Short Ribs Pappardelle With Chanterelles And Winter Truffles

by Chef Lino Collevecchio

Chef Collevecchio uses oxtail to make this dish and you can do so if you prefer, although you will need to braise them for about 6 to 7 hours. Short ribs make an excellent substitute.

Short ribs:
6 pieces of short rib, about 3 pounds
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup diced carrot
1 cup diced celery
2 cups red wine
4 sage leaves
2 bay leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups beef stock

Sauce:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup of cleaned fresh chanterelle mushrooms
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 tablespoon sage, roughly chopped
Pulled short rib meat
Reserved braising liquid
black truffle oil (optional)
1 medium winter black truffle, shaved tableside (optional)
500 grams freshly prepared or dried egg pappardelle noodles cooked al dente

Combine short ribs with onion, carrot, celery, red wine, sage and bay leaves in a container and marinate ribs at room temperature for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Remove ribs from marinade, pat dry and season with salt and pepper.

Heat a large frying pan on high heat. Add vegetable oil and swirl carefully to coat. Add short ribs to pan, working in batches if necessary. Sear short ribs for 1 to 2 minutes a side or until well browned. Transfer to a baking dish, top with reserved marinade and stock. Cover with foil and braise in oven for 2 to 2½ hours or until meat is fork tender.

Remove short ribs from cooking liquid. Pull meat carefully from the bone, cover and set aside. Discard bones.

Strain braising liquid into a skillet, skim fat and bring to a boil. Boil until liquid is reduced to 1 cup.

Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds or until golden. Add sage and mushrooms and sauté for 2 minutes or until just cooked through. Add pulled short rib meat and sauté for 1 minute to rewarm. Pour reserved braising liquid into pan and stir to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add black truffle oil if using.

Add pappardelle to sauce pan and toss gently with sauce.

Divide pasta among 4 warm plates. Shave black truffles overtop.

Wine pairing by Beppi Crosariol:

The combination of pasta with deep, slow-simmered flavours and earthy undertones screams for a bone-dry red with good depth of flavour. This is a fine excuse to dip into the cellar for an expensive Brunello di Montalcino, Barolo or even Châteauneuf-du-Pape. For a more affordable, but equally satisfying, choice, consider an earthy Chianti or herb-laced red from France’s Languedoc region, or a cabernet franc from the Okanagan. International choices: Frescobaldi Nipozzano Chianti Riserva from Italy ($22), Château de Gourgazaud from France ($13).