Vrghr was inspired to create this special Wolfenoot celebration dish by the Sous Vide Everything YouTube channel. Specifically, this episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2U6o1OPWKM

These are their "Michelin" style short ribs atop a bed of Pureed Peas & Garlic Mashed Potatoes, plus Vrghr added a layer of Shiitaki Mushrooms with a drizzle of Mushroom Demi-Glace for the final touch.

In addition to the Shiitaki mushrooms and demi-glace, Vrghr made a few other alterations to their original recipe. For one thing, wuff's local markets had a severe shortage of short ribs. So wuff used a combination of Beef Shank, Country-style Beef Ribs, and one portion of Beef Short Ribs. Vrghr also added roasted Garlic to the Sous Vide mashed potatoes (cause wuffy REALLY likes garlic-y mashed 'taters!).

The Demi-Glace is NOT from scratch (that takes quite a bit of prep!). Instead, wuff used an instant demi-glace paste, plus some beef stock, minces shiitaki mushrooms, and a bit of red wine. It was still an amazing, tasty sauce with powerful, complex flavor. It certainly complimented the meat well!

The Beef was cooked Sous Vide for 16 hours to become shredable and exceptionally tender. Then it was pulled like pulled BBQ brisket and lightly chopped to make it even more tender. The result was mixed with sautéed shallots and garlic, and a portion of the meat juices from the sous vide bags added back to the mix for more juiciness. Then the whole thing was rolled into a couple of plastic-wrapped logs for refrigeration.

Once solidified in the fridge, they were cut into segments and dredged in egg, flour and corn starch, and seasoned Panko bread crumbs. Finally they were deep fried, then held in a warming over (@170 degrees F) until all the segments were cooked.

Though rather a complex meal to create, the final cook on the celebration day was simple, easy, and quick! Most of the work went into the earlier preparation. The taste was SPECTACULAR! So rich, tender, and juicy that it literally cut with a fork. Only the crispy coating bound everything together. The sauteed shiitaki mushrooms added a deep umami foundation, and the creamy, garlic-y mashed potatoes were the perfect complement to the tender meat. The pea puree provided a sweet, unexpected counterpoint that nicely played off the rich, juicy beef.

This was a very special meal for the Wolfenoot holiday, focused on the meat!

(For those new to Wolfenoot, check here! https://wolfenoot.com/ )

Feeds 8 or more.

Deep-Fried Breaded Pulled Sous Vide Beef
INGREDIENTS:
For the beef
~3 lbs of very meaty Beef Short Ribs (Vrghr ended up substituting 1 lbs Short Ribs, 2 lb of Beef Shanks, and 1.5 lbs of "country-style" boneless Beef Ribs)

Garlic powder, black pepper, salt, onion powder
2 shallots, minced fine
1 heaping TBS of minced garlic
1 TBS olive oil + 1 TBS salted Butter

For the Dredge
Panko bread crumbs
1 tsp Mrs Dash Garlic & Herb Seasoning
1 tsp Seasoned Salt
1 tsp ground Black Pepper

2 eggs (beaten)
1 TBS Milk

1/4 C all purpose Flour + 3 TBS Corn Starch

Plastic wrap
Frying Oil and Fryer
Sous Vide

DIRECTIONS:
Select very meaty short ribs (like a 3-rib section) (Or an assortment of meat with good marbling and flavor, such as shanks, ribs, butt, etc)

Remove the external fat and silver skin (if any). Leave in the bones if using shanks or other bone-in cuts

Season the meat on all sides with the spices. Place into large zip top bag(s) (Vrghr needed 2 each 1 gallon bags)

Sous Vide @ 175F for 16 (or more) hours. This will let the meat “pull” into strands, and make it extra tender

Pour off and retain the juices from the bag(s). Remove the meat.

