Kona Coffee Braised Beef Short Ribs on a bed of Molokai Sweet Potato-Potato Gratin with a Harvest of Local Vegetables, Butternut Squash Sauce

To prepare the braised beef, place beef, coffee, wine, and beef broth in a Dutch oven or braising pan.  The coffee liquid should just cover the beef.  Top the beef with 1 medium julienne onion, 1 medium sliced carrot, 2 small sliced stalks of celery, 2 whole cloves of garlic, 2 bay leaves, and 1 tablespoonful of peppercorns and place in a 350°F oven for 70 minutes or tender.  Remove from oven and stir to cool in an ice bath.  When beef is cool refrigerate overnight in broth.  The next day remove beef, strain mixture and slowly reduce broth to 12 ounces.  Cut beef into ¾ inch cubes and warm in the sauce reduction.

To prepare the potatoes, heat sauté pan add oil and 1/2 onion (julienne), cook about 2 minutes then add 1/2 teaspoonful kosher salt.  Add minced garlic (2 cloves) and sauté another minute (do not brown).  Add chicken stock, thyme, and reduce to 3 ounces of liquid.  Remove thyme and reserve.

In a pot of lightly salted boiling water cook potato while stirring for 2 minutes still just tender.  Scoop the potatoes from water and reserve.  Repeat this process with sweet potato and finish with last layer of potato.  Spray a 12 by 6 1/2 inch pan with vegetable spray and add 1 ounce of cream.  Shingle the potato on top and add 1/2 the chicken stock mixture, 1 ounce of cream, salt, and pepper.  Bake in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes.  Cool and cut for the plates.  Hold in a 200°F oven for plate up service.

To prepare the squash puree, brush the squash with olive oil and bake at 350°F for 1 hour or until tender.  Blend with vegetable stock in a blender until desired constancy and adjust with kosher salt and white pepper to taste.  Reserve puree for plating.

On a hot plate place a spoon of puree, the potato, beef, and garnish with autumn sautéed local vegetables.  Repeat with remaining plates.