Crispy Short Rib + Charred Octopus + Salsa Verde

I have to say that I was never the biggest fan of surf and turf until I discovered the magical combo of beef and octopus. This dish combines a spicy tender braised short rib that is crisped in a searing hot pan, with charred octopus that has been poached in a flavorful broth. The light but bold salsa verde elevates the dish my bringing herbaceous notes and a sharp bite. 

I made this dish for the finale Surf and Turf dish on the Taste. Chef Waxman taught me his salsa verde, so I made mine a touch different, but it is inspired by a true legend. 

As always, this is meant to inspire. Perhaps you cook just the octopus, or the short rib... but the salsa verde is a must. Enjoy in good health! 

Crispy Short Rib + Seared Octopus
Serves 4

BeefOcto - 5'' x 7'' 
Hand Cut Collage By Inas Al-Soqi

Short Rib - serves 4

·         Short Rib – 6 lbs (with bone)

·         Rub

o   Cumin – 3 tbsp

o   Smoked Paprika – 1 tbsp

o   Togarashi – 2 tbsp

o   Paprika – 1 tbsp

o   Brown Sugar – 3 tbsp

o   Fennel Seed – 1 tbsp

o   Salt – 2 tbsp

·         Olive Oil – 2 tbsp

·         Beef Stock – 1 quart

·         Lemongrass – 2 stalks (prepped)

·         Thai Bird Chili – 2 each

·         Onion – 1 each cut into large chuncks

·         Tomato paste – 2 tbsp

·         Fish Sauce – 1/8 cup

·         Cilantro – stems of 1 bunch

·         Thyme – ½ bunch

Method

Rub the short ribs with the spice rub and let sit for up to 1 day.
In a hot pan sear every side of the short rib until it is brown. A little bit of burning is ok, it is just the sugar in the rub.
Next place all the short ribs in a high walled roasting pan after searing.

When finished searing add tomato paste and onion to the same pan and let cook. De-glaze the searing pan with some stock. Add the remaining ingredients into the pan. The liquid should go almost to the top of the meat. Add aromatics on top. Taste the braising liquid to see if it needs more seasoning. It should not be too salty as it will reduce and get stronger.

Cover with tinfoil and put into 275 degree oven for about 3 hours or until tender.

Remove the meat, strain the sauce and begin to reduce it over medium heat. When it is the desired flavor use as sauce. You can thicken the sauce by making a slurry with corn starch (2 tbsp each) Do this by mixing corn starch and water, whisk into the sauce. When it comes to a boil it will thicken.

To serve the short rib – remove it and sear in an hot pan on all sides. Add some braising liquid to then glaze the meat.

Octopus Serves 4

·         Octopus  - 1 each (large) 3-4 lbs

·         Chicken Stock – 1 quart

·         Red wine – 2 cups

·         Thyme – ½ bunch

·         Lemon – ½ each

·         Onion – ½ sliced

·         Garlic – 2 cloves

·         Sachet  d’espice

o   Black pepper – 1 tbsp

o   Star anise – 1 each

o   Corriander – ½ tbsp

Method

If you get a whole octopus, make sure you clean it. Press on the head to the belly removing the black dot (it is a hard alien looking structure) in the center  of the underside.  Rub the octopus with salt and a little water vigorously for 5 min. The water should froth. Rinse.

In a pot put the stock and all the ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Give the liquid a taste, it should be very flavorful.  

Add the octopus to the liquid. Keep it  submerged by putting a plate on top. Simmer for 1 ½ hours and check tenderness. It should be very tender. If it needs more time simmer for an additional 15 min. Remove from the liquid and let dry.

Cut the octopus into pieces. I like to cut each tentacle into 2 pieces. Make sure you eat the body too!

To serve, sear the octopus in a hot pan with olive oil on all sides until crispy.

Salsa Verde

·         Garlic – 1 clove minced

·         Shallot – ½ each minced

·         Anchovy – 1 each

·         Capers – 2 tbsp

·         Red Pepper Flake – 2 tsp

·         Parsley – ½ cup picked then mince

·         Tarragon – ½ bunch

·         Mint – ¼ cup picked then minced

·         Olive Oil  - ½ cup

·         Lemon Juice – juice of 2 lemons

·         Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Building this sauce on the board, start by mincing the garlic and shallot. Add in the anchovy and capers. Add a touch of salt and olive oil to lubricate the ingredients. Continue mincing and add in the parsley, tarragon and then mint. Add the red pepper and rest of ingredients. Move the mixture to a bowl and add more olive oil and lemon. Season with salt and pepper. 

