Zurich Legacy Kitchen Cookbook - Book - Page 82
Jono Ro b s on
Jo’s Winter
Peppered Stew
When I was living in Australia, I created my
own version of Jo’s winter peppered stew
as an homage to her: beef cheek ragu with
handmade pasta, roasted parsnips and
carrots, onions, parsley and salted ricotta.
She was still alive then, and I think she
really appreciated the thought behind it.
INGREDIENTS
Braised beef cheeks
• 8 beef cheeks, trimmed of sinew
• Salt
• Red wine
• Beef stock
Mirepoix
• Onion, roughly chopped
• Celery, roughly chopped
• Garlic
• Leek, roughly chopped
• Black peppercorns
• Fresh thyme
• Fresh rosemary
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Pasta
• 2 cups 00 (doppio zero) flour
• 4 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• Olive oil
• Salt
Garnish
• Parsnips, cut into large rounds
• Carrots, cut into large rounds
• Onions, halved through the root
• Fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• Whole parsley leaves
• Salted ricotta, finely grated
• Butter
• Freshly ground black pepper
METHOD
For the meat
Trim sinew from the beef cheeks and season with salt. Heat
a heavy-based frying pan over a high heat and sear the
cheeks until caramelised on all sides.
Transfer to a roasting tray, pour in red wine to come halfway
up the cheeks, then top up with beef stock. Add the
onion, celery, garlic, leek, thyme, rosemary and plenty of
peppercorns (pink peppercorns optional).
Cover the surface with a cartouche (greaseproof paper) and
tightly cover the tray with foil. Cook at 140°C until tender
and beginning to fall apart, checking after 1 hour then every
30 minutes. Cooking time is usually 1½–2 hours, depending
on size.
Cool the beef cheeks to room temperature in the braising
liquor, then remove and shred the meat. Strain out the
vegetables and herbs, transfer the liquid to a saucepan and
reduce to a glossy jus. This forms the sauce base.
For the garnish
Heat a frying pan over high heat and sear the carrot and
parsnip rounds on one side until caramelised, then set aside.
Trim the onions, halve through the root and roast until soft
and caramelised. Before serving, warm the onions, carrots
and parsnips in the oven.
For the pasta
Combine the 00 flour, eggs, egg yolks, olive oil and a pinch
of salt into a smooth dough. Knead until elastic, then wrap
and rest.
Roll into thin sheets and cut into rough diamonds to make
maltagliati, similar to pappardelle cut on the diagonal.
Finish the dish
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the
pasta for 2–3 minutes, or until just tender.
Meanwhile, place the shredded beef cheeks in a saucepan
with plenty of the reduced braising jus. Add plenty of
chopped parsley and freshly ground black pepper, then
season to taste.
Stir in a knob of butter, whisking until the sauce emulsifies
and turns glossy. Toss through the cooked pasta until
evenly coated.
Divide between warmed bowls and arrange the roasted
onions, carrots and parsnips around the pasta. Finish with
whole parsley leaves and a grating of salted ricotta.
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