Instructions
You’ll need to start a couple of days in advance of serving.
Make the brine:
- Put the brine ingredients in a pot with 4 litres of water
- Bring to a simmer, stirring until the salt and sugar dissolve, then leave to cool
- Submerge the short ribs in the brine, cover and leave in the fridge for 24 hours while you get on with the dough
Make the dough:
- Put the flour, sugar and salt in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook
- Warm the milk gently to 32-38°C and crumble the yeast into it
- Stir to dissolve then set aside for 5-10 minutes to activate
- Add the yeast mixture to the dry ingredients and switch on the mixer
- Add the eggs then the butter and mix until fully combined
- At the last moment add the truffle oil and grated fresh truffle
- Remove the dough from the mixer, cover with cling film and leave to prove in the fridge for 24 hours
Cook the short ribs:
- The next day, remove the short ribs from the brine and pat dry
- Mix together all the ingredients for the spice rub and smother the short ribs with it
- Place in a smoker with hickory wood chips and cook for around 4 hours at 25°C
- When done, wrap the smoked short rubs in cling film and steam for 12 hours at 80°C
Complete the doughnut filling:
- Take the meat from the rib bones and fork through it to break it up into smaller pieces
- You should have around 800g
- Stir the meat into the barbecue sauce
- In a saucepan, simmer the red wine jus until it reduces to about 6 tablespoons of sticky glaze
- Alternatively, heat up a ready-made balsamic vinegar glaze
- Add the short rib mixture and continue reducing, stirring often to prevent it catching or scorching
- Whisk the cold diced butter into the sauce a piece at a time until the sauce emulsifies
- Whisk in the chives
- Tip the lot into a rectangular heatproof dish then place in the fridge until set
Assemble the doughnuts:
- Cut the short rib mixture into 15g portions, and the dough into 30g portions
- On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each piece of doughnut dough and wrap around a piece of meat mixture, pinching to enclose it
- Leave to prove in a warm place for 1 hour or until the doughnuts have doubled in size
- Two-thirds fill a deep-fryer with sunflower oil or other neutral-tasting oil suitable for deep-frying
- Heat to 180°C then, working in small batches, fry the doughnuts until golden brown
- Leave to drain on kitchen paper then place on your serving dish and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan and truffle
- Serve hot!