing red with a light coating of white ash. Spread the coals in an even bed on one side of the grill. Clean the cooking grate.

Brush the steaks with a bit of the oil and season generously with the garlic, salt, pepper, and rosemary.

Grill the steaks over direct heat until marked, about 2 minutes on each side. Move the steaks to the cooler part of the grill and continue to grill over indirect medium heat until medium-rare, another 6 to 7 minutes on each side.

Transfer the meat to a cutting board or a large platter. Drizzle each of the steaks with 2 tsp more olive oil and finish by sprinkling the steaks with lemon juice.

Let the steaks rest for about 10 to 15 minutes before carving into slices. Serve on a heated platter or plates.

Drizzle with good olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.

Cannellini Beans

2 cups cannellini or other small, dried white beans
1 onion, peeled and quartered
1 carrot, peeled and halved
1 celery rib
1 sprig of fresh tarragon
1 sprig of fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

FINISH
2 knobs butter
1 generous glug of olive oil
additonal rosemary and thyme, chopped

Rinse and pick over the beans and place them in a large pot. Add the onion, carrot, celery, tarragon, thyme, salt, and pepper and enough water to cover by 3 inches (about 8 cups). Bring the beans to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook very slowly, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender. (Begin checking after about 45 minutes.)

Remove the beans from the heat and allow them to cool in the cooking liquid. Discard the aromatic vegetables and herbs. Use the beans immediately or store in the cooking liquid in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.

To finish, heat the butter and olive oil in a pan until the butter is melted and starting to bubble and foam. Dump the beans in and stir to coat. Season with salt, pepper and the herbs. Serve hot.

Coq au Vin

If you look back through these posts, you'll find a few meals we've done out of the Les Halles Cookbook, by Anthony Bourdain (of 'No Reservations' fame). You might notice a trend with these recipes, namely, that they have all been knockouts. Not just good.....KNOCKOUTS. This one is no exception.

This takes two days to throw together, the first day simply getting the marinade together and soaking the bird. The second day, doing the actual cooking. This dish TASTES like a two-day project. It tastes like your French grandmother made it.

The key to our success here was not rushing anything, using a wonderful free-range organic chicken, using good wines and lastly, using a temperature probe for the chicken. Had we left it in the pot according to recipe directions, it might have gone a bit dry. When the chicken got to 163F, we pulled it out and let it rest a bit while finishing the sauce.

This was absolutely wonderful and easy to produce.

1 liter red wine, plus 1 cup
1 onion, cut into a 1-inch/2.5-cm dice
1 carrot, cut into 1/4-inch/6-mm slices
1 celery rib, cut into 1/2-inch/1-cm slices
4 whole cloves
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 bouquet garni
1.3 kg chicken, guts, wingtips and neckbone removed
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon flour
112 g slab bacon, cut into lardons 1/4 by 1 inch
225 g small, white button mushrooms, stems removed
12 pearl onions, peeled
1 pinch sugar

DAY ONE
The day before you even begin to cook, combine the bottle of red wine, the diced onion (that's the big onion; not the pearl onions), sliced carrot, celery, cloves, peppercorns, and bouquet garni in a large, deep bowl. Add the chicken and submerge it in the liquid so that all of it is covered. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

DAY TWO
Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat it dry. Put it aside. Strain the marinade through the fine strainer, reserving the liquids and solids separately. Season the chicken with salt and pepper inside and out. In the large Dutch oven, heat the oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter until almost smoking, and then sear the chicken, turning with the tongs to evenly brown the skin. Once browned, remove it from the pot and set it aside again. Add the reserved onions, celery, and carrot to the pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and golden brown. That should take you about 10 minutes.

Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and mix well with the wooden spoon so that the vegetables are coated. Now stir in the reserved strained marinade. Put the chicken back in the pot, along with the bouquet garni. Cook this for about 1 hour and 15 minutes over low heat.

Have a drink. You're almost there ...

While your chicken stews slowly in the pot, cook the bacon lardons in the small saute pan over medium heat until golden brown. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain it on paper towels, making sure to keep about 1 tablespoon of fat in the pan. Saute the mushroom tops in the bacon fat until golden brown. Set them aside.

Now, in the small saucepan, combine the pearl onions, the pinch of sugar, a pinch of salt, and 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add just enough water to just cover the onions, then cover the pan with the parchment paper trimmed to the same size as your pan. (I suppose you can use foil if you must.) Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the water has evaporated. Keep a close eye on it. Remove the paper cover and continue to cook until the onions are golden brown.

Set the onions aside and add the remaining cup of red wine to the hot pan, scraping up all the fond on the bottom of the pot. Season with salt and pepper and reduce over medium-high heat until thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.

