A Meal For A Sunday Afternoon

Waldy Malouf is executive chef and co-owner of Beacon restaurant. Beacon is located in both Stamford, Conn., and midtown Manhattan.

Malouf is cooking a menu that's perfect when you're entertaining a crowd. Think of it as: "Sunday afternoon with or without the football game." He is creating three courses for six people on a budget of $60.

Here is his menu:

Marinated Onions
Beer Braised Short Ribs
Mashed Potatoes
Apple Pie With Cheddar Crust

MARINATED ONIONS

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
1 1/2 cups red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 pounds onions, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch rings

Method:

1. Bring the wine and vinegar to a boil. Add the salt and sugar and boil until they are dissolved.
2. Put the onion rings in a bowl and pour the liquid over them. Weight the onions with a plate so they are submerged and refrigerate overnight.
3. Drain the onions and store in a covered container. Discard the marinade. The onions will keep for 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator.

Ingredients:
16 short ribs
salt and fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups chopped onion
10 cloves garlic, chopped
3 jalapeno peppers, chopped (cook two, reserve one raw)
3 tbls. ground cumin
1/2 cup flour
3 cups beer (preferably dark) 1/2 cup prepared horseradish
3 cups beef broth or chicken stock
1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Season the ribs with salt and pepper. Brown the ribs in a roasting pan large enough to hold the ribs in a single layer over medium-high heat. Remove the ribs from the roasting pan and set aside.
2. Cook the onion, garlic, and jalapenos in the roasting pan over medium heat until golden brown. Add the flour and cook another 2 minutes. Add the beer, horseradish and broth and bring to a simmer. Return the ribs to the pan and cover with an aluminum foil. Braise in the oven for 3 1/2 hours or until the meat is very tender.
3. Remove ribs to serving platter. Adjust and season the sauce. Strain half of the sauce over the ribs. Sprinkle with the parsley and reserved jalapeno. Serve remaining sauce separately.

This recipe is for basic mashed potatoes and 8 variations. To avoid overworking potatoes, incorporate all the ingredients at the same time. One large potato yields about 1 cup of mashed potatoes.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup milk

Method:
Boil the potatoes in plenty of lightly salted water until they are tender throughout when pierced with a sharp fork or knife point. Drain the potatoes well and put them through a ricer or a food mill or mash with a potato masher. Do not puree th potatoes in a food processor; they will become gluey.

APPLE PIE WITH A CHEDDAR CRUST
(Yields a 9-inch pie)

Ingredients:
1 recipe Pie Crust
1 cup grated good quality cheddar cheese (1/4 pound)

Filling:
5 or 6 large tart apples such as McIntosh or Cortland, peeled, cored and sliced thin
1/2 bourbon vanilla bean
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour

Method:

1. Make the crust (recipe below), blending the cheese into the flour until it is finely chopped and evenly distributed before adding the butter. Remove the pastry from the refrigerator 1/2 hour before baking. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Put the apples and vanilla bean in a bowl, squeeze the lemon over them and sprinkle on the salt, sugar, and flour. Using your hands, mix the filling thoroughly and put it into the pie crust. Cover the apples with the top crust. Dip your finger in water and run it along the plate between the two crusts, then crimp the edges and trim the crust.
3. Slash the top crust or cut a decorative shape out of the pastry to allow steam to escape, then bake the pie on the bottom shelf of the oven for 1/2 hour. Lay a piece of foil loosely over the pie and bake for another 20-25 minutes or until the juices are bubbling and the fruit is tender (stick a knife into it through the opening in the crust to see if it is done). Serve warm, with or without extra cheese.

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
3/4 cup (1 1/4 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
1 egg

Method:

1. Put the flour, salt and butter in the bowl of a food processor and pulse three to four times until the mixture has the consistency of a corn meal. Do not over-process. It should not be smooth.
   
2. Transfer the mixture to a medium-sized bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, break in the egg and, using a fork, stir the egg into the flour mixture. Press down the dough to force it into a mass.
   
3. Set half aside and form into a 9-inch pie plate. Place other half between two pieces of wax paper, roll the remaining dough into a top crust and lay it over the bottom crust.
   
4. Cover well and refrigerate or freeze the pastry for at least 2 hours.

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