Grilled Cheese with Pulled Short Ribs

Grilled Cheese with Pulled Short Ribs
Serves 8

2 tablespoons, plus 1 teaspoon grapeseed or canola oil
2 pounds boneless beef short ribs
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 carrot, chopped
1/2 rib of celery, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
6 medium cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
Sachet (recipe follows)
3 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium canned beef broth
One 2-pound loaf sourdough bread, cut into 16 slices
12 ounces fontina or Bel Paese cheese, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons Pickled Red Onions (recipe follows)
4 teaspoons unsalted butter, room temperature

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large ovenproof saucepan with a lid over medium-high heat. Season short ribs with salt and pepper and add to pan. Sear ribs on both sides until caramelized, about 5 minutes. Remove ribs from pan; set aside. Add carrot and celery to pan and cook 5 minutes. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until caramelized, about 5 minutes more. Return short ribs to the pan and add wine and sachet.

Cook until the wine is almost evaporated, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Add the beef broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover and transfer saucepan to oven; cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours. Uncover and continue cooking the short ribs for 1 hour, basting ribs every 15 minutes with the cooking liquid. Cook 1 hour more, for a total of 4 hours cooking time. Remove short ribs from oven and let cool in their liquid, 30 minutes. Transfer ribs to a plate, and with two forks, slightly shred following the natural grain of the meat; set aside.

Raise oven temperature to 350 degrees. Top 8 slices of bread with about 1 1/2 ounces of cheese each. Add 1 teaspoon of pickled onion. Top with 1/4 cup pulled short ribs and a second layer of cheese. Top with remaining slices of bread to form 8 sandwiches. Brush both sides of each sandwich with 1/2 teaspoon butter.
 
In a cast-iron skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add sandwiches to skillet, and immediately turn so that all the oil is absorbed. Weight down sandwiches with a small ovenproof skillet; cook for 1 minute. Turn sandwiches, return weight, and transfer to oven. Cook 2 minutes, remove weight, turn sandwich, and continue cooking 1 minute. Remove from oven, and slice sandwich on the diagonal. Repeat process with remaining sandwiches.

Sachet
Makes 1

4 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
6 sprigs fresh thyme
2 fresh bay leaves
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
One 5-inch piece dark green leek top, washed

Wrap all ingredients in a small piece of cheesecloth. Tie to enclose with kitchen twine.

Pickled Red Onions
Makes 5 cups

2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
3 medium red onions, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/8 cup sugar
3 fresh bay leaves
3 sprigs fresh thyme
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Toast the coriander seeds in a small, dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add mustard seeds, and toast 1 minute more; set aside. Soak onions in a large bowl of ice water, about 10 minutes. Drain, pat dry, and transfer to a medium heatproof bowl.

Place vinegars, sugar, bay leaves, and thyme in a small saucepan and slowly bring to a boil over medium heat; add reserved coriander and mustard seeds. If mixture seems too acidic, add a little water. Pour mixture over onions and let stand 5 minutes. Drain, discarding liquid, and season onions with salt and pepper. Toss onions with olive oil and store, refrigerated, in an airtight container until ready to use, 2 to 3 weeks.

 

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Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Serves 2 to 4

1 piece ciabatta bread, 5 by 10 inches
12 slices Emmentaler Swiss cheese
1 medium vine-ripe tomato, thinly sliced
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

Preheat a grill pan over medium heat. Using a serrated knife, carefully slice ciabatta horizontally into thirds; reserve top and bottom crust for bread slices. Place bread slices on work surface, crust side down; butter cut side of each slice. Top 1 slice with 6 slices cheese, tomato slices seasoned with salt and pepper, and basil leaves. Top with 6 more slices cheese and then with remaining bread slice, buttered side down. Butter 1 exterior side of sandwich, seasoning with salt and pepper; halve sandwich to fit grill pan.

Place sandwich butter side down onto grill pan. Weight sandwich with a large cast-iron skillet; cook until golden, about 3 minutes. Remove from pan, butter exterior side of top bread slice; turn, weight down sandwich, and cook for 3 minutes more. Repeat with remaining sandwich half. Slice sandwiches crosswise into 2-inch pieces. Serve immediately.

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Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Recipe adapted from Nancy Silverton's Sandwich Book (Knopf)

From the October, 2002 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine

Serves 4

	8 slices white peasant bread or whole wheat sourdough 2 or 3 tablespoons butter, at room temperature 8 ounces Gruyère cheese, thinly sliced 8 ounces thinly sliced smoked ham (such as Black Forest) 2 to 4 tomatoes, thinly sliced
	Spread one side of each bread slice with the butter. On a clean work surface, place 4 slices buttered-side down. Divide the cheese and ham among those 4 slices. Place the remaining 4 slices of bread on top, buttered-side up. Heat a grill pan or a 12-inch skillet with a lid over medium heat until warm. Place the sandwiches in the skillet (in batches if necessary) and cook, covered, 3 to 5 minutes on each side, or until cheese melts and bread is golden brown. Cut each sandwich in half; slide in 1 or 2 tomato slices and serve hot.

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