Chef John's Italian Wedding Soup
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1 thick slice meaty beef shank with bone
- 2 quarts water
- ⅓ cup coarsely chopped onion
- ⅓ cup coarsely chopped carrot
- ⅓ cup coarsely chopped celery
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 10 ounces boneless beef short ribs
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- ½ egg, beaten
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup soft bread crumbs
- ¼ cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (Optional)
- ⅓ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (Optional)
- 1 quart chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped
- ⅓ cup pastina (tiny star-shaped pasta) or other tiny pasta
- 1 teaspoon shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (Optional)
- 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper to taste (Optional)
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Instructions
- Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in a large, heavy pot over high heat. Add beef shank slice; cook until seared and browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Add water, onion, carrot, celery, 3 cloves peeled garlic, bay leaf, and black peppercorns; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low; simmer until beef shank meat falls off the bone and stock turns brown in color, 4 to 5 hours. Add more water if beef stock level gets below about 5 cups.
- Freeze short ribs until firm and very cold, about 15 minutes. Cut short rib meat into cubes; return to freezer until almost frozen, about 30 minutes more.
- Whisk cream, egg, parsley, and 2 cloves minced garlic in a bowl. Stir in bread crumbs and 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
- Combine partially frozen beef rib cubes, 1/3 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until beef is coarsely ground, 5 to 10 pulses. Pulse in bread crumb mixture until mixture finely ground, about 5 pulses more. Transfer beef mixture to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.
- Meanwhile, strain beef stock into a large soup pot; discard beef shank and vegetables. Stir chicken broth into beef stock; whisk in tomato paste. Bring broth mixture to a simmer; season with salt and black pepper. Stir in kale; simmer until tender, about 15 minutes.
- Roll beef mixture into 2 teaspoon-sized meatballs.
- Cook pastina in simmering soup for 5 minutes; gently add meatballs. Simmer until meatballs are cooked through and tender, about 15 minutes. Garnish servings with shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and black pepper.
Source
Original recipe: View Original