The Cuisineist welcomes Executive Chef James Aptakin as a contributing Chef and he shares a receipe for Spanish Short Ribs

The Cuisineist welcomes Executive Chef James Aptakin as a contributing Chef. We have had the pleasure to meet this talented young Chef and enjoy his culinary artistry. When in the Napa / Sonoma area he is worth looking up.

Executive Chef James Aptakin was born in Miami, FL, and picked up South American, Spanish influences of food growing up. He has worked in various restaurants in Miami. James joined the Navy after high school, traveling the world on the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), cooking for 6,000 people.

James has over 18 years experience in the culinary world. James pursued his education at the California Culinary Academy and Culinary Institute Of America. He has made California his home for the past 16 years, picking up Hawaiian cuisine and all Pan Pacific styles; infusing all his passion into his own creations making him a pioneer of New World cuisine.

James has been featured in numerous newspapers, magazines, radio shows, TV, and now on the Travel channel, and Food Network where he made history for the first time on the show.

James has won numerous awards, first place finishes, and local Iron Chef competitions in the Northern California area. James is a local celebrity Chef of Napa and Solano county. He is also well known for his charity work in the community, and gives his time to make a difference helping others. James is the Co-producer for Chefs for Charity.



CHEF JAMES APTAKIN RECIPE

SPANISH STYLE SHORT RIBS

yields 10 people

Ingredients	Portions	Measurements
Cooking Oil	1/4	c
Boneless Short Ribs	10	#
Diced Onion lg	1	Ea Medium
Celery Stalks sm dice	5	ea
Carrots lg sm dice	2	ea
Leeks cut 3inch bottom cut 1/2	1	Ea julienne
Green bell pepper sm dice	2	Ea med
Minced Shallot	1	tbs
Minced Garlic	1	tbs
Jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped	1	Ea Medium
Cumin	4	tbs
Kosher salt		To taste
White pepper		To taste
Red Wine	1	C
Veal stock or beef	5	c
Bay leaf	1	ea
crushed tomatoes	3	c
Fresh tomatoes quartered	3	ea
Tomato paste	4	tbs
Chipotle pepper (can) minced	2	Ea peppers
Options : Corn Ear (or canned equivalent)	2	Ea
Black Beans (soaked overnight , cooked or canned)	1	C
Spanish olives pitted	6	ea
Pot. Yukon, purple Peruvian, yucca 1/4	5	ea

*Heat oil on high in a large stock pot or lg roasting pan. Place ribs fat side down, season, the other side heavy with salt, pepper, ½ the cumin. Caramelize for 8 minutes till golden brown crispy crust forms, turn over and caramelize the other side for another 8 minutes. Take out of pan, set aside. In same roasting pan, cook Sofrito; placing the celery, onions, peppers, leeks, shallots for 5 minutes till caramelized. Add garlic, carrots, and stir for about 3 minutes, deglaze with red wine, reduce for 5 minutes. Add Veal or beef stock (you can use already made ones, or do ½ chicken, and ½ beef for a lighter color stew). Add fresh tomatoes, crushed, tomato paste, and bay leaf. Use the rest of the cumin, and salt and pepper to taste. When stew comes to a boil, simmer, cover and place in oven at 325 for 3 hours, till meat falls off the bone. Make sure to pre cook, potatoes, quartering them, cooked black beans, and raw corn is ok. Add all of these with the Spanish olives when 20 min is left for the stew, so all ingredients are heated through, and full of beautiful flavors.

Serve with Spanish rice, or steamed white rice, add caramelized plantains for sweetness.

Cooking tip:

You can use any potatoes, you want, purple Peruvian, gives it more exotic flare, as well as Yucca which is a root used in the Caribbean. You can use all or just 1 kind in this dish. Using many gives better eye appeal as well as layers of flavor.

You can add a nice demi, or gravy if you like thicker stews, or flour the meat before searing. You can use boneless, but the bones is what helps, thicken your stew and add intense richness and flavor to the dish. You can substitute Pork, with beef short ribs, or use chicken for same dish, only cooking for 1 hour. This dish is warm, hearty, comfort foods, of South American, and vibrant palette and eye appeal hunger that will place you in an amazing mind set of goodness. My favorite meal to eat any time of year brings me back to home.