Potato Gnocchi With Beef Ragù Food

GNOCCHI WITH MEAT SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, cook the beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes to allow flavors to blend., Place potato flakes in a large bowl; stir in boiling water until blended. Stir in eggs. Add flour and salt all at once; stir just until combined. Divide into fourths; turn each onto a floured surface. Roll into 3/4-in.-thick ropes; cut ropes into 3/4-in. pieces., Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Cook gnocchi in batches for 30-60 seconds or until gnocchi float. Remove with a slotted spoon. Place in a large bowl; top with sauce. Gently stir to coat. Sprinkle with cheese if desired.

MATZO GNOCCHI WITH BRISKET RAGU

Steps:

• For the brisket ragu: Adjust an oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or large ovenproof pot with a lid over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the meat fat-side down and cook until browned, about 8 minutes. Carefully flip the meat with tongs and brown on the other side, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet.
• Add the onions, carrots and celery to the pot and stir to scrape up the browned bits. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic, thyme and rosemary and cook, stirring frequently, until very fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently to avoid scorching, until the tomato paste is dark red and slightly sticky, about 2 minutes. Stir in the wine and cook, stirring frequently, until mostly evaporated, about 2 minutes. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, broth and bay leaves and season generously with black pepper.
• Submerge the brisket in the sauce fat-side down; pour in any accumulated juices from the dish. Bring the sauce just to a boil, then cover the pot and immediately transfer to the oven. Cook until the sauce is thickened and the brisket is very tender, 2 to 3 hours.
• Discard the bay leaves. Transfer the brisket to a rimmed baking sheet. Shred the brisket with two forks. Stir the meat back into the sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. The sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead.
• For the gnocchi: Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover by 1 inch with salted water. Bring to a boil, adjust the heat and simmer until they are tender when pierced with a fork or the tip of a paring knife, about 25 minutes. Drain the potatoes and set them aside until cool enough to handle.
• Remove the skins with a paring knife and cut the potatoes into large chunks. Pass the chunks through a potato ricer (see Cook's Note) onto a clean work surface. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of salt over the potatoes and let them cool completely.
• While the potatoes are cooling, pulse the matzo meal in a spice grinder or blender until very finely ground (it should be similar in texture to flour). Line a baking sheet with parchment.
• Sprinkle 2 cups of the matzo meal over the cooled potatoes. Pour the eggs over the matzo meal and begin to work the mixture together with a fork. Once the mixture begins to clump together, use your hands to gently knead until the ingredients are fully combined, about 2 minutes. Gather the dough into a smooth ball and let rest for about 15 minutes.
• Lightly dust a work surface with a some of the reserved matzo meal. Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll the dough into a 12-inch rope. Use a knife or bench scraper to cut the rope into 3/4-inch pieces; place the cut gnocchi on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough. Gnocchi can be prepared to this point up to 2 days ahead; wrap the baking sheet in plastic and refrigerate.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Working in batches, add about a third of the gnocchi at a time and cook until they begin to float and the water returns to a rapid simmer, about 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon or spider to transfer the gnocchi to a platter or individual serving bowls. Ladle ragu over the gnocchi, sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

BEEF CHEEK RAGU

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 160°C/320°F/gas mark 3.
• Heat the oil in a large ovenproof casserole.
• Brown the cheeks all over on a high heat, remove from the casserole and set aside.
• Lower the heat, then add the onion, garlic, celery and carrot to the casserole and fry for 3 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened.
• Return the meat to the casserole.
• Sprinkle the herbs over the vegetables.
• Crumbled the stock cubes over the meat.
• Turn up the heat and pour in the wine, letting it sizzle for a few minutes.
• Pour in the passata and add the sugar.
• Give everything a good stir and wait for the stew to reach a slow simmering point.
• Place the lid on the casserole and transfer it to the oven.
• After 1 hour, remove the lid and cook for another 3 hours. Check on the meat once in a while, turning over the top pieces so that their surfaces don't harden and burn.
• Place the lid back on, lower the heat to 140°C/275°F/gas mark 1.
• The meat should now fall apart with the touch of a fork. Remove the casserole from the oven and shred the meat to desired consistency.
• Serve on a bed of buttered pappardelle and a glass of red wine.

