Sooo.. I am super late with the Velveteers posting this month. I am one of those people who is anal about trying to be on time. Nevertheless, I usually am not too far off the mark, unlike this month. All blame to the weekly travel I have been doing recently...
But, this dish wouldn't have come to be, if not for that travel. So, no complaints,after all! :) While away in Ithaca last weekend, we stayed at a lodge close to Watkins Glen State Park and for dinner one of the nights, I had ordered barbecue short ribs, which, was the night's special.
And, they were good. Melt in your mouth tenderness and they literally fell off the bone as if they just needed you to say so. Needless to say, we came back with much leftover ribs. Am i glad for that?! :)
I was already late in making my Velveteer dish of the month, which, by the way, was themed by yours truly.. hehe.. Irony and all that. The gist of the challenge was to make a SAVORY dish in which fruits (fresh or dried and of your choice) play the defining role in terms of providing flavor to the overall dish. And, to ensure creativity, fruit salads were not allowed.
The dishes that the other Velveteers made were simply amazing. Now, not only did I have to come up with a dish but also one that was credible enough to stand alongside all those creations. Pressures.....
Fortunately, the little bulb in my brain was working while I wasn't. Somewhere in my subconscious was registered the combination of the short ribs and pear. I made the sandwich above of that combination for lunch and then realised that it would be perfect for this challenge, only in another form!
So, I present to you Pear Gelee with BBQ Short Ribs. Topped with fresh onion for crunch and with additional flavor from the sesame seeds, this was a perfect dish that combined the refreshing fruit flavors with the slow cooked goodness of barbecued meat!
Btw, the pears and onions used in this recipe were from my CSA!
Before I go, I have a small giveaway for you. I am giving away two $75 Google adword certificates for new adwords member. You can place advertisements using Adwords to increase visibility of your blog and introduce it to new readers. If you would like the coupon code please leave me a note in the comments by September 3, 2010 and I'll randomly pick 2 winners to receive the codes.
Recipe Note: The measurements in the recipe below are per serving
Pear Gelee
1 small pear, barlett or red clapp, fully ripe, cored and diced
2 T light cream
1/4 tsp gelatin
Process the pears into a smooth puree. Bloom the gelatin in cold cream. Heat the cream and whisk the gelatin to melt it into the cream. Add to the pears and process to a smooth mixture. Pour into a serving bowl and refrigerate for atleast 2 hours to let it set.
To assemble
2-1/2 T shredded bbq short ribs meat (this is a rough measure, play with it..)
1 T sliced onions
pinch of toasted sesame seeds
touch of sesame oil (or light fruity EVOO)
Place the meat gently over the pear gelee and arrange the onion slices on top. Sprinkle the sesame seeds over the dish and dot the gelee with the oil.
Serve immediately.
And that's how all good meals should end! ;-)
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Velveteers was started by Aparna, Asha, Alessio and Pam, who are passionate about different cuisines and food in general. Each month, we will attempt a new dish and share our experiences and the recipes we used. If you’re interested in joining the Velveteers, please feel free to drop by our food blogs and leave a comment or drop me a line at asha@forkspoonnknife.com. You can also visit our google group, The 4 Velveteers.
Do, check out what the other Velveteers have created:
Aparna - My Diverse Kitchen
Pam - The Cooking Ninja
Ken - Hungry Rabbit
Jaya - Desi Soccer Mom