Short Rib Grilled Cheese
With the constant pressure on chefs to create the newest dish, use the most unique flavor combinations or come up with the next craze (a la cronut or ramen burger), and the pressure on foodies to try them, it often feels good to go back to the classics. Aramark Executive Chef Niko Marinos at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., did just that with the short rib grilled cheese sandwich he created for New Jersey Devils hockey games. He put it on the menu for a preseason dinner with Devils coaches, staff and players, and it was a hit. “They raved about it so, after that night, we knew we had a winner on our hands,” he explained. “We decided to feature it in the restaurant menu and the fans have been raving about it ever since.”
To create the sandwich, Marinos starts by marinating the short rib in red wine for 24 hours, then braising it in the stock for six hours at 250 degrees. “It’s a labor of love to make this grilled cheese,” he said. “But the end result speaks for itself.”
The bread comes from a local bakery and it’s grilled for crispiness. Marinos uses two types of cheese, cheddar and Havarti, and baby greens to add some bitterness. “We pile it high,” Marinos described, adding that the stacked sandwich is one foot tall. “Not only is it a great tasting sandwich, but it gives that ‘wow’ when it’s dropped in front of a guest.”
The short rib grilled cheese sandwich is also served with salt and pepper fries. “When [people] get it, they’re like, ‘Wow, can I take some home?’” Marinos said. “But you’d be surprised; once you start, it’s almost like a little challenge. People want to finish it.”
Contact: Niko Marinos, (973) 757-6900
Aramark Executive Chef Niko Marinos
Prudential Center, Newark, N.J.
Chef Niko Marinos knew he wanted to be a chef since he was a young boy. “My family is from a small island in Greece, so in the summers growing up I learned my love of food there—fishing with my grandfather and cooking with my grandma,” he said.
He took on the challenge of becoming a professional chef, attending the Culinary Institute of America in New York. From there, he cooked around the country, from Hawaii to Boston to Alaska. He also worked at Citi Field with Aramark prior to coming to the Prudential Center.
His cosmopolitan background has well prepared him for his role at the Prudential Center, where he enjoys the excitement and the variety.
“One day we’re having a hockey game; the next day we’re having an Alicia Keys concert and the day after that we have Disney on Ice,” Marinos said. “It just keeps you on your toes; it keeps it fresh. You don’t get stagnant. And that’s a great thing.”