Short Rib French Toast

Courtesy of Dustin Smallheer

Serves: 4Prep Time: 3 hoursCook Time: 30 minutes

MARIO: OK, I’m not going to lie: when Dustin described this dish to me I thought, no way is this going to work. It breaks all of the rules. It’s just not possible! Short ribs tossed with cheese and then stuffed inside bread, battered like French toast, and drizzled with maple syrup? I just couldn’t wrap my head around it! And then I tasted it, and (cue the angels singing) my mind was officially blown. This is a really great dish to serve on the weekend or a special occasion because it does take a little time. But it’s well worth the wait. Dustin, you are a crazy genius, my friend, and we love you for it!

1 pound short ribs

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

2 tablespoons adobo rub

2 cups beef broth

⅓ cup Manchego cheese, shredded

1 small loaf French bread

1½ cups maple syrup

6 dried chipotle peppers

1 teaspoon chipotle powder

6 eggs

¼ cup milk

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1. Blend adobo rub and brown sugar together and coat the short ribs with the mixture and let sit for 30 minutes to an hour.

2. Take short ribs and put in roasting pan. Add beef broth to pan and cook in oven at 300°F for 1½ hours.

3. Let cool and then use your hand to pull apart the short ribs. Add Manchego cheese to shredded beef. Set aside.

4. Heat maple syrup with chipotle peppers to infuse, about 10 minutes, and set aside, keeping the peppers in. Adjust seasoning to taste with chipotle powder.

5. Take your French loaf and cut into 4 2-inch slices. Cut a slit into the bread for your short rib mixture. Take your mixture and stuff the bread until the mixture sticks out slightly over the bread.

6. Take eggs, milk, and cinnamon and make mixture for bread. Take your French toast, put in a baking dish, and pour egg mixture over the bread. Let sit for at least 1 hour so egg can soak all the way through.

7. Once bread is soaked through, cook in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes on each side. Make sure to flip on each side of the bread crust as well to cook the egg through.