Your work is pretty much done here. One more thing and then it's wine and kudos ...

When the chicken is cooked through-meaning tender, the juice from the thigh running clear when pricked-carefully remove from the liquid, cut into quarters, and arrange on the deep serving platter. Strain the cooking liquid (again) into the reduced red wine. Now just add the bacon, mushrooms, and pearl onions, adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, and swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Now pour that sauce over the chicken and dazzle your friends with your brilliance. Serve with buttered noodles and a Bourgogne Rouge.

IMPROVISATION
If you are a bold adventurer, and live near a live-poultry market or friendly pork butcher, you might want to play around a bit after doing this recipe a few times. By cutting back on the flour and thickening with fresh pig or chicken blood, you will add a whole new dimension to the dish. Be warned, though: add the blood slowly. It doesn't take much to make the sauce sit up like a rock. (Blood freezes nicely, by the way, so you might consider keeping a stash in small, individual packets. You never know when you'll need it.)

The Magic of Sous Vide

No big recipes this time. Just dropping in to say that I got out the ol' water bath again over the weekend and had some fun. The first, the 64.4C poached egg, which turned the yolk into a nifty soft spread and turned the whites barely set. Really interesting stuff and a great texture.

Next was a few lamb steaks, which I did at 57.5C, throwing in a few sprigs of rosemary, a pat of butter, salt and pepper and some crushed garlic cloves. After 4 hours, the connective tissues in the steaks had completely broken down and the steak had gone extremely soft and succulent. The lighting wasn't so good in the photo (it was much pinker in real life), but I can assure you, the lamb was cooked a perfect medium-rare, all the way through. The seasonings had worked their way in there and after a quick sear in the pan (basting with butter) and reducing the cooking juices, it was magic.

More sous vide experiments to come! Watch this space......

Pan-Seared Scallop and Black Pudding with Minted Pea Puree

I came up with this idea when we scored some black pudding recently. Black pudding plays really well with scallops, which we now have a totally reliable source for in town. Mint is a nice, fresh, cool herb which really cut through the richness of the black pudding. Bacon is a good idea, just in general.

All in all, this is one of my more balanced dishes. No overpowering flavors, everything seemed to work in harmony. I am proud of this one!

SHALLOT AND BACON FOAM
1 shallot, diced
3 strips bacon, coarsley chopped
2 cups skim milk

PEA PUREE
200 g peas, thawed if frozen
2 tablespoons butter
4 sprigs mint, leaves only
100 milliliters cooking liquid from the peas

SCALLOPS
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 large scallops
salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons butter

BLACK PUDDING
6 slices black pudding, about 1/2" thick

First, make the shallot and bacon foam. Get a saucepan hot over medium high heat. Put the bacon and shallot in there and cook down for 7-9 minutes. Pour the milk over the top and heat until the milk just starts to bubble. Turn the heat off, cover the pan, and set aside to infuse for 30 minutes.

Now, make the pea puree. Get a pot of water to the boil. Dump the peas in and cook for 3-4 minutes, until they are just cooked and are a vibrant green color. Strain, saving some of the liquid.

Put the peas in a blender with the butter, mint, salt and pepper and some of the cooking liquid. Blend thoroughly until smooth. Pass through a sieve into a clean pan. If it is too thin, bring to a low simmer and reduce it down to desired consistency. If too thick, add some cooking liquid or water. It is now ready to warm up just prior to serving.

To finish the foam, strain out the bacon and shallot and put the milk into a clean saucepan. Heat until it just starts to bubble. Pull off the heat and blend it with an immersion blender put just on the surface to get some froth going. You'll spoon this froth off to put on the scallops later.

Get a non-stick skillet hot over medium-high heat. When hot, put the black pudding slices in it and cook for about 3 minutes on the first side (until well-colored) then flip them over and cook the other side for about 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.

While you are cooking the black pudding, get a skillet (NOT non-stick) hot over medium-high heat. Season the scallops on both sides. Drizzle some oil in the skillet when hot, and add the scallops. Cook each scallop until well-colored on the bottom (about 45 seconds to a minute). Then flip them over (in the same order you put them in the pan), put the butter in the pan, and cook for an additional 30-45 seconds until done, all while basting the scallops with the melted butter. When done, pull them out and set them on some paper towel to drain a bit.

To finish, lay some pea puree down on a plate. Place three slices of black pudding, top them with the scallops. Put some bacon and shallot foam on the scallops and around the plate. Drizzle with olive oil. Serve.

Quick Halibut Seviche with Grapefruit and Chiles

Our springtime food orgy continues with another simple, yet powerfully-flavored dish. Nice fresh cool mint balances the chile and Tabasco heat with a nice blast of citrus from the grapefruit. This couldn't be easier and was yummy.

