French Onion Soup
by Benjamin Maides, Chef, Au Courant Regional Kitchen, Omaha, Nebraska
A real French onion soup is certainly a weekend cooking project, but the end result is well worth the wait. Using a high quality beef stock makes the end result even better.
- 2 (16-ounce) Certified Piedmontese boneless chuck short ribs
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 10 sweet onions, sliced
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 quarts beef stock
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise
- 4 ounces Gruyère cheese
- 4 ounces Emmental cheese*
- 1 baguette, sliced
- *Emmental is a medium-hard Swiss cheese that hails from the area around the Emmental Valley in west central Switzerland. Find it in the specialty cheese section of your grocer. If unable to find Emmental cheese, simply substitute 4 more ounces of Gruyère.
Rub the short ribs with canola oil and season with salt and pepper; set aside. In a large soup pot over medium heat, heat the butter. Add the onions and season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking the onions for 2 to 3 hours, stirring every 15 minutes or so. After about 45 minutes, much of the water should be cooked out, and the onions will take on a slightly darker color. Turn the heat to low so the onions naturally release their sugar and slowly caramelize. The result should look like brown onion jam. Add the cinnamon stick and star anise toward the end of cooking.
Meanwhile, in a large cast iron skillet, sear the short ribs until golden brown. Deglaze the pan with a cup of the beef stock and transfer the mixture to a pressure cooker. Add the remaining beef stock and bay leaves. Pressure cook on high for 45 minutes, or simmer over medium heat for 2 to 3 hours, or until short ribs are fall-apart tender.
Once the onions and short ribs are cooked, add the short ribs and stock to the onions in the soup pot and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Shred the short ribs with two forks. Ladle soup into oven-safe soup bowls. Top each bowl with a slice of bread and sprinkle with cheese. Broil soup bowls for about 5 minutes, until cheese is melted and golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.