Description
Don’t wait for a wedding to make this delicious and comforting soup with kale, tiny pasta, and tender little beef meatballs.
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1 thick slice meaty beef shank with bone
- ⅓ cup coarsely chopped onion
- ⅓ cup coarsely chopped carrot
- ⅓ cup coarsely chopped celery
- 2 quarts water
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- ¼ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 10 ounces boneless beef short ribs
- ½ beaten egg
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 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 pinch freshly ground black pepper to taste (Optional)
- 1 teaspoon shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (Optional)
Instructions
- Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in a large
- heavy pot over high heat; brown beef shank slice in hot oil until seared and browned on both sides
- about 3 minutes per side. Add onion
- carrot
- celery
- water
- bay leaf
- 3 cloves peeled garlic
- and black peppercorns; bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer until 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.
- Place beef short ribs into freezer until firm and very cold
- about 15 minutes. Cut meat into cubes and return to freezer until almost frozen
- about 30 more minutes.
- Whisk egg with parsley
- 2 cloves garlic
- and cream in a bowl. Stir in bread crumbs and 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
- Place partially-frozen beef cubes into food processor and pulse with with 1/3 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper until beef is coarsely ground
- 5 to 10 pulses. Pulse in bread crumb mixture until mixture is finely ground
- about 5 more pulses. Transfer meat to a bowl
- cover with plastic wrap
- and refrigerate.
- Strain beef stock into a large soup pot
- discarding beef and vegetables. Mix chicken broth into beef stock and whisk in tomato paste. Bring broth mixture to a simmer and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Stir kale into broth; simmer kale until tender
- about 15 minutes.
- Scoop 2-teaspoon portions of the meat mixture and roll into meatballs.
- Pour pastina into the simmering soup
- cook for 5 minutes
- and gently add meatballs. Simmer until meatballs are cooked through and tender
- about 15 minutes. Serve in bowls garnished with a pinch of black pepper or a sprinkle of shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 4 hrs 40 mins
Total Time: 6 hrs 10 mins
Servings: 8