#11 - Try All Ruhlman's 20 Techniques

 This is my 4th year trying to knock off practicing these 20 techniques. 

1. THINK: 2017 
2. SALT: 2017 & 2018
3. WATER: 2017  & 2018

4. ONION: 2019

I thought I'd missed this one somehow, so I tried out Ruhlman's recipe for French onion soup. I'm so glad my forgetfulness yielded such delightful results.

It looks like this recipe took tons of work, as it took 3-4 hours to complete, but really, it was just slicing onions, letting them cook down (stirring every hour or so), adding water and some things to enhance the broth, then toasting the bread and melting the cheese in the broiler. Honestly, so easy, so flavorful, and so cheap! Can't wait to make this again when I'm feeling like I've been spending too much money but deserve a special meal.

My mom approved too.

5. ACID: 2017
6. EGG: 2017 
7. BUTTER: 2017
8. DOUGH: 2017 

9: BATTER: 2019

10. SUGAR: For anyone who knows me well, it won't be a surprise that I saved this one for last. I am just not into sweets. No, I'm not super healthy. I just prefer my calories in cheese and wine forms. And I just don't have a sweet tooth.

Yet, Ruhlman makes this technique so so simple. 

I made an outrageously simple caramel sauce that almost makes me want to experiment more with sugar techniques (mostly more caramel, butterscotch, toffee). The sauce was so tasty I kept thinking of more savory things to get on the next grocery run to complement it: apples... dense bread... and sure, maybe some vanilla ice cream for a hot caramel sundae. 

If you have a sweet tooth and we're making dinner together, I will totally make this for you.

11. SAUCE: 2017  & 2018
12. VINAIGRETTE: 2017 
13. SOUP: 2017 
14. SAUTE: 2018
15. ROAST: 2017

16. BRAISE: This one took awhile because, well, braising takes time. 

I decided on the red wine-braised short ribs because I like short ribs, and well, they're easier to get than lamb shanks, duck legs, pork belly, or fennel roots. 

There were 19 ingredients, and this recipe took 5 or so hours total. Four of those hours were the ribs just braising in the oven, but the other hour was work, before and after the braising.

Honestly though: worth it. 

This may be the best thing I've ever made. (Yes, better than the kimchi-brined fried chicken sandwich that made me dance around my empty apartment singing about how awesome I am.)

I topped the short ribs with gremolata and served them over egg noodles (as recommended).

There were so many layers of flavor, and the ribs themselves melted off the bone.

Someday, I'll really want to impress people at a dinner party and will pull this one out again.

17. POACH: 2018
18. GRILL: 2018
19. FRY: 2019
20. CHILL: 2018

5. ACID: 2017