Oscars Party Eats: Short Rib Hot Pot Recipe
Eat like you won an Academy Award! This is one of the dishes that Chef Wolfgang Puck and his team will be serving to the stars on Sunday at the famous Governors Ball.
You can also serve this dish in individual ramekins. Photo: Carin Krasner for Wolfgang Puck Catering
Short Rib Hot Pot with Kabocha Squash Puree
Serves 10 to 12
Boneless beef short ribs are some of the most elegant comfort food I know, and both the winners of Oscars and those who are honored just to have been nominated are likely to enjoy this variation on a classic French-style braise. Sealing the meat, vegetables, and Dutch oven with strips of puff pastry is a classic technique that really enhances the flavor and tenderness—though caution is required when opening the vessel for serving. Butchers in many good supermarkets will bone and trim the short ribs for you. For the Governors Ball, we’ll be smoking the kabocha squash with hay, which adds a sweet, grassy, smoky flavor, instead of just baking it as this recipe calls for, but the results will be just as delicious.
5 pounds boneless beef short rib, trimmed of all membranes and excess fat
4 medium orange carrots, peeled and trimmed, 3 cut into chunks, 1 cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 medium yellow onions, peeled and trimmed, 2 cut into chunks, 1 cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 medium stalks celery, peeled and trimmed, 1 cut into chunks, 1 cut into 1/2-inch dice
About 2 bottles dry red wine
All-purpose flour, for coating
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Canola oil, for browning
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 to 2 cups good-quality chicken stock or broth
1 large parsnip, peeled, trimmed, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 medium celery root, peeled, trimmed, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 yellow carrot (or 1 extra orange carrot), peeled, trimmed, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 large kabocha squash
1 bay leaf
1 package frozen puff pastry, thawed following package directions
1 large egg
White sesame seeds, for garnish
Sea salt, for garnish
Arrange the short ribs in a nonreactive dish or bowl large enough to hold them in a single layer and evenly scatter the chunks of orange carrots, onion, and celery over them. Pour enough of the wine into the dish to submerge the beef and vegetables completely. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in the refrigerator to marinate for 24 hours.
Before cooking, preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the short ribs from the wine and pat them thoroughly dry with paper towels, reserving the wine. Spread an even layer of the flour on a baking tray, season with salt and pepper, and roll the short ribs in the flour until evenly coated.
Preheat an enameled cast-iron Dutch oven over medium heat. Add enough canola oil to coat the bottom of the pan well and, when it’s hot enough to shimmer slightly, shake off excess flour from the short ribs and carefully add them to the pan, working in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding, and adding a little extra oil if needed. Cook the short ribs until evenly browned all over, using tongs to turn the meat occasionally, 7 to 10 minutes. When the ribs are browned, transfer them to a platter and set aside.
Add the diced carrot, onion, and celery to the Dutch oven and sauté until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and sauté, stirring constantly, until the tomato paste darkens slightly, about 2 minutes longer. Add the wine in which the short ribs marinated and bring to a brisk simmer while stirring and scraping with a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan deposits. Once the wine is simmering, return the short ribs to the Dutch oven and add enough chicken stock to cover completely and continue cooking until the liquid returns to a simmer.
Cover the Dutch oven using its lid or heavy-duty aluminum foil. Carefully transfer to the preheated oven and cook until the ribs are fork-tender, 2 to 3 hours depending on their size. Set the Dutch oven aside and leave to cool at room temperature for 1 hour; then, transfer the contents of the Dutch oven to a nonreactive container, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Clean the Dutch oven.
Bring a pot full of water to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, fill a bowl with ice cubes and water and place it near the sink. Add the diced parsnip and celery root and the remaining diced yellow (or orange) carrot and cook just until the water returns to a boil; then drain and immediately submerge the vegetables in the ice water. When they’ve cooled, drain them, transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate.
For the squash, preheat the oven to 400°F. With a sturdy, sharp knife, very carefully cut the squash in half. Use a sharp-edged tablespoon to scoop out the seeds and fibers from each half. Lightly oil a roasting pan and place the squash halves in the pan cut side down. Roast the squash in the oven until tender enough to be pierced easily with a sharp skewer, about 1 hour. Carefully scoop the flesh from each squash half, transferring it to a food processor fitted with the stainless-steel blade. Process until smoothly pureed, adding a little chicken stock if necessary. Pulse in some salt and pepper to taste.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Transfer the puree to the bottom of the clean Dutch oven. Arrange the cold diced vegetables on top. Remove the fat that has coagulated on the surface of the chilled short ribs braising liquid and arrange the short ribs and braising liquid on top in the Dutch oven. Add the bay leaf. Place the lid on the Dutch oven.
Cut enough 1-inch-wide strips from the puff pastry to seal the complete circumference of the Dutch oven’s lid. In a small bowl, beat the egg with a fork until the yolk and white are smoothly blended. With a pastry brush, brush the egg over 1 side of the pastry strips to moisten them. Press the moistened side of the strips into the seam all around the lid of the Dutch oven to seal it to the pot. Brush the exterior of the pastry to coat it, and decoratively scatter some sesame seeds and sea salt all around the pastry.
Put the Dutch oven in the preheated oven. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a stovetop burner over medium-low heat for 5 minutes longer.
Taking care to avoid the hot steam, use a small, sharp knife to cut through the pastry all along the seam; then, very carefully remove the lid, keeping your hands and face clear of the seam. Transfer the Dutch oven to a trivet on the dining table and serve directly from it at the table, family-style.
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More Oscars-worthy snacks:
Oscars Snack: Fried Baby Artichokes With Citrus-Chili Gremolata
