Try luscious braised short ribs from Grill 23 & Bar
Grill 23 & Bar (161 Berkeley St.; grill23.com, @grill23andbar) is getting a heaping serving of new talent as Ryan Marcoux joins the renowned steakhouse as new executive chef.
He’s certainly got the chops for the job — Marcoux was the executive chef at Boston Chops under Chris Coombs, worked as the chef de cuisine at Parsnip in Harvard Square and was one of the opening chefs at Sel de la Terre under Frank McClelland. He is a graduate of Johnson & Wales and lives in Worcester with his wife and children.
“I have always thought of Grill 23 as the crowned jewel of steakhouses in New England and it is an absolute honor for me to join the culinary team as executive chef. I look forward to continuing Himmel Hospitality’s dedication to remarkable service and inspired cuisine while supporting local farmers through the finest quality of food,” Marcoux said.
If you want to get a taste of Marcoux’s menu before making a reservation or putting in an online order, try his recipe at home for braised short ribs and gnocchi.
GRILL 23 EXECUTIVE CHEF RYAN MARCOUX’S BRAISED SHORT RIB GNOCCHI
For the braised short ribs: 3 lb. short ribs
6 c. beef stock
1 large onion (diced)
2 celery ribs (diced)
1 large carrot (diced) 5 cremini mushrooms (quartered)
10 cloves garlic (crushed)
3 scallions (cut in 1-inch
lengths)
1 c. red wine
N c. tomato paste
1 oz. Worcestershire sauce
1 oz. honey
2 T. fresh thyme
1 T. fresh rosemary
3 bay leaves
1 T. ground black pepper
1 t. ground fennel
K t. red pepper flakes Salt to taste
1 oz. canola oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Season short ribs with salt and let them rest while you dice the vegetables .
Place a braising pan with the canola oil on the range over medium/high heat. While the oil is getting hot, gently pat the excess moisture off the short ribs with a paper towel. Sprinkle with a touch more salt and add to the braising pan. Brown the short ribs nicely on all sides, remove from the pan and set aside to rest.
Turn the heat down to medium and place the vegetables in the pan. Saute the vegetables until aromatic and onions are translucent, then add the tomato paste. Cook for an additional 2 minutes, then add wine and reduce the wine by half (2-3 minutes over medium heat).
Add the short ribs and all other ingredients to the braising pan, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Once it boils, shut the heat off, cover with aluminum foil and place the pan in the oven. Cook for about 2 to 3 hours or until the ribs are fork tender. Let the short ribs rest in the liquid for about 30 minutes.
For the ricotta gnocchi:
2 c. ricotta
3 eggs (beaten lightly)
N c. parmesan
N c. heavy cream
3 c. all-purpose flour
Add flour to a large mixing bowl and create a well in the center. Place all other ingredients in the center of the flour. Gently fold the flour into the center until all the ingredients are combined.
The dough should be slightly tacky but not sticky. Cover with cling film and let rest 30 minutes.
Cut the dough into smaller manageable pieces (about 6 oz. each). Using both hands, roll each piece into long strips about the thickness of your pinkie. Dust these with flour and cut into K- inch segments. Once cut, toss the gnocchi with a little flour so they don’t stick together. At this stage, you can freeze and save the gnocchi for later or cook for same day use.
Bring a pot of salted water (at a ratio of about 2 oz. salt to 1 gallon water) to a boil. Carefully add the dumplings to the water. Stir gently for 30 seconds using a rubber spatula, so as to not crush the gnocchi. As they rise to the top, skim them off into a bowl and toss with oil (olive or canola) and place on a tray to cool.
To assemble the dish, carefully remove short ribs from the braising pan. Strain the liquid from the braising pan into a pot and combine with your gnocchi and put on medium heat. The vegetables left in the strainer can be reserved with the short ribs. Season the gnocchi to taste with salt. Spoon the gnocchi into a serving dish, top with the short ribs and vegetables and garnish with freshly grated parmesan.
Enjoy!