Neeps and tatties are a Scottish favorite I tweeked their presentation by making them into cakes to serve as a base for my red wine braised short ribs.
Ingredients
- 4 pound individually cut short ribs, about 4‑inches long each
- kosher salt
- 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 slice bacon, roughly chopped
- 1 leek, white and light greenparts washed and roughly chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 2 carrots, roughly chopped
- 2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
- 1 (750ml) bottle zinfandel wine
- 2 cup chicken stock
- 3 clove garlic, left whole and unpeeled
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 large yukon gold potatoes, about 3/4 lb total
- 2 medium rutabagas, about ½ lb total
- salt and white pepper to taste
- 1 large egg
- vegetable oil
Directions
Make the Short Ribs:
Bring the ribs to room temperature and generously sprinkle them with salt. Then preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in heavy bottomed cast iron Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Brown the ribs on all sides about 12 minutes total. Remove to a plate and set aside. Add the chopped bacon to the pot and cook until the fat has rendered about 5 minutes. Add the leeks, onion, carrots, celery and garlic stirring frequently until they are lightly colored. Turn the heat to medium-low and add half of the wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits. Return the ribs to the pot and add the rest of the wine and the chicken stock, peppercorns, bay leaf, and thyme sprigs.
As the liquid slowly comes to a boil skim of any scum that rises to the surface. Once it boils Cover the pot and cook in the oven about 3 hours. The meat should be fork tender and falling off the bone. At this point remove the pot from the oven and let it come to room temperature. Refrigerate the pot over night.
The nest day remove the pot from the refrigerator and peel off all the fat that has jelled on the surface. reheat the pot to just warm and carefully remove the meat and bones, taking care to keep the meat intact. Place the meat on a cutting board and gently lift it off the bones and remove any sinews or fat. Keeping the shape of the meat intact. Place the meat in a baking dish and set aside.
Strain the remaining liquid from the pot into a smaller saucepan, pressing down on the solids to get all the liquid. Add the honey and tomato paste and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and reduce until a thickened smooth consistency is achieved. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Prepare the Neeps and Tattie-Cakes:
Using a box grater, or the equivilent sized grating disc on a food processor, grate the potatoes and the rutabagas.
Combine them both in a large bowl. Season with salt and a pinch of white pepper. Toss to combine. Add flour and stir the mixture together well to distribute the flour evenly. Add egg continuing to stir and mix.
In a large saute pan set over medium heat, heat about ¼” deep of vegetable oil.
While the oil heats form the potato mixture into 3‑inch rounds that are about ½‑inch thick. Using a spatula so that the cakes do not fall apart carefully add them to the hot oil. Fry until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Remove to a paper-towel lined plate and season with more salt.
To Serve:
Preheat the oven to 325 degress F. Pour the reserved sauce over the rib meat and place the ribs in their baking dish into the oven, uncovered to bake about 20 minutes, or until heated through. Check often and baste several times during the cooking.
This would be the time to start the neep and tattie-cakes frying as described above. Place a warm cake onto an individual low sided serving bowl. Remove the meat from the oven and top each one with 1 or 2 rib sections. Spoon alittle of the sauce into the bowl and garnish as you like. Serve warm.
The photo was lovely and so were the words. Lovely post.
I’ve commented here and elsewhere many times this week in support of World Aids Day — so I’m just going to concentrate on this dish. It’s stunning looking. I’m thinking it would be an attractive first course for Christmas dinner — or just an elegant starter at any dinner party. Maybe with a dollop of creme fraiche or goat cheese.
Stunning! I think I use that adjective too often over here but that red pasta is brilliant and for a worthy cause! Well done, Greg, and always amazing!
Love the colours. Great idea!
This is one of the most stunning photos I’ve ever seen, the depth of the color is amazing. If the dish tastes even half as good as how it looks, I’m sold. I’ve made beet risotto before, but it turned out a much more subtle shade of pink, not this red hot red. Nice! — S
Beautiful photo and gorgeous recipe ( I have to admit I have made this from the first post and it was DELICIOUS!)
What a beautiful, tasty idea for the holidays!
definitely a beautiful dish!
beautiful photo.. such a brilliant red!!!
L.A. Greg, I think I know why I adore you so much but haven’t ever met you, because you remind me of my Uncle Gary.
I’ll be posting the story of my Uncle soon and making a red dish to remember him with, even though, like you I remember every day.
He contracted the second strand, which talking about “strands” became common place. “Louie has the first strand”, “Mark has the full strand”. This is how my Uncle and his friends would talk about HIV/ AIDS. It was a timeline of the first known case. I remember nurses wearing 5–6 pairs of rubber gloves when touching my Uncle. I remember my father telling my Uncle he was no longer welcome in his home. All out fear.
I get angry, because millions and millions of dollars are raised in the name of AIDS, yet we are still no closer to a cure or so they would have us believe. But, I guess that’s my own demon.
xxoo michelle
What an amazing looking picture. Very impressive.
What a gorgeous photo!
And so easy to make too! When I first saw the picture on Tastespotting, I thought there would be a really complicated method involved like somehow incorporating the beets into flour and making the pasta by hand. I’m so relieved to see that it’s something I can easily make for lunch tomorrow afternoon!
Interesting, I would have imagined that you boiled the pasta in the beet juice but this method sounds as flavorful and delicious. I could eat a whole platter!
What a great looking shot. I really thought the actual pasta had beets mixed in the dough!
That is such a gorgeous picture, I remember it from when you posted this amazing recipe and it is totally perfect for today’s cause!
Beautiful dish and a wonderful cause.
hey that is easy — so easy I stole your line!
Thanks for raising awareness. What a beautiful way to teach.
Wow!! I’m really loving the bright red color. Now this is a great way to remember the day.
Two words that make it fitting for “remembering.” Now I have a question. Do you put the pasta in not cooked and it cooks in the sauce, or do you cook first. I just happen to have beets and I’m ready to make this, merely for the drama of it.I want to hear those oooohs and ahhhhs. Now there are two words hard to spell.
It’s been very cathartic for me also.
There is a link in the text above for the full recipe that you can print out! GREG
A stunning way to mark the day. Wishing I wasn’t stuck doing non-blog stuff so that I could have cooked something red myself today (which would have to have been with red potatoes, naturally). I shall just have to admire your beets (and the other red dishes appearing around the blogosphere) instead.
I will also do something to help remind everyone to be aware and educate themselves…having first hand experience losing a child, but friends to AIDS in my life has opened my eyes to so many things…the original post was wonderfully moving…