Using forks, pull the meat into strands, removing any cartilage, silver skin, and extra fat. Then chop up the stands fine with a large knife or cleaver. Add the meat to a large bowl

Sauté the minced shallots and garlic in the olive and butter until tender and fragrant and slightly colored

Add the sauteed veggies to the beef mixture along with 1/2 tsp Seasoned Salt and 3/4-1 Cup of the reserved meat juices. Mix in to thoroughly combine and taste for seasoning. Adjust as needed

Lay out 1 or 2 large sheets of plastic wrap (wuff needed 2). Place the meat at one edge and roll up as tight as you can into a “log” of beef about 2-3 inches in diameter. If necessary, add another sheet at 90 degrees to cover up the ends and keep anything from leaking out

Refrigerate until the fats solidify and the meat stabilizes into a semi-solid sausage (4 hours or over night). DO NOT FREEZE! Can be held up to 3 days, wrapped, in the fridge

On preparation day. leaving the plastic on, cut into serving sections of about 1/3 lb each (about 3-4 inches long). Remove the plastic just before dredging (keeping wrapped while cutting helps the log stay intact)

Dredge the sections in beaten egg, then the flour+corn starch, back in the egg, and then the seasoned Panko crumbs. If necessary, gently knock off any extra flour+starch before returning to the eggs and the crumbs. You don't want thick patches of the flour

Deep fry @ 350 degrees until the crust is golden and crisp. Remove to paper towels on a cooling rack to drain and keep the bottom from getting soggy. Hold in a warming oven 175F degrees until all the segments are fried

Green Pea Puree
A simple puree, vibrantly green, smooth, and slightly sweet.

INGREDIENTS
2 Cups of Green Peas (Frozen is good)
2 Garlic Cloves Minced
4 tbsp shallots
2 TBS Butter
~5 TBS Olive Oil (Vrghr used 3 TBS Olive Oil + 3 TBS Veggie or Chicken Stock)
Salt and Pepper to Taste

DIRECTIONS:
In a medium sauce pan over medium high heat, sauté the shallots and garlic in the the butter + 1 TBS of the olive oil until fragrant and tender and slightly colored. Add the (frozen) green peas and stir to coat with the seasoned oil, butter, and veggies

Continue to cook over medium heat until the peas are cooked and tender, but not mushy and faded

Add the peas to a food processor and process on high until smooth. Gradually drizzle in the rest of the olive oil to emulsify and smooth the mixture further, then add the broth until the puree is at the desired thickness

Remove to a warm bowl and hold in a slightly warmed oven until ready to plate

Sous Vide Garlic Parsley Mashed Potatoes
Smooth and creamy and amazingly full of flavor. Sous Vide concentrates the flavors without washing any out by boiling the potatoes. And can be piped right out of the bag.

INGREDIENTS:
1 Medium Russet potato (peeled and cubed) per person (Vrghr used 3 LARGE baking size potatoes)
3-4 TBS Milk or Half & Half per potato (Vrghr used 1 2/3 C)
1-2 TBS Salted Butter per potato (Vrghr used 1 1/3 sticks)
½ tsp minced Garlic per potato
1 tsp dried parsley per potato
Salt & White Pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Peel and cut the potatoes into 1/2 inch disks. Lay the disks flat in the bag, and add the butter, milk, garlic, dried parsley, salt and pepper

Sous Vide @ 195 degrees for 2 Hours or more until tender

Remove bags from the sous vide, but keep everything inside. Cover the bag with a dish towel (its very hot) and smush up and kneed the potatoes until mashed and thoroughly combined. Use hands or possibly a rolling pin. Be careful not to rupture the bags!

Cut off a corner to pipe the potatoes out onto a plate

Red Wine Mushroom Demi Glace
Ingredients
A envelope Instant Demi Glace (Vrghr used this brand: https://www.amazon.com/Savory-Choic.....dp/B008XDK0CO/)
1/4 C finely chopped Shiitaki mushrooms
3 TBS Red Wine
2 TBS Beef Stock
1 TBS Butter

DIRECTIONS:
In a small sauce pan over medium high heat, sauté the mushrooms in 1 TBS of butter until they begin to give up their juices
Add the red wine and continue cooking until reduced to almost nothing

Add the beef stock and the contents of the demi glace pouch. Cook over medium heat, stirring until completely incorporated and slightly thickened

Reduce heat to lowest setting to keep warm. If necessary, thin with a tablespoon of beef stock


TO PLATE:
Spread a layer of the warm pea puree across a long plate
Pipe small disks/mounds of the garlic-y potatoes on top of the peas
Add a tablespoon or two of the sautéed shiitaki mushrooms on top of the potatoes
Place one of the fried meat segments upright on top of the mushrooms, and drizzle a tablespoon or so of the demi glace over the top and down the sides

Serve immediately!

!DEVOUR!