Kids & Family

Queens Eats: Smorgasburg and Short Rib Grilled Cheese

This week's column includes a visit to a Brooklyn foodie haven and a recipe for a scrumptious sandwich.

This article was written by Erin Walsh.

One of the great things about summer in New York is the abundance of food fairs.

I previously wrote about Madison Square Eats, a pop-up food festival that I discovered by happenstance while walking to Chelsea and, this past weekend, I paid my second visit to Smorgasburg, a foodie paradise affiliated with the Brooklyn Flea held on Saturdays in Williamsburg and Sundays in DUMBO.

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About a month ago, I squired my friend from out-of-town to the DUMBO outpost, which features breathtaking views of the Manhattan skyline, courtesy of its location in Brooklyn Bridge Park. This weekend, my fellow food scavengers and I visited the original namesake food market in Willamsburg’s East River State Park, which is also blessed with scenic views, but perhaps a bit less so than in DUMBO.

Although there is some overlap between the two locations, Williamsburg’s Smorgasburg is clearly the winner. It seemed to have nearly twice the number of vendors, selling everything from crab rangoon (a personal fave) and Crazy Legs mammoth turkey legs to schnitzel sandwiches by Schnitz and s’more ice cream sandwiches and cookies by S’more Bakery. Smorgasborg lives up to its name as a smorgasbord of foodie delights or - as the New York Times aptly noted - “The Woodstock of Eating.”

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For this edition of Queens Eats, I decided to try my hand at a sandwich so deliciously sinful that just the mere words make me blush: short rib grilled cheese.

I first sampled this delectable sandwich at Madison Square Eats and was anxious for an opportunity to whip up my own batch. I made the short ribs in my beloved Crock Pot (naturally) and picked up Italian bread at Rose and Joe’s bakery in Astoria and Comte cheese at Bedford Cheese Shop in Williamsburg to complete the scrumptious sandwich.

The recipe that I used hails from Bon Appetit, but I made some adaptations, such as using olive oil to brown the short ribs instead of butter and Comte instead of Petit Basque cheese, so feel free to experiment with your own version as well.

Grilled Cheese with Short Ribs and Carmelized Pickled Onions and Arugula (Source: Bon Appetit)

Ingredients

Short Ribs
· 5 pounds beef short ribs
· 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
· 3 celery stalks, chopped
· 2 large carrots, peeled, coarsely chopped
· 1 medium onion, chopped
· 1 1/4 cups dry red wine
· 1/2 cup low-salt beef broth
· 1/3 cup medium-dry Sherry
· 2 garlic cloves, peeled
· 2 bay leaves
· 1 large fresh thyme sprig

Pickled Caramelized Onions
· 1 tablespoon butter (Note: I used olive oil)
· 2 large red onions, halved, thinly sliced crosswise (about 6 cups)
· 4 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
· 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

Assembly
· Butter, room temperature
· 16 slices country-style crusty white bread
· 12 ounces Petit Basque or Monterey (Note: I shredded this cheese)
· Jack cheese, sliced
· 4 cups baby arugula

Preparation

Short Ribs
· Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. Melt butter in large wide pot over medium-high heat. Working in two batches, cook beef until browned, about six minutes per batch. Transfer to large rimmed baking sheet. Add celery, carrots and onion to pot and sauté until beginning to soften and brown, stirring often, about five minutes. Add wine, broth, Sherry, garlic, bay leaves and thyme sprig. Bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Season with salt and pepper. Return ribs to pot, propping up on sides and arranging in single layer. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for an hour.

· Using tongs, turn ribs over in pot. Cover and simmer until ribs are tender and sauce is very thick, occasionally rearranging ribs in pot to prevent sticking, about 1 1/2 hours longer. Uncover and cool 30 minutes.


· Transfer ribs to work surface. Discard bay leaves and thyme sprig. Spoon off fat from sauce in pot. Remove meat from bones and discard bones. Cut meat into 3/4- to 1-inch pieces, trimming any fat. Return meat to pot. DO AHEAD: Can be made two days ahead. Chill until cold, cover and keep chilled. Rewarm just until lukewarm before using.

Pickled Caramelized Onions

· Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, sprinkle with salt and sauté until beginning to brown, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Add vinegar and sugar and cook until almost all vinegar is absorbed, about a minute. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to microwave-safe bowl, then cool. DO AHEAD: Can be made two days ahead. Cover and then chill. Microwave in 15-second intervals until lukewarm before using.

Assembly
· Line two large rimmed baking sheets with waxed paper. Butter eight bread slices and place four slices, buttered side down, on each prepared sheet. Divide short rib mixture among bread slices, about 1/2 cup for each. Divide cheese among sandwiches. Spoon about 1/4 cup onions over each sandwich. Place large handful of arugula atop onions. Top with remaining eight bread slices. Spread bread with butter. DO AHEAD: Can be prepared one hour ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and store at room temperature.

· Heat griddle or two large skillets over medium heat. Working in batches, cook sandwiches until bread is golden brown and cheese melts, about three minutes per side. Transfer to work surface. Cut each in half on diagonal. Transfer to plates and serve.


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