Receta Short Rib, Caramelized Onion and Vermont Cheddar Sandwich from the Tap Room ‘Street Food’ Menu at the Omni Hotel
Having experienced one of the most fabulous meals ever when I was invited to visit last year during their series highlighting French food, I readily accepted. I was joined by my friend Karen from Savoury Table who had accompanied me last year and we each were asked to bring a guest so Holly from A Bakers House and Ansh with Spice Routes would be joining us too; we all knew each other so it promised to be a fun and delicious day. Great friends and great food (not to mention a tasty beer) and it was the perfect antidote for a gloomy Saturday afternoon.
Omni Hotels invited us to “Travel the World in Just One Bite.” Sous Chef Troy Micheletti welcomed us to The Tap Room, Omni’s more casual restaurant with a wide selection of beers on tap. The Tap Room has a regular menu always available; this specialty ‘Street Food’ menu will be served through March. More than 100 chefs from San Antonio to Singapore competed to create street food inspired dishes made popular in their homeland. Troy was so generous with his time as he shared how this menu came about; providing details about each dish. Street food has evolved far beyond what I experienced when I first came to Denver and would occasionally stop at a stand for fresh, homemade tamales; it’s become a global experience, a real delight for the senses all in your own backyard.
I’ll be honest; I’ve never felt the need or had the intentions to be a restaurant reviewer. I did meet one once for breakfast and felt that I should have come wearing my wide brimmed hat and large sunglasses to hide my identify. That is not what I do and I know that these visits do see restaurants put their best foot forward. However, the conversations I’ve had with their staff make it clear that customer satisfaction is their priority. Upon arriving, no one knew why we were there and I was impressed from the start with the young men greeting us in the lobby who were particularly gracious and helpful. Those first impressions mean so much. The food we experienced; the attention paid to us by the delightful Emily and our time with Troy only accentuated that first impression.
Now, how about that food? There were four of us. The food put on our table could have easily fed 24. I am not kidding. They had decided that to let us really experience their ‘Street Food’ offerings that it would be best to give us actual portion sizes of SIX different menu items; served in two courses. I think we all dug in a bit with the first offerings and by the 2nd round we were taking bites and nibbles and yes, we did bring the leftovers home. I don’t know about the others but I know my daughter Emily appreciated that I was able to take her an entire meal that evening! So what about that food huh?
Here are the dishes we enjoyed:
Chicken Musakhan Sandwich
Citrus and Braised Lamb Tostada
Acaraje de Orixa
Short Rib and Vermont Cheddar Sandwich
Duck Empanada with Smoked Tomato Mayo
Famous Peddler’s Char Kway Teow
I love that they have put not only the menu but the recipes online as well…sure made it easy to re-create one of the dishes. I enjoyed everything but my favorites were the Lamb Tostadas, the Duck Empanadas and the Short Rib Sandwich…which I decided to recreate – I guess that pretty much clarifies where my top vote went doesn’t it? I made a few changes to their version, preferring to make a smaller portion and using beef stock in lieu of veal stock because it is readily available. I also added a bit of horseradish sauce to my sandwich but that is just personal preference and not a part of any recipe (but if you love beef and horseradish by all means do it!).
I also love that Ansh is already planning to take her book group to The Tap Room; enjoying the food of this establishment isn’t limited to being a guest of the hotel…all you have to be is a guest of the restaurant!
In the meantime…this sandwich is SO good and even though the short ribs take some time on the stovetop, the actual effort to make them is pretty easy and the sandwich is amazing…you must try it too – is there an Omni Hotel in your neck of the woods?
Sincere thanks to the Omni for spoiling us, to Sous Chef Troy Micheletti who gave us so much of his time and attention and to Emily for being such a gracious and knowledgeable server. We had a great time and I even got a second go around with my favorite…this sandwich truly is ‘the bomb.’
Short Ribs - Street Food from the Omni Hotel
A fabulous combination of tender short rib meat, caramelized onions, white cheddar cheese and fresh arugula; altogether a great sandwich.
Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs Short Rib
- 2 Tbsp Butter
- 1 Carrot, diced
- 1/2 large Onion, diced
- 1 stalk of Celery, diced
- 3/8 cup Red Wine
- 1/4 cup Beef Stock
- 2 Tbsp Sherry
- 1 clove Garlic
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 Thyme Sprig
- 1 Onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 tsp. Sugar
- 8 thick slices bread (I used Texas Toast but the original recipe calls for Brioche)
- 2 oz. Butter
- 4 slices Vermont Cheddar
- 2 oz. Arugula
- Preparation
- To Make the Short Ribs:
Sprinkle Short Ribs with Salt & Pepper.
Melt butter in braising pan, add Short Ribs and brown all sides.
Remove Short Ribs and add carrots, onions and celery to the pan.
De-glaze the pan with red wine and sherry.
Add beef stock, garlic, bay leaves and thyme. Bring to a boil, reduce to medium and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Add Short Ribs back to the pan. Cover and cook on low for approximately 2 – 2.5 hours until tender.
Uncover & let cool for 30 minutes.
Cut meat into 1/4 in. slices, trimming excess fat.
To Assemble the Sandwich:
Melt butter in skillet and add onions, sprinkle with salt & pepper.
Sauté onions until golden brown, add sugar and stir til melted.
Assemble 8 slices of buttered bread.
Place one slice of cheese, ½ cup of short rib meat, ¼ cup of caramelized onions and a handful or arugula on each sandwich.
Heat griddle and cook sandwiches until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.
Transfer to work surface to cut in half, serve immediately.
Notes
Finding good short ribs is always a problem for me. I found these at a local specialty shop so paid a premium and even then should have been more careful about what I was given. If given the option? Only get larger ribs with a greater percentage of meat to bone. I had a couple that so little meat that by the time they cooked, it was almost all bone; not what I expect for $8/lb!
I've found since buying that meat that some Costco stores carry short ribs; I'm checking them out for the next time!
2.2
http://www.creative-culinary.com/short-rib-caramelized-onion-and-vermont-cheddar-sandwich-from-the-tap-room-street-food-menu-at-the-omni-hotel/
This recipe brought to you by © Creative Culinary | A Food and Cocktail Blog | Website: www.creative-culinary.com