Cookbook Spotlight: Tim Recher CEC, AAC, CWX, Quail West G&CC

This dish by Tim Recher CEC, AAC, CWX, Director of Culinary Operations at Quail West G&CC features deeply flavorful elements.

Tim Recher, CEC, AAC, CWX, Director of Culinary Operations, Quail West Golf and Country Club (Naples, Fla.), has long enjoyed the seasonal changes in the kitchen and the shift to heartier dishes.

“Braising is one of my absolute favorite techniques for the winter months,” he says. “I fell in love with short ribs the first time I tried them and somehow, they always end up on my menu. The flavors are simple, honest and a little bit classic, with time-honored combinations.”

Recher’s short rib features deeply flavorful elements like a savory jus, a rich, stretchy, smooth, and silky potato and a whiskey-glazed carrot.

“This dish reflects a lot of my culinary philosophy at this stage in my career,” says Recher. “It’s simple, but not simplistic, with great ingredients, proper cooking techniques and no gimmicks. Just honest food that tastes like it is supposed to.”

Recher believes food has integrity and that there is something special about the tenderness of a braised piece of meat.

“This is the kind of dish I would not only cook in one of our restaurants, but at home for my friends and family as well,” he say. “There are not a lot of ingredients to hide behind. The preparation of the dish has to be on point or it just won’t be successful. When I look at this plate, I can think back to all the people who helped me get to this point in my career. I can hear my mentors teaching me, critiquing my cooking, and shaping me into a chef I hoped to one day become.”