BRAISED SHORT RIB CROSTINI WITH REMOULADE

Braised Short Rib Crostini with Remoulade image

Provided by Giada De Laurentiis

Time 4h

Yield 16 crostini

Number Of Ingredients 22

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless beef short ribs, cut into 4 pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup red wine
1 cup beef broth
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled (see Cook's Note)
1/4 cup chopped cornichons (about 7 cornichons)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon capers, chopped
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
16 crostini (see Cook's Note)
4 cornichons, sliced thin, for garnish

Steps:

For the short ribs: Heat the oil in a medium Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the short ribs evenly with the salt and add them to the pan. Sear well on all sides. This will take about 15 minutes total, so be patient; the meat should have a deep golden brown color and release evenly from the pan before flipping. Remove the seared short ribs to a plate.
To the hot pan, add the carrot, celery, onion, thyme, bay leaf and pepper flakes. Cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until very fragrant and beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and caramelize for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the red wine and simmer for 5 minutes to reduce slightly. Stir in the beef broth and add the short ribs back to the pan. Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan and simmer until the meat can be pulled apart with a fork, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Set aside to cool slightly.
Place the short ribs in a medium bowl. Using two forks, shred the meat into bite-size pieces. Add about a 1/2 cup of the braising liquid to the meat and toss to moisten.
For the remoulade: In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, cornichons, mayonnaise, capers, Dijon, tarragon, salt and pepper. Fold together with a rubber spatula.
For the crostini: Spread a small amount of the remoulade on each of the crostini. Top with a spoonful of the shredded meat and another small dollop of the remoulade. Garnish with a slice of cornichon.