Fall’s Don’t-Miss Dish
When cold weather rolls around in the Santa Ynez Valley, we start to crave comfort food. We want slow-cooked and braised meats, long-simmered vegetables and rich sauces… like Grandma used to make. Sear Steakhouse, under the direction of new owner and Chef Nathan Pietso, is serving just that with an “elevated pot roast” this fall in Solvang.
Pietso is a new valley resident, a secondgeneration farmer from Ventura County, and a farm-to-table restaurateur (formerly in Los Angeles). For Pietso, “farm” is a way of life: His mother was part of the early movement, supplying greens to Alice Waters, and has now added growing and milling local wheat and polenta to the farm. In addition to his family’s products from Roan Mills and Kenter Canyon, Pietso is sourcing from local SYV and Santa Barbara County producers.
Pietso prefers the character and flavors of products that come from small farms, and he also loves the sense of terroir that comes with food grown so close to the restaurant. For the beef ribs, he sources from Santa Barbara Meat Co. at Pork Palace. “You can taste the terroir, the grasslands here in Santa Barbara County,” he says. “There is more minerality and more beefy f lavor, plus the animals are treated well and fed no hormones, which all contribute to the taste. It’s perfect for slow-and-low roasts like this.”
You’ll see plenty of local meats on Sear’s menu, reinvented classic steakhouse items, more Santa Barbara seafood and creative spins on vegetable dishes. His goal is a casual, friends-and-family joint with elevated-quality food. “I cook food that I would want to eat myself every day,” Pietso says. “And I want to give people what they want.”
To make the short rib, start with the best-quality beef ribs you can find. Pietso uses a large cut, called a dino rib, in sections of 3–4 ribs. (Using bone-out ribs also works.) Trim away the gristle and membrane and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. In a Dutch oven, heat olive or cooking oil over high heat. When very hot, sear all sides of rib rack until browned. Add coarsely chopped red onion, carrots and garlic and some oregano. Add beef stock to almost cover the meat. Bake at 350°F for at least 4 hours.
Roast all vegetables at 350°, separately, after tossing them in olive oil, salt and pepper. Five whole carrots (35 minutes); two red onions, cut in sections (25 minutes); shiitake mushrooms, quartered (15 minutes); and tomatoes or any fall vegetables/squash cut in sections (20–30 minutes). Make polenta using half cream, half veggie stock for liquid, adding parmesan cheese at the end. Toss finished vegetables in braising liquid.
Meat is done when a fork can easily pierce and twist in the meat; cook longer if desired. Place polenta on a plate, top with one rib, add vegetables and more braising sauce and garnish with chives.