1 lb. halibut fillet
½ cup lime juice
¼ cup grapefruit juice, plus 2 T
1 whole grapefruit
½ teaspoon garlic, very finely minced
2 tablespoons red chiles, very finely minced
1 tablespoon green chiles, very finely minced
2 tablespoons mint, chiffonade
coarse salt, to taste
hot sauce, to taste
extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

With a very sharp knife, cut the halibut into thin, broad slices. Place in a howl and toss with the lime juice and grapefruit juice. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.

While the halibut is sitting, cut the grapefruit in half crosswise and, using a grapefruit knife, cur cut pieces of grapefruit. Slice each in half lengthwise.

When ready to serve seviche, drain the liquid completely from the halibut and discard liquid. Add grapefruit pieces to the fish with the garlic, red chilies, green chilies, and mint. Toss gently. Divide among 6 plates, laying our the strips of halibut flatly on each plate. Season with coarse salt, sprinkle with hot sauce, and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Serve immediately.

Chile-Marinated Pork with Black Bean Salsa (Puerco en Adobo con Salsa de Frijoles Negros)

Just a quick little throw-together with some leftover pork tenderloin we had in the freezer. The nicer weather has lent itself to a whole host of fresh, zippy springtime food and this one was no exception. The salsa has a wonderful kick and texture next to the juicy marinated pork.
Chile-Marinated Pork with Black Bean Salsa (Puerco en Adobo con Salsa de Frijoles Negros)

1 pound pork tenderloins, trimmed
2-4 chipotle chile peppers, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 shallot, or 1/4 small red onion, coarsely chopped
½ cup orange juice
¼ cup lime juice
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
salt and black pepper
3 cups BLACK BEAN SALSA (recipe follows)
¼ cup CUMIN-SCENTED SOUR CREAM
1 pomegranate , seeds only

Arrange the pork in a 13 X 9" glass or ceramic baking dish.

In a food processor or blender, combine the chile peppers, garlic, shallots or onions, orange juice, lime juice, vinegar, oregano, and allspice. Puree until smooth.

Spoon the marinade evenly over the pork. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours. Turn 2 or 3 times while marinating.

Preheat the grill or broiler to medium-high.

Season the pork with salt and black pepper. Grill or broil the pork 4" from the heat for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature registers 160F on a meat thermometer. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let stand for 3 minutes. Thinly slice on the diagonal.

Mound 2/3 cup of the salsa in the center of each of 4 dinner plates. Divide the pork among the plates, fanning our the slices around the salsa. Squirt or dollop the sour cream over the pork. Sprinkle each dish with the pomegranate seeds.

Black Bean Salsa (Salsa de Frijoles Negros)

2 cups black beans, cooked or rinsed and drained canned
½ small red onion, finely chopped
½ red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 poblano chile pepper or 1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped
½-1 habanero chile pepper or 1-2 Jalapeno chile peppers, seeded and minced
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
3 tablespoons lime juice
salt and ground black pepper

In a medium bowl, combine the beans, onions, red bell peppers, celery, poblano chile peppers or green bell peppers, habanero or jalapeno chile peppers, cilantro, and lime juice. Toss to mix. Season with salt and black pepper.

Christening the Grill

Now that I actually have open space, to include a yard and a garage, it was high time I got myself a grill. Those who visited us in the UK know that there was simply nowhere to put a grill. Also, the weather there was rarely nice enough to really do a lot of grilling. So we waited. And waited.

My friend Alex helped me assemble it, a Brinkmann which has a gas side and a charcoal/smoker side (to appease Vanessa) and a side burner. It's a pretty grown up grill.

Well we had some folks around and it was pretty good food. I'll have to work on my technique a bit; I'm going for something a bit less along the lines of throw-it-on-and-hope-for-the-best and more solid grilling fundamentals.

In any case, the recipes delivered. Really classic barbecue flavors, nice and smoky.
Black Jack Chicken Breasts

2 cups apple cider
½ cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
8 chicken breasts, bone in and skin on
2 cups BLACKJACK BARBECUE SAUCE (see next)

To make the marinade: Combine the apple cider, cider vinegar, shallots, garlic, 1 tsp of the salt, and 1/2 tsp of the pepper in a zip-close bag. Add the chicken pieces and seal the bag, pressing out the air. Let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 and up to 12 hours.

Preheat a gas grill to medium-high; leave one burner off. If you are using a charcoal grill, build a fire and let it burn down until the coals are glowing red with a moderate coating of while ash. Spread the coals in an even bed on one side of the grill. Clean the cooking grate.

Remove the chicken from the marinade, letting any excess drain off. Season with the remaining salt and pepper.

