Belted Galloway with mushrooms and salt crusted vegetables
This slow-growing animal is packed with flavour and health benefits since it has low levels of saturated fats. Short-ribs are cooked to melting tenderness in a rich wine and tomato-based sauce. To accompany this I am cooking root vegetables in a salt crust, thus preserving their purest flavour. A mixture of Peninsula mushrooms finished with lemon juice and parsley takes the dish to the next level
Serves 4
LOCAL SUPPLIERS
Beef short-rib – Torello Farm award-winning Belted Galloway;
Various mushrooms varieties – Mushroom Forestry; Kipfler potatoes, carrots, vegetables & herbs – Hawkes Farm;
Red wine – Hickinbotham Winery 2021 cabernets
THE BEEF:
1.6-1.8kg beef short-ribs, bone in; 400g each (I used Belted Galloway)
15g sea salt
1onion,1carrot,1 stick celery,1leek,
4 cloves garlic, 2bay leaves,
1sprig thyme
5peppercorns, 500ml red wine
400g tin diced tomatoes,
500ml chicken stock
SALT-CRUST ROASTED VEGETABLES
2kg rock salt
6 egg whites
50g pine needles
20 juniper berries
2 turnips,1celeriac, 300g kipfler potatoes, 2 carrots
THE MUSHROOMS
250gmixed mushrooms
30g lemon juice
50gchopped parsley
50g unsalted butter
1garlic clove
METHOD:
Cut onion, carrot, celery, leek and garlic into a mirepoix (finely cut blend of vegetable base).Mix short-ribs, diced vegetables, herbs and spices in a shallow tray. Pour wine over and allow to marinate overnight.
Pre Heat oven to 140C. Remove ribs from marinate and strain vegetables, reserving the liquid. Season short-ribs with15g salt. Sear short-ribs in frying pan on high heat until well coloured on all sides; set aside.
Heat casserole dish over high heat, add vegetables from marinate and cook until well browned. Deglaze pan with reserved marinate liquid, cook off the alcohol, allow to reduce by half before adding diced tomatoes and chicken stock, bring to a simmer and add beef short-ribs to casserole dish/pot. Put lid on, place in oven and cook until soft (about 3 hours). Allow to cool in the sauce.
To make the salt crust, blend ½ the salt with pine needles and juniper berries until finely crushed. Mix with remaining salt and egg whites to form a paste. Coat each vegetable completely, place on baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake in pre-heated oven at 180C until fully cooked (45 minutes for small vegetables and up to 1½ hours for larger ones).
When ready to serve, strain the short-rib sauce and reduce over high heat, skimming continuously until thick and glossy. Return ribs to sauce and keep warm. Remove vegetables from crust and cut into appealing shapes; dress with a little olive oil and lemon juice.
Melt butter in a sauté pan, add a crushed garlic clove and sauté mushrooms. When cooked, finish with a splash of lemon juice & chopped parsley. Remove garlic clove before serving.
Serve individually or as a share plate.
