Pumpkins Stuffed With Parsnips and Short Ribs

By ltrodrigu

This recipe is adapted from one created by Huntsville, Ala., chef James Boyce. Instead of braising short ribs, as he does, you could use leftover shredded pot roast, or braised pork or lamb. Just be sure to roast the parsnips before stuffing the pumpkin, or they won't cook through.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds bone-in short ribs
• Kosher salt
• 5 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 small onion, roughly chopped
• 1 stalk celery, roughly chopped
• 1 carrot, roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 2 cups good red wine
• 2 cups water
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups peeled, diced parsnips
• 2 medium sugar pie pumpkins or kabocha squashes (about 3 pounds each)
• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup dark rum (optional)
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• freshly ground black pepper
• red pepper flakes

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from online.wsj.com

Preparation

Step 1

Braise short ribs: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season short ribs generously with salt. In a large Dutch oven or braising pan, warm 2 tablespoons oil over high heat. Add short ribs to pan and brown well, 3-5 minutes per side. Do not overcrowd pan; cook in batches if necessary. Remove short ribs to a plate. Discard oil in pan.

In a food processor, purée onion, celery, carrot and garlic. Return pan to high heat and add 2 tablespoons oil. Add puréed vegetables. Season generously with salt and cook without stirring until vegetables thicken and stick to bottom of pan, 5-7 minutes. Scrape bottom of pan and stir. Cook 5-7 minutes more, letting mixture brown well, but turning heat down to medium if it starts to burn.

Stir in tomato paste and cook 3-5 minutes. Add wine, scraping bottom of pan. Bring to a simmer and reduce, stirring, 5 minutes. Return short ribs to pan and add about 2 cups water, or enough to barely cover ribs. Add rosemary and bay leaves. Cover and cook in oven 2 hours. Uncover pot, flip ribs and cook uncovered 1 hour more, or until ribs are tender but not falling apart, and cooking liquid is reduced to a sauce.

Meanwhile, toss parsnips with remaining oil, season with salt and spread out on a baking sheet. Cook in oven for last 30 minutes of short rib cooking time. Set parsnips aside. Let ribs sit in sauce until cool enough to handle, or cover and refrigerate both short ribs and parsnips up to 2 days.

Stuff pumpkins: Cut off top quarter of pumpkins (including stems). Scrape out and discard seeds and fibers. Generously season pumpkin cavities with salt.

Coarsely shred short rib meat, discarding bones and fat but reserving 1/3 cup sauce. In a large bowl, combine shredded meat and 1/3 cup short rib sauce with cooked parsnips, apple, walnuts, raisins, brown sugar, rum, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon. Season mixture generously with salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes.

Stuff mixture into pumpkins, mounding on top if necessary. Drizzle tops with oil, place on baking sheets and cover loosely with foil. Bake until pumpkins are tender and filling is hot and bubbling, about 2 hours, uncovering for the last 20 minutes. Stir filling, scraping sides of pumpkins gently, so that cooked pumpkin mixes with the filling. Scoop out portions to serve.