Beetroot borsch with beef short ribs and black garlic brioche

Start the beef ribs at least 2 days before you want to serve the dish. Make a 10% brine by placing the water and salt into a pan. Heat until the salt has fully dissolved then leave to cool completely. In a container, submerge the beef ribs in the brine and place in the fridge for 3 hours

For the spice rub, blend all the spices in a spice grinder or pestle and mortar into a fine powder

Remove the beef ribs from the brine and pat dry, then coat the ribs evenly with the spice rub. Place in a vacuum packing bag and vacuum seal. Cook in a water bath at 84°C for 24 hours until tender

For the black garlic brioche, place the flour in a bowl of a stand mixer and place the black garlic, yeast, milk, eggs and sugar into a food processor. Blitz to a smooth paste, then gradually incorporate it into the flour while mixing on a low speed, until a dough forms. Knead for around 7 minutes until the dough begins to develop structure

Add the salt, then slowly incorporate the cold butter in stages, allowing it to fully emulsify into the dough before adding more

Transfer the dough to a bowl and allow to rise at room temperature for 30 minutes

Make a garlic confit for the borsch base. Place the vegetable oil and garlic in a sauté pan with a pinch of salt. Confit on a low heat for 3 hours until soft, then leave to cool. Once cool, store in the oil in the fridge. Weigh out 60g and set aside (this will make more than you need)

Knock back the dough and leave to rise for a further 30 minutes, then refrigerate for 3-8 hours to develop flavour and structure

Once the ribs are cooked, transfer 500ml of the cooking juices to a pan and reduce by half. Add the beef rib glaze ingredients and simmer to combine, creating a rich, glossy glaze with balanced sweetness and acidity

Meanwhile, press the ribs between trays (discarding the bones). Weigh down and chill overnight

The next day, portion the pressed beef into 3cm cubes and set aside in the fridge until needed

Grease the tins well with butter. Once the dough has rested, divide it into 4 pieces. Divide each piece into 9 and roll into neat balls. Arrange 8 balls in a tin around the outside with 1 in the middle. Repeat with the remaining tins and dough and leave to prove at a cool room temperature until risen and the dough doesn’t spring back all the way when lightly pressed. Chill in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to firm up the butter, then glaze with the egg yolk

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Sprinkle each loaf with flaky salt, then bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes, until golden, risen and cooked through, reducing the oven temperature or covering with foil if browning too quickly

For the rendered apple lard, gently cook the onion in a small amount of the beef fat for around 10 minutes until soft. Add the chopped apple and cook for a further 5 minutes. Incorporate the remaining fats and cook slowly over a low heat for around 2 hours, stirring regularly

Remove most of the rendered lard to a food processor, leaving some in the pan to crisp up. Once crisp, remove and set aside for serving. Pulse the lard in the food processor to create a coarse, spoonable texture, then cool completely and chill until needed

Place the chopped beetroot into a high-powered blender and blend for 5 minutes on high until smooth. Weigh out 250g and set aside

For the borsch, place the onion and carrot in a large saucepan with the oil and sweat until lightly caramelised. Add the tomato purée and cook for 2 minutes, then add the remaining vegetables and the 60g of confit garlic and cook for a further 5 minutes, allowing everything to soften slightly

Add the beef stock, beetroot juice and 250g of the beetroot purée, followed by the spices, smoked pear, vinegar, pickled jalapeños, sugar and salt. Simmer gently for around 1 hour, allowing the flavours to fully develop while maintaining clarity and balance

For the horseradish sauce, blend the ingredients in a high-powdered blender for 3 minutes until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag and set aside

When you’re ready to serve, warm the borsch gently, ensuring the balance of sweetness, acidity and depth remains intact, then transfer to serving bowls

Warm the portioned pressed short rib in the glaze until fully heated through and evenly coated, then place on serving plates (1 cube per person)

Gently reheat the lard, then transfer to a small bowl and top with the crispy lard

Serve the borsch with the beef and the brioche loaves (each loaf serves 2). Pipe dots of horseradish sauce and mustard onto a serving plate. Spoon some soured cream and shredded spring onion, parsley and dill into small serving bowls then spoon the warm, rendered lard over the borsch, allowing it to melt into the soup