Short rib casserole
I’ve always liked casseroles. I find that we often overcomplicate them, when what makes them great is that they’re simple, generous dishes that can change with the seasons. We always have a few on the menu at Café Clement, but as the weather changes, I like to look outside and see what’s best.
For this recipe, I use Irish short rib from my good friends at H.G. Walter. I think buying the meat properly makes a big difference, so I’d always recommend finding and making friends with a good butcher! I also ask them to cut the short rib in half, which makes it easier to cook, and keep it on the bone for extra flavour and moisture.
The real trick with the dish is to have a really good colour on the meat before anything else goes in. From there, add a few simple ingredients and let the oven do the work. It cooks slowly for around three hours. Every oven is different, so check it after the first hour and adjust the temperature if too much liquid has evaporated. I find this dish is a great one for hosting, as once it's in the oven, you can actually get on with chatting to your guests…
At Café Clement, we want the food to feel relaxed and inviting, highlighting the best of French and Italian farmhouse cooking. This one in particular is inspired by my travels through Northern Italy, particularly around Piedmont and Veneto. I like their approach to taking a simple, tougher cut of meat and giving it the time it needs. In Milan, you see things like brisket, rabbit or tongue cooked gently in stock until incredibly tender, then brought to the table in a huge tray on a trolley.
At the restaurant, we serve our casseroles in their own pots, which I love. There's something really lovely about having a proper little pot of something warming all to yourself. I always like it with pomme puree, as it soaks up all the sauce, but crusty bread works just as well.
For me, a good casserole should be comforting, generous and good value. You don’t need expensive ingredients, just good meat, a few simple things around it and enough time to let everything do its job.
Recipe information
Yield
4-5
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius
Step 2
Rub the olive oil over the ribs seasoned with salt and crushed black pepper
Step 3
Place in a roasting tray and into a hot oven until the beef short ribs are golden brown. Should take about 20 minutes. This is the most important step, so take your time.
Step 4
Remove the roasting tray from the oven. Lay the sliced onions garlic and around the beef short ribs.
Step 5
Turn down the oven down to 150 degrees and put the roasting tray back in for 10 minutes so the onions start to cook.
Step 6
Then add the red wine, good quality sherry vinegar and the stock. Cover with baking parchment and tinfoil.
Step 7
Cook for 2 to 3 hours until the meat is tender. Check every hour to make sure there’s enough liquid to cook the meat if there isn’t, you can always add more stock.
Step 8
Serve hot with pomme purée and a glass of Chianti or Merlot.