Who knew that a cow and an octopus could be friends? I guess salsa verde just brings people, or animals together. 

Spicy Braised Pork + Crispy Shrimp, Kimchi, Daikon and Pineapple

Spicy Braised Pork + Crispy Shrimp + Kimchi Puree + Miso Pineapple + Daikon Salad

Cooking with Andy Ricker of Pok Pok was an unforgettable experience. Not only is he one of the coolest dudes I have met in a while, he lived in Thailand and Southeast Asia as a student of Thai food. This dedication is an inspiration and the experience shows. Andy emphisized that to make a dish hot you must treat spice as a taste, not a seasoning. You must incorporate it into all levels of cooking. The result is a harmonious symphony of heat. From the upfront raw chili, to the slow burn braised dried chili or the heat of black pepper it is necessary to balance it with sweet, savory, spice and texture. This dish has heat in  the pork braise, the shrimp marinade, breading, puree and salad. Korean chili paste gochujang, Thai birds, Serrano, garlic, lemongrass, ginger all act as heat. 

Please use this recipe in pieces. Perhaps the puree under a steak, or pineapple with pork, or marinade with chicken. Get creative and draw inspiration. Make it your own! 

Another beautiful food collage with Inas Al-Soqi. It is amazing how these are turning out. Continually blowing my mind. 

Spicy Braised Pork

Spicy Braised Pork

Pork Butt – 1 each
Sugar – 2 tbsp
Salt – 3 tbsp
Sambal – 3 tbsp
Garlic – 6 cloves crushed
Serrano Chile – cut in ½ - 2 each
Lemongrass – 2 stalks each
Cilantro Stems – 1 bunch
Ginger – 2 inches sliced
Gochujang (Korean Chilie paste) – 3 tbsp
Chicken Stock – 1 quart
Fish Sauce – 3 tbsp

Method

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Cut the pork but into 3 inch cubes.

Season with salt and sear in roasting pan until pieces have some color.

Add the sugar, sambal, garlic, chile, lemongrass, cilantro, ginger, chile paste, chicken stock and fish sauce.

Mix so everything is coated. Cover with aluminum foil and place in the overn at 300 for 3 to 4 hours. Until meat is tender.

Remove meat from sauce. Skim fat off the top and strain. Reduce braising liquid till it is very flavorful.

Shred the meat and season with braising liquid.

Crispy Shrimp

Shrimp – 15 each

Marinade

Garlic – 5 cloves
Thaibird chile – 5 each
Ginger – minced 1 tbsp
Fish Sauce – 1 tbsp
Lime – juice of 1 each
Olive Oil – 2 tbsp
Oil – 1 pot worth for frying

Breading

Corn Starch  ¼ cup
Flour – 1 tbsp
Chile Powder – 2 tsp
Salt and pepper – to taste

Method

In a mortar and pestle, mash garlic, chile, and ginger. Add fish sauce and toss with shrimp. Let marinade for 30 min.

In a separate bowl mix the breading.

Drain the shrimp and toss each shrimp in the breading.

When oil reaches 375 degrees F. Add the shrimp into the oil. Make sure to only do a few at a time. Fry for 2-3 min until done, when shrimp curl.

Remove from fryer and season with salt.

Kim Chi Puree

Kim Chi – 1 cup
Sambal – 1 tbsp
Olive oil – 2 tbsp

Method

Drain the kim chi.

In a blender add kimchi and sambal. Blend till smooth and add olive oil in slowly.

Season with salt and pepper if necessary.

Miso Roasted Pineapple

Pineapple – 1 each cut into 1’’ cubes
Miso – 2 tbsp
Thai bird Chile – 2 tbsp minced
Olive Oil – to roast

Method

Cut the pineapple into 1 inch cubes. Mince thaibird chile and mix with miso.

Rub the pineapple with miso and chile.

In a hot non stick pan, add oil and then place cubes in pan. Cook on the stove until the pineapple is golden. Turn and do the other side. Then place in oven for 6 min.

Daikon + Cucumber Salad

Daikon – 1 cup julienne
Cucumber – 1 cup julienne
Cilantro – ½ cup chopped
Gochujang – 2 tbsp
Sherry Vinegar – 1 tbsp
Olive Oil – 2 tbsp
Honey - drizzle
Sesame Oil – drizzle

Method

Cut daikon and cucumber. You can shred this with a mandolin as well.