POTATO GNOCCHI WITH PORK AND WILD MUSHROOM RAGù

Steps:

• Place dried porcini mushrooms in medium bowl; pour 1 1/2 cups boiling water over. Let stand until mushrooms are soft, about 45 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer mushrooms to cutting board and chop coarsely. Reserve soaking liquid.
• Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add crimini mushrooms and garlic; sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper and sauté until beginning to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup wine and simmer until crimini mushrooms are soft, about 4 minutes. Set aside (there may still be liquid in skillet).
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with coarse salt and pepper. Add pork to pot and sauté until browned in spots, about 6 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer pork to medium bowl. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot. Reduce heat to medium. Add coppa and stir 1 minute. Add sausages and cook until brown, breaking up into small pieces with back of spoon, about 3 minutes. Add onion, carrot, and celery. Cover pot and cook vegetables until soft, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add remaining 2 cups wine; bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer until almost all liquid is absorbed. Add tomatoes, 1 cup broth, bay leaves, reserved pork, and porcini mushrooms. Pour in reserved porcini soaking liquid, leaving any sediment behind in bowl. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until pork is tender, adding more broth by 1/4 cupfuls if dry, about 1 hour.
• Stir crimini mushroom mixture in skillet into ragù. Season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Chill uncovered until cool. Cover; keep chilled. Rewarm before continuing.
• Spoon off fat from surface of ragù stir in basil. Add Potato Gnocchi; toss gently to coat. Simmer over medium heat until gnocchi are heated through, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Divide gnocchi and ragù among bowls. Sprinkle with some of cheese and serve, passing remaining cheese alongside.
• Available in the produce section of many supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Italian markets.
• What to drink:
• Pair this rich dish with a medium-bodied red with good acidity, like the 2007 Danzante Chianti ($11, Italy).

POTATO GNOCCHI WITH BEEF RAGù

Steps:

• Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onions, pancetta, prosciutto, and garlic and sauté until mixture begins to brown, about 10 minutes. Add ground chuck and cook until no longer pink, breaking up with fork, about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup stock, mushrooms, and sage. Simmer until liquid is almost absorbed, about 4 minutes. Add remaining 3 cups stock, 1 cup at a time, simmering until liquid is almost absorbed before adding more. Mix in tomato paste, then tomatoes with juices. Simmer until meat is very tender, stirring occasionally and thinning with about 1 cup water every 30 minutes, about 1 1/2 hours (sauce will be medium-thick consistency). (Can be prepared up to 4 days ahead.Refrigerate uncovered until cold. Cover; keep refrigerated.)
• Steam potatoes over boiling water until tender, about 12 minutes. Working in batches, press warm potatoes through ricer into large bowl (or place warm potatoes in large bowl and mash finely with potato masher). Cool until lukewarm, about 10 minutes. Add egg, cream, salt, and nutmeg and blend well. Add 1 1/2 cups flour and mix until soft and slightly sticky dough forms, adding more flour by tablespoonfuls if too moist.
• Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface. Divide into 6 equal portions. Gently roll 1 dough portion between hands and work surface to 3/4-inch-thick rope about 20 inches long. Cut into 3/4-inch-long pieces.
• Roll each piece over wires of slender whisk or dinner fork to make grooves in gnocchi. Arrange gnocchi in single layer on floured baking sheet. Repeat with remaining 5 dough portions.
• Cook 1/3 of gnocchi in large pot of boiling generously salted water until gnocchi rise to top and are cooked through and tender, about 5 minutes (check at 4 minutes). Using large strainer or slotted spoon, transfer gnocchi to large baking pan; arrange gnocchi in single layer. Cook remaining gnocchi in 2 batches. (Gnocchi can be prepared ahead. Let stand 1 hour at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate up to 2 days.)
• SERVING:
• Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add gnocchi and cook until heated through, tossing often, about 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, rewarm ragù over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Ladle ragù into large shallow bowls. Spoon gnocchi over. Using vegetable peeler, shave Parmesan cheese over gnocchi.
• Garnish with fresh sage, if desired.