Lunch: Beef and Broccoli

Ingredients

2 or 3 Italian cherry peppers or Fresno chile peppers
Sea salt
1 clove garlic, very finely chopped
4 tablespoons harissa

Instructions

For the chile paste: Finely chop the chiles (remove the seeds if you want to curb their heat a little). Sprinkle some sea salt over the chiles on the cutting board, then mash in the garlic to form a paste. Mix with the harrisa in a small container. Cover and store in the refrigerator. For the beef and broccoli: Bring a couple inches of water to a boil in a saucepan and add some salt. Add the broccoli rabe and cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer the broccoli rabe to a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain well and pat dry. Heat the cooking oil in a large skillet with a rounded bottom over high heat. Add the onions and bell peppers and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and 1 teaspoon of the chile paste and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the sherry. Dissolve the cornstarch in a small amount of the stock, then add it to the skillet along with the remaining stock. Stir to thicken a minute, then add the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, broccoli rabe and short ribs. Cook until heated through. (If not serving the stir-fry immediately, cool and then store it in the refrigerator. Reheat over medium heat with a splash of water to loosen it up.) Before serving, cook the rice according to the package instructions. Add the lime zest. Serve the beef stir-fry over the rice, with lime wedges and the remaining chile paste on the side. Garnish with the scallions and cilantro.
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Bring the short ribs to room temperature. Pat the ribs dry, then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper and drizzle with EVOO. Arrange the ribs on a broiler pan and roast until well browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons EVOO in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the anchovies and stir to melt them into the oil. Add the garlic, bay leaves, onions and fennel bulb, and season with pepper. Stir for a few minutes to develop some color on the bottom of the pan, then add the tomato paste, raisins and cloves. Stir for a minute or 2 more, then add the wine and cook until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Add the short ribs to the Dutch oven and stir to coat with the sauce. Cover and roast in the oven until the ribs are very tender, 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 hours. Remove the ribs to a platter and cover with foil. Reduce the sauce 10 to 15 minutes more. Add the ribs (on or off the bone) to the sauce. Yield: 6 servings