Chop cilantro and mix with daikon and cucumber

In a bowl add gocuhujang, sherry vinegar, olive oil, sesame oil and honey.

Mix and taste. Season if necessary.  

Roast Squab with Apple, Confit, Liver and Fig Chutney

If you watched E3 of The Taste on ABC you saw that my spoon was picked to represent Team Marcus once again! This dish combines the elegance of roast squab with the 'grit' of duck liver, confit squab leg and the brightness of apple, lemon and fig. 

The dish as a whole is a winner. The theory behind this dish was to give chef Naomi Pomeroy a true 'beast' experience. Using not only the breast, but the confit leg, and seared liver give the dish an earthy and gritty quality that both Marcus and I thought she would like. Unfortunately during the last few seconds of the competition I couldn't get the squab garnish on... lucky for me our team was still safe. But lesson learned! 

What is squab you may ask? Well squab is pigeon... you may see these cute little birds around the city and in parks. Bizarre I know. Bizarre but delicious. 

Challenge: Happy Holidays

Dish: Gabriel's Roast Squab

Ingredients:

Roast squab breast:
4 ea squad breast
2 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs rosemary
2 tbsp butter

Confit:
4 ea squab leg
2 cups duck fat
2 cloves garlic
2 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs rosemary

Brunoise garnish:
¼ cup apple,
¼ cup chard stem
1/8 cup confit
1/8 cup preserved lemon
1/8 cup duck liver, seared
Ponzu
Lime juice
Olive oil

Chutney:
1 cup fig, dried
1 cup port wine
½ cup red wine
2 sprigs rosemary
2 sprigs thyme
2 tbsp butter

Jus:
1 cup demi glace
2 tbsp crème fraice
2 tbsp orange juice
2 tbsp sherry vin
½ cup Brussels sprouts petals
Duck fat

Directions:
Confit
Cook squab legs in duck fat for 35min with rosemary, garlic and thyme.

Squab breast:
In a pan over high heat, squab skin side down. Cook until golden brown. Flip, add butter and herbs and bask for one min. Remove from pan and let rest.

Chutney:
In a pot, stew figs, port and red wine with the aromatic herbs until reduced and figs are soft. Move to blender and blend with butter and a touch of vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

Brunoise:
Brunoise the preserved lemon, apple, chard stem, season with olive oil, lime juice and ponzu.

Jus:
Mix all ingredients over medium heat and season.

Assembly:
Put fig chutney in center of the plate. Slice squab and place it over fig. Glaze squab with jus. Top squab with brunoise and garnish.

Glazed Black Cod, Aromatic

Yes, that is right... I got to audition for the taste, and even better I made it! I made a 'Glazed Black Cod with an Aromatic Curry and Succotash' Would you like to learn how to cook it? Well lucky for you the recipe is below. But first I have to say that all four judges loved my dish this is what the judges said! 

“You Did Everything Right!”

— Anthony Bourdain

Nigella Lawson - "Love at first bite"
Ludo Lefebvre - "Your dish blew me away. One of the best dishes I have had in this competition" 
Marcus Samuelsson - "The sear of the fish was beautiful"

Ingredients:

20 oz Black cod cut into 5 oz portions

1 cob corn, de cob
½ ea zucchini, brunoise
3 bulbs radish, brunoise
¼ cup wax bean, sliced on bias

Curry sauce:
4 ea shallot, sliced
2 ea lemongrass, sliced
1 3” knob ginger, sliced
2 ea kaffir lime leaf, whole
1 tbsp green curry paste
2 cups coconut milk
1 tbsp fish sauce, ½ at beginning – rest to finish
1 ½ ea lime juice, to finish
1 ½ lbs sable, cut into 4 oz portion
Olive oil

Herbs:
1 tbsp chives, mince
2 tbsp tarragon, mince
2 tbsp dill, mince

Glaze:
1 tbsp sweet soy, brush on

Directions:
Mix all ingredients for the curry and sweat in a pot until very aromatic. Add coconut milk and let simmer for 30 min. Strain the curry and season with fish sauce and lime juice before serving.

Prepare all off the vegetables. Leave them raw.

Before serving, lightly sauté corn, then add zucchini, followed by beans and radish. Ladle curry into pan to glaze. Season with lime and fish sauce.

Remove skin from the fish. Season with salt and white pepper in a pan over medium-high heat.

Add the oil and place flesh side down. Cook on one side until golden then kiss the other in the pan for 10 seconds.

Brush with sweet soy and sprinkle with herbs.

To plate, ladle vegetables into center of plate. Place fish on top and serve!