Chasen'S Beef Belmont With Matzo Balls - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 lbs short rib of beef
2 cups beef broth
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
1 1/2 cups carrots, sliced diagonally
1 cup leek, sliced diagonally
1 cup celery, sliced diagonally
1/2 cup lima beans
4 ounces long egg noodles
salt and pepper, to taste
MATZO BALLS
4 tablespoons melted fat or 4 tablespoons oil
4 large eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup matzo meal
1 tablespoon salt, if desired (optional)
4 tablespoons soup stock or 4 tablespoons water

Preparation

FOR THE BEEF.
Place short ribs and broth in a large dutch oven.
Add water to cover ribs, and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer, skim foam from the broth.
Make a bouquet garni by tying bay leaves, parsley sprigs and thyme into a cheesecloth bundle with kitchen string.
Place the bundle in the broth with salt and pepper.
Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours or until meat is very tender and falls off the bone.
Remove the bouquet garni and strain the broth.
Return the broth and meat to the pan.
Stir in the carrots, leeks and celery.
Bring mixture to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer, covered for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Return mixture to the boil, add lima beans and egg noodles, cooking just until noodles are nearly tender (al dente).
Remove meat, and separate meat from bones.
Have soup at room temperature or warmer and add matzo balls; simmer for 5 minutes.
Serve soup forst with 2 or 3 matzo balls per bowl.
Slice meat and garnish plate.
FOR THE MATZO BALLS:
Blend fat or oil with eggs.
Mix matso meal with salt, and combine these 2 mixtures and blend well.
Add soup stock or water and mix until uniform.
Cover mixture and refrigerate for one hour.
In a 3-quart pot, bring 2 quarts of water to a full boil, adding salt if desired.
From the refrigerated mix, form about 16 matzo balls, each 1 inch in diameter.
Reduce flame and drop matzo balls into the gently boiling water.
Cover pot and cook 30 to 40 minutes.
Remove matzo balls from water and add to the Boiled Beef Belmont soup.
The soup is seved separately from the platter of boiled beef.
Add your own choice of accompaniments to the beef platter.