Top Chef, Season 9, Episode 8, Elimination Challenge

Short Ribs:

• 5 pounds beef short ribs, braising style, cut off bone into 1/2- inch x 2- inch rectangles
• 2 onions, peeled and diced
• 1/2 celery bunch, large dice
• 3 carrots peeled, large dice
• 10 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 bottle red wine
• 2 1/2 ounces canned tomato paste
• 12 ounces Coca Cola
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1- inch knob ginger, peeled
• 1 kiwi, peeled
• 1 apple, peeled
• 1 quart beef stock
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons arrowroot
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• Salt and pepper
• 2 Fresno chilies, sliced
• 1/4 cup water

Edamame-Horseradish-Scallion Puree:

• 2 cups frozen shelled edamame
• 4 tablespoons horseradish, grated on a microplane
• 1 1/2 bunches scallion, washed and sliced, green part only
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• Salt, to taste
• Olive oil, as needed

Honshemeji Mushrooms:

• 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy
• 1 tablespoon mirin
• 1 teaspoon ginger, grated
• 1 teaspoon garlic, grated
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 bunches honshemeji mushrooms, off root

Napa-Fresno Slaw:

• 4 Napa cabbage leaves
• 2 carrots
• 1 Fresno chili
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Gochujang Sauce:

• 1/4 cup gochujang
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon mirin
• 1 tablesppon rice vinegar syrup

Garnish:

• 1 carrot, small diced and blanched in braising liquid
• 1 stalk celery, small diced and blanched in braising liquid
• Purple kohlrabi
• Mustard micro greens.

Short Ribs:

1. Salt and pepper short ribs. Get a flat top (or skillet) really hot and glaze with canola oil. Sear both sides to get nice and brown on both sides.

2. Get a rondeou nice and hot. Caramelize onions, carrots, celery, 5 garlic cloves, and Fresno chilies. Add tomato paste and caramelize. Add 1 bottle of red wine and reduce. Meanwhile, puree soy, ginger, rest of garlic, kiwi, apple, beef stock, sugar and sesame oil into a fine puree.

3. Add red wine mixture to a pressure cooker, add coke, the soy-apple puree, beef stock, ribs and cover put pressure cooker on high heat until you hear hissing. Then, lower flame and keep pressure cooking for 1 hour.

4. After 1 hour, take lid off and strain half of braising liquid into a pan. Reduce braising liquid to when the flavors are concentrated. Add sugar to balance saltiness and make a slurry of arrowroot and water. Add slurry to reduction to make a nappe consistency.

5. Before plating, take short ribs that have been chilling in its own juices to square off nicely for presentation purpose, salt and pepper again and sear in a hot pan with oil. Take braising liquid and let warm in braising liquid. Glaze with reduction.

Edamame-Horseradish-Scallion Puree:

1. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan. Sauté scallions on high heat until bright green and chill on a plate.

2. Defrost edamame. Put edamame with vegetable stock and puree. Add scallions and horseradish, salt and pepper. Keep pureeing until completely smooth slowly emulsifying with olive oil and season with salt.

Honshemeji Mushrooms:

1. Sauté mushrooms in sesame oil. Add seasonings and stir.

Napa-Fresno Slaw:

1. Bring vinegar, sugar, salt, and chili to a boil and stir.

2. Slice Napa leaves in half horizontally and square off into 1- inch pieces. Julienne very finely. Finely julienne carrots. Toss with vinegar syrup.

Gochujang Sauce:

1. Combine ingredients and mix.