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Short Rib Arancini on a white plate

Short Rib Arancini

Red wine braised short rib folded into parmesan risotto, built around a melted fontina center, fried until golden, and served on truffle aioli. The dish that stopped conversation at a Christmas dinner party in Cape Cod.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Overnight Chill 8 hours
Total Time 10 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 780
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Braised Short Rib
  • 1 1/3 lb boneless short rib, cut into large chunks
  • 1/4 cup red wine
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup diced onion
  • 1 small garlic clove, smashed
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 pinch black pepper
  • 1 pinch fresh thyme
Risotto Base
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1/2 cup diced onion
  • 1 cup arborio rice
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 2 1/2 cups chicken broth, warmed
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 pinch black pepper
  • 1/4 cup parmesan, finely grated
Fontina Center
  • 4 oz fontina, cut into 8 small cubes
Breading
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
Truffle Aioli
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp truffle oil
  • 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 pinch black pepper
Finish
  • 1 pinch parmesan, finely grated
  • chives or microgreens, optional

Equipment

  • Misen 5-Ply Stainless Steel Pan for searing short rib and toasting risotto
  • Cutco 1738 Gourmet Prep Knife for shredding short rib + cubing fontina
  • Microplane Zester Grater for finely grating Parmesan

Method
 

Braised Short Rib
  1. Season short rib chunks generously with salt and black pepper on all sides.
  2. Heat olive oil in a heavy pan over medium-high heat. Sear the short rib on all sides until a deep brown crust forms, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Don't rush this step. The crust is where the flavor builds.
    3. Sear for Color First: The browned crust adds depth to the entire braise. Skip it and the braising liquid never develops the same richness.
  3. Add the diced onion and smashed garlic to the pan. Cook for 1 minute, stirring to coat in the fat.
  4. Stir in the tomato paste and let it cook for 30 seconds to lose the raw edge. Deglaze with the red wine, scraping up anything stuck to the bottom of the pan.
  5. Add the beef broth and thyme. Cover and simmer on the lowest heat for 1 to 1.5 hours, until the meat is completely fork-tender.
  6. Remove the short rib and shred it finely while still warm. Cool completely before mixing into the risotto.
Risotto Base
  1. In a wide, heavy pan, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook low and slow until completely soft and translucent, about 8 minutes.
  2. Add the arborio rice and toast for 1 minute, stirring constantly. The edges of the grains will go slightly translucent and the pan will smell faintly nutty.
    3. Toast the Rice: That one minute of toasting sets the outer starch layer so it releases gradually. Skip it and the risotto goes mushy before it finishes cooking.
  3. Deglaze with the white wine and stir until fully absorbed.
  4. Add the warm chicken broth one ladle at a time, stirring and letting each addition absorb before adding the next. Continue until the rice is tender and creamy, about 18 to 20 minutes total.
  5. Fold in the finely grated parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Spread onto a sheet pan to cool quickly, then transfer to a container and refrigerate until completely cold. Cold risotto holds shape during forming.
Assemble the Arancini
  1. Mix the shredded short rib into the cold risotto with clean hands until the meat is distributed evenly throughout.
  2. Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions. Press a cube of fontina into the center of each portion and close the risotto firmly around it. Roll into a smooth ball. No fontina should be visible on the surface.
    3. Seal the Cheese: Any exposed fontina will melt straight out into the oil during frying. Press the risotto closed completely and roll the ball one more time to be sure.
Bread the Arancini
  1. Set up three shallow bowls: flour, beaten egg, and panko breadcrumbs. Keep one hand dry and one hand wet to avoid coating your palms.
  2. Roll each arancini ball in flour first, then dip in beaten egg, then press firmly into the panko so the coating adheres completely.
  3. Place the breaded arancini on a tray and refrigerate for 10 minutes to firm up before frying.
Fry the Arancini
  1. Heat frying oil to 350°F in a deep, heavy pot. Use a thermometer. Temperature matters here.
    2. Hold 350°F: Below that temperature the breading absorbs oil instead of crisping. Above it, the crust darkens before the center heats through.
  2. Fry the arancini in batches, turning gently, for 3 to 4 minutes until deep golden brown. Do not crowd the pot.
  3. Drain on paper towels and season with a pinch of salt immediately while still hot.
Truffle Aioli
  1. Whisk together the mayonnaise, truffle oil, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve. This can be made up to five days ahead.
Plate and Serve
  1. Spoon a generous amount of truffle aioli onto each plate and drag the back of a spoon through it to create a smear.
  2. Set two arancini on top of the aioli. Finish with a pinch of finely grated parmesan and a few microgreens or chives.

Notes

Plating: Truffle aioli spooned into a round pool at the center of the plate. Two arancini per plate nestled into the pool, seam-side down so they don't roll, clustered together so they lean on each other. Parmesan grated over the arancini at the pass, two swipes of the Microplane. Three chive batons or micro-herbs laid across the top, angled the same direction. Serve within a minute of frying so the crust still cracks.
Wine: A Sangiovese or a lighter Barbera works well here. Enough acidity to cut through the richness without overwhelming the short rib. A big Cabernet will crush it. A good Burgundy is excellent if the budget is there.
Prep ahead: This dish was built to be made in stages. Braise the short rib two days out. Make the risotto the day before. Mix, form, and bread the arancini the morning of the dinner and refrigerate until it's time to fry. The truffle aioli keeps for five days in the refrigerator. Day-of work is just frying and plating.
Scaling for service: This makes 8 arancini, two per person. To 16: double the braise and risotto, bread the morning of, fry in batches of 6 to 8 in a deep pot at 350°F. Do not crowd the oil, crowding drops the temp 20 degrees and you lose the shatter crust. To 24 for passed service: triple everything, two fryers running side by side, hold fried arancini in a 200°F oven uncovered, 8 minutes max. Truffle aioli scales linearly, plate to order.
Dietary swaps: To make it GF: sub GF panko (Ian's or Aleia's) in the breading in step 5. The risotto and braise are GF as written, confirm your beef broth. Not easily dairy-free. The risotto leans on parmesan, butter, and a fontina core. If you have to, sub olive oil for the butter, nutritional yeast for the parm, and a firm vegan mozzarella for the fontina, but the melt is different and the center goes chewy instead of molten. Nut-free as written. Not vegetarian.