Grill the chicken over direct heat until marked on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Finish cooking the chicken over indirect heat, covered, turning every few minutes and brushing with the barbecue sauce, until the chicken Is cooked through (165F) and the juices run clear, 10 to 15 minutes more.

Serve on a heated platter or plates.

Black Jack Barbecue Sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 yellow onion, diced small
2 tablespoons minced garlic
¼ cup chili powder
2 tablespoons minced jalapeno, or to taste
1 cup tomato paste
1 cup brewed coffee
1 cup Worcestershire sauce
½ cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup lightly packed brown sugar
½ cup apple cider or apple juice

Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the chili powder and jalapeno, and saute for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.

Add all the remaining ingredients and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes. Use immediately, or let cool to room temperature before storing in a clean, covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
Barbecued Spare Ribs with Apricot-Ancho Glaze

3 tablespoons paprika
½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 ½ tablespoons packed brown sugar
¾ teaspoons dried thyme
4 teaspoons minced garlic
2 ¼ teaspoons salt
2 ¼ teaspoons ground black pepper
8 lbs. pork spareribs
4 cups APRICOT-ANCHO BARBECUE GLAZE (see below)

Make a rub by combining the paprika, cayenne, sugar, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper. Rub this mixture generously and evenly over the pork ribs. Place the ribs in a pan, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 and up to 24 hours before barbecuing.

Preheat a gas grill to medium and leave one burner off. If you are using a charcoal grill, build a fire and let it burn down until the coals are glowing red with a moderate coating of while ash. Spread the coals in an even bed on one side of the grill. Clean the cooking grate.

Grill the pork ribs over direct heat, covered, until the ribs are browned on both sides, about 15 minutes per side. (If desired, add wood chips to the grill, either directly onto the hot coals or in a small aluminum pan over one of the burners.)

Bring the glaze to a simmer in a saucepan; reserve 2 cups of the glaze (and keep warm) to pass with the spare ribs. Brush the ribs with a light layer of the remaining barbecue glaze and continue to grill over indirect heat, turning the ribs every 5 to 10 minutes and brushing with sauce after each turn, until the ribs are very tender and a rich glaze has built up on the ribs, another 20 minutes.

Remove the pork ribs from the grill and cut into portions. Serve on a heated platter or plates. Pass the reserved barbecue glaze on the side.

Apricot-Ancho Barbecue Glaze
6 strips bacon, chopped
1 ½ cups yellow onion, small dice
1 tablespoon minced garlic
¾ cup ketchup
¾ cup orange juice
¾ cup dark brown sugar, packed
⅓ cup dried apricots, chopped
¼ cup malt vinegar
2 ancho chiles, diced
1 teaspoon sweet or hot paprika
3 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Saute the bacon in a large saute pan over medium heat until almost crisp, about 4 minutes. Add the onions and saute until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until aromatic, about 1 minute.

Add all the remaining ingredients. Simmer until the apricots are very soft, about 10 minutes. Taste the sauce and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.

Transfer to a blender and puree until relatively smooth. The glaze is ready to use now, or it can be cooled and stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Short Ribs in Barolo (Brasato al Barolo) - featuring KOBE BEEF

I ordered some waygu beef (AKA Kobe) from Snake River Farms online. I also ordered a whole pork belly, which we haven't cooked yet.

In any case, we shelled out for some good Barolo to have with this. Waygu beef is the finest in the world, which has everything to do with how the animals are reared. Check out the fat marbling:


This was amazing. Deep, rich and sexy. Also, dead simple to make. I highly recommend it next time to want to drop some money and some really quality ingredients.

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 lbs. boneless beef short ribs, cut into 3-inch cubes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large Spanish onions, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 medium carrot, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
2 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
4 ounces pancetta, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 cups Barolo or other hearty red wine
2 cups BASIC TOMATO SAUCE (recipe follows)

Basic Tomato Sauce

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 Spanish onion, 1/4" dice
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
½ medium carrot, finely shredded
4 cans whole tomatoes
salt

In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and light golden brown, 8-10 minutes. Add the thyme and carrot and cook until the carrot is quite soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, with their juice, and bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer until as thick as hot cereal, about 30 minutes. Season with salt. The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for 6 months.

In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over high heat until smoking. Season the meat liberally with salt and pepper. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pot, brown the meat all over, turning frequently, until dark golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes per batch. Transfer to a platter and set aside.

Pour the excess oil out of the pot. Add the onions, carrot, celery and pancetta and cook until the vegetables are light brown and starting to soften, about 8 minutes. Add the wine and tomato sauce and bring to a boil.

Add the meat and bring back to a boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook until the meat is very tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Transfer the meat to a festive platter.

Bring the cooking liquid to the boil and reduce to 2 1/2 cups. Season with salt and pepper, pour over the meat, and serve immediately.