Herbed Spaetzle and Mushrooms with Braised Buffalo

Taste of Colorado Cookbook; PG 35/36 The Hotel Jerome uses shimeji mushrooms, when available, which have a long, tender stem and a small dark-brown button top, but you can substitute any mushroom you like in this wonderfully rich and savory dish. The short ribs and spaetzle can be prepared the day before and then the dish assembled just before serving to save time. This hearty appetizer can also be served as an entrée.

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Season the short ribs very generously with salt and pepper, then dust with ½ cup of the flour, shaking off the excess.

Step 2

Heat oil in a medium stockpot or Dutch oven and brown the ribs well on all sides; remove from pot and set aside

Step 3

Add the carrot, celery, and onion to the pot and cook until vegetables are lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Step 4

Add the garlic, rosemary, and thyme and place the ribs back into the pot.

Step 5

Deglaze by adding the red wine and gently scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to pull up all the browned bits. Pour in the beef stock and cover tightly

Step 6

Place the stockpot in preheated oven and cook the ribs until the beef is falling apart (6-8 hours). Remove beef and shred; set aside. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium bowl. Reserving the broth and discarding the solids. The short ribs may be prepared a day before and refrigerated

Step 7

Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil and add 3 tbsp of salt to the water.

Step 8

Pour the milk into a small saucepan and bring just to a simmer; remove from heat.

Step 9

Place the parsley in a blender and add about half of the scalded milk

Step 10

Blend on medium until well combined, then slowly add the remaining milk and blend until very smooth.

Step 11

Whisk the egg and water together in a medium bowl, then whisk in the green milk mixture. Add the remaining 1 ¼ cups of flour to a large bowl and pour the milk mixture into the flour, stirring until well blended. The batter should feel soft.

Step 12

Working in small batches, spoon the batter through a spaetzle maker or large-holed colander into the pot of boiling water. When the pasta floats, scoop it out with a slotted spoon and place into a mixing bowl. Toss with a little oil so it doesn't stick together; set aside.

Step 13

Continue working in batches until you have cooked all the spaetzle. The spaetzle may be prepared the day before.

Step 14

Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.

Step 15

Add the finely minced onions and cook until just translucent, about 1 minute

Step 16

Add the mushrooms to the pan and saute until lightly browned, about 20 minutes

Step 17

Add 1 tbsp of the butter and deglaze by adding the chicken stock and gently scraping the bottom of the pan

Step 18

Season with salt and pepper to taste; simmer until the mushrooms are tender

Step 19

Heat a large nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the remaining butter.

Step 20

Toss the spaetzle in the butter until well coated, and allow to brown just slightly.

Step 21

Add the cooked mushrooms and the short rib meat, along with 1 cup of the reserved broth; bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Step 22

Divide the mixture among six pasta bowls and serve.