Herb crusted beef
Ingredients
- 15 ml (1 tbsp.) olive oil
- 8 short ribs (about 1.5 kg)
- 450 g (1 lb.) ground beef
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- 12 cipollini onions, peeled
- 5 parsnips, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 5 small carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 3 Russet potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 1 garlic bulb, cut in half
- 500 ml (2 c.) red wine
- 500 ml (2 c.) veal stock (or beef stock)
- 30 ml (2 tbsp.) freshly ground nutmeg
- 1 sheet of flaky pastry or shortcrust pastry dough (homemade or commercial)
- 2 egg yolks (whisked, for egg wash)
Bouquet garni :
- 3 rosemary sprigs
- 5 thyme sprigs
- 3 bay leaves
- 10 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 180 ˚C (350 ˚F).
- To make the bouquet garni, place all the ingredients on a cheesecloth.
- Roll up tightly with kitchen twine.
- Season the short ribs and ground beef generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a shallow Dutch oven or an enamelled cast iron skillet (3.5 L capacity) on high heat.
- Sear the short ribs on all sides until browned.
- Transfer to a plate.
- Add the ground beef to the Dutch oven.
- Cook until browned.
- Drain excess fat, if necessary.
- Add the onions, parsnips and carrots and cook until golden.
- Add the garlic and potatoes.
- Continue cooking until golden.
- Deglaze with the red wine.
- Bring to a boil.
- Reduce by 75%.
- Add the veal stock.
- Bring to a gentle boil.
- Add the freshly ground nutmeg and bouquet garni.
- Cover.
- Place in the pre-heated oven for about 60 minutes.
- Remove the Dutch oven from the oven.
- Let cool for 10 minutes.
- Set oven temperature to 200 ˚C (400 ˚F).
- Remove the bouquet garni.
- Transfer the short ribs to a plate.
- Wearing gloves (or after allowing the meat to cool slightly), pull the short ribs.
- Remove all fat, tendons and bones.
- Return the pulled meat to the Dutch oven.
- Mix well.
- Cover the mixture with the pastry dough.
- Tuck the edges in around it.
- Brush the egg wash evenly over the pastry dough.
- Using a small knife, make a circular incision in the middle of the dough.
- Place in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.
- Serve piping hot.

