Short Rib Crostini

The name of the game when you're cooking is taste along the way.👩🏻‍🍳 Trust me when I tell you that I learned this lesson the hard way.  Ever tried a sugarless cake or a cookie made with salt instead of sugar? 🤣😝  It's embarrassing to admit but it's happened to more than once so now I sample everything that I make.  It's a good way to prevent mistakes but it's also the best way to adjust seasoning, test for tenderness and learn how the food changes during cooking.  

Baking and tasting is a great gig when I have to make a chocolate cake or buttery shortcake, but my role as a caterer requires that I make foods that I don't necessarily enjoy eating too.  I'm a pollo-pescatarian which means that I eat chicken and fish but I don't eat a lot of pork or beef.  As you might imagine, this presents a problem when trying to fine tune meat recipes to serve to clients.

This is where my food tasters come into play.  There's a certain level of trust that has to exist between the cook and the food taster.  And let me say for the record that my tasters can be just one bacon, tomato, swiss, peanut butter sandwich away from losing their title of food taster.🤣 🤪 🤣  

In all seriousness though, I have a handful of trusted individuals who's opinions about food, I value and respect.  I use their feedback to help me tweek my pork and beef recipes.  I actually find it super helpful to get more opinions than my own on a recipe.  After all, I want the food to appeal to the people who will consume it.  

I used my food tasters to help me with my Short Rib Crostini recipe and I've got to say - they nailed it.  I served these at a party at they were a huge hit.  I heard nothing but rave reviews about the short rib crostini from my guests.   I cooked the short rib ahead of time so all I had to do on the day of the party was assemble the crostini.  It's always helpful to have a few make-ahead appetizers when I'm hosting a party too. ​

Short Rib Crostini
Short Ribs
1 lb . bone-in beef short ribs 
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 Tablespoon olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium carrot, cut into thick slices
1 stalk celery, sliced
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper

Crostini
twelve 1/2--thick slices baguette
1/4 cup olive oil
2 ounces blue cheese
2 ounces black cherry jam
fresh chives, chopped

Sprinkle short ribs with paprika and season with salt and pepper.

Heat olive oil in dutch oven. Add short ribs and brown on all sides. Remove from pot and set aside.

Add garlic, carrot, celery and thyme to the pot and cook 2 minutes.

Return the meat to the pan. Add wine. Bring to boil and allow wine to cook 2-3 minutes.

Add honey, vinegar and enough water to submerge the ribs halfway. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a low simmer.

Cover and cook for approximately 2 hours, until the meat is tender. ​

Remove the vegetables and thyme from pan and discard. Increase heat to high and reduce the liquids to a thin glaze.

Shred meat.

​​Return the shredded meat to the pan and toss to coat.

Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

Toast until lightly browned, 4-5 minutes.

Top each crostini with jam, cheese, short rib mixture and chopped chives. 

Ciao!

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