Beef Cheek and Cocoa Canneloni

SAVORY

Apr 3

Béchamel, Salsify Purée, Chimichurri, Parmigiano-Reggiano

Chef Evan Allumbaugh of Che Fico | San Francisco
Yield: 12 cannelloni

This dish was selected as a winner in the Breaking New Ground recipe contest in partnership with Wines from Argentina. Chef Evan Allumbaugh was inspired by Malbec Blend, Bodegas Salentein, Numina Gran Corte, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina, 2014 as a pairing.

"I chose this wine because it was full-bodied and played well with the baked pasta. The wine paired well with the bitter chocolate notes in the dough of the pasta and the meaty, heaviness of the beef cheek filling. The acid of the wine and the acid of the chimichurri balanced each other out. I wanted to make a dish that is very much my background, Italian and pasta, that melds with Argentinian influences." — Chef Evan Allumbaugh of Che Fico

INGREDIENTS

Braised Beef Cheek:
100 grams beef cheek
100 grams small diced onion
100 grams small diced celery
100 grams small diced carrot
30 grams tomato paste
2 cups Malbec blend
2 cups chicken stock

Filling:
300 grams beef cheek
15 grams Parmigiano-Reggiano
100 grams bechamel
1 gram black pepper
5 grams salt
15 grams Sherry vinegar

Cannelloni:
360 grams 00 flour
35 grams cocao powder
180 grams egg yolks
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon milk

Salsify Purée:
Grapeseed oil
50 grams shaved shallots
20 grams thinly sliced garlic
400 grams peeled and coarsley chopped salsify
2 cups vegetable stock
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
Sherry vinegar
Salt

Chimichurri:
25 grams shallot brunoise
10 grames microplaned garlic
110 grams red wine vinegar
15 grams jalepeño bruniose
25 grams finely chopped cilantro
20 grams finely chopped parsley
8 grams finely chopped oregano
5 grams salt
150 grams extra virgin olive oil
Grapeseed oil

METHOD

For the Braised Beef Cheek:
In a Dutch oven with oil, sear beef cheeks; remove and reserve. Add mirepoix and caramelize. Add tomato paste and cook 2 minutes. Deglaze with wine and reduce for 2 minutes. Return beef cheek to Dutch oven, add stock, bring to boil, decrease heat, and gently simmer 4 hours, covered. Drain and shred meat. Discard liquid or set aside for another purpose.

For the Filling:
To a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, add all ingredients plus 300 grams beef cheek. Mix until combined, about 2 minutes.

For the Cannelloni
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, combine flour and cocoa. While mixing, slowly add remaining ingredients. When fully combined, swop the paddle of a hook and mix on medium speed for 5 minutes. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and set aside for 1 hour. Sheet the dough through a pasta roller until it’s about 1/16-inch thick. Cut sheets into 12-inch lengths.

For the Béchamel:
In a Dutch oven, melt butter, whisk in flour, and cook over medium heat until mixture has a nutty aroma, about five minutes. Add milk, whisking constantly, until mixture simmers. Remove from heat and season with salt.

For the Salsify Purée:
In a Dutch oven with oil, caramelize shallot and garlic. Add salsify, stock, cream, and milk. Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes; drain, reserving solids and liquid separately. Transfer solids to a Vitamix blender and purée, adding reserved liquid as necessary. Season with vinegar and salt. Keep warm.

For the Chimichurri:
Into a mixing bowl add shallot, garlic, vinegar, and jalapeno in a bowl and reserve for one hour. Add the chopped cilantro, parsley, and oregano, salt, and oil; mix.

To Assemble and Serve:
Heat oven to 450°F. Prepare an ice bath. In a large pot of boiling salted water, blanch Cannelloni sheets for 30 seconds and shock in ice bath; drain. On a clean work surface, lay out sheets and arrange Filling along the long edge of a sheet. Roll into a Cannelloni, sealing long edges and trimming the short ones. Cut Cannelloni into thirds. Onto a greased sheet tray, place three Cannelloni and spread 3 tablespoons of Béchamel over each Cannelloni. Bake 15 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough and Filling. On a serving plate, spread Salsify Purée and place cooked Cannelloni on top. Finish with Chimichurri.

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