Executive Chef Malaki Craft refreshes Rick Erwin’s Clemson with bright flavors, dietary accommodations, and wine dinners
You may notice something fresh if you take a look at Rick Erwin’s Clemson menu. The staples are mostly the same, but features like carrot risotto, celery root puree, and sour apple slaw brighten dishes. There’s noticeably less dairy, and the menu marks vegetarian and gluten-free plates with a handy “V” and “GF.” Hailing from South Florida, Malaki Craft is responsible for the new flavor.
When Craft—a classically trained chef, expert in steak and butchery, and pasta aficionado—started at Rick Erwin’s Clemson, the kitchen struggled to accommodate dietary requests, and the menu, he says, was a bit dated for Clemson’s evolving clientele. As a country club chef in South Florida, Craft was familiar with dietary restrictions and able to bring this and his self-described new age style to the plate.
Craft’s journey into fresh cooking has roots in his grandmother’s kitchen, where he made chowchow, pickles, and relishes beside his mother and her mother, using vegetables gleaned from their one-acre garden. Craft then concocted vinaigrettes with his now-stepfather, made sandwiches at a cafe, and worked his way from dishwasher to line cook at a high-end Chinese restaurant before he entered an upscale kitchen and attended culinary school.
Along with his recent menu revamp, Craft boasts a newly trained Clemson staff equipped to host exquisite wine-tasting dinners. Their latest dinner, spotlighting acclaimed Orin Swift wines, featured six courses, including scallop crudo paired with rosé, venison tartare paired with pinot noir, and—a fan favorite—lamb agnolotti paired with a zinfandel blend. Since January, the restaurant has curated eight wine dinners, and the menus can accommodate dietary restrictions for each course.
The enthusiasm around Craft is palpable: regulars ritually visit for the chef’s latest dishes, attend his extraordinary wine dinners, and sing his praises. A New York reviewer who publicly declared Craft’s short ribs to be the best in the world recently returned to the restaurant, a year after his first taste. While chatting with Craft, the big city critic further extolled the short ribs, which routinely receive phenomenal reviews. It’s this esteemed dish that Craft shares with TOWN.
The short ribs are locally driven—they’re braised in a sorghum flavor profile and served with Sea Island red peas and grits sourced from Anson Mills. For Craft, sauces like the braise are fundamental to any superb dish, and it’s essential to complete each step to build layers of flavor. Within recipe procedures, Craft allows creativity and says you can play with ingredients and quantities. But before you experiment with Craft’s provided recipe, you may want to follow it as written. After all, it’s rumored to be the best in the world.
Recipes from Rick Erwin’s Clemson Executive Chef Malaki Craft
Sorghum Braised Short Ribs
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 4 9 oz beef short ribs
- 1 onion, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 carrot, sliced
- 2 ribs celery, sliced
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp granulated garlic
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 3 oz Guinness beer
- 1 ½ cups veal (or beef) stock
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock
- ⅓ cup sorghum
Instructions
- Season short ribs generously with steak seasoning.
- Sear short ribs over high heat on all sides.
- Place short ribs in 4”-deep baking dish or Dutch oven and lay cheesecloth over top.
- Using a rondeau, saute vegetables until tender.
- Add spices and saute 1–2 minutes.
- Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
- Reduce liquid by 20 percent.
- Pour braise over short ribs.
- Cover pans with foil and cook at 275°F for 4–5 hours until fork tender.
- Allow short ribs to cool in the braising liquid so they may reabsorb the liquid.
Baked Sea Island Red Peas
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp cup garlic, chopped
- 1 onion, small dice
- 2 ribs celery, small dice
- 1 carrot, small dice
- 1 bell pepper, small dice
- ¼ lb bacon, small dice
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp coriander
- ¾ cup sorghum
- ¾ cup ketchup
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ cup cider vinegar
- 2 oz Texas Pete
- 8 oz brown sugar
- ¼ tsp cayenne
- 2 oz Worcestershire
- 2 lb dried (2 qt cooked) Anson Mills Sea Island Red Peas
Instructions
- Using a medium sauce pot, render bacon over medium heat.
- Saute vegetables with bacon until tender.
- Add spices and toast for 1 minute.
- Add remaining ingredients and simmer 10–15 minutes.
Cheddar Grits
Serves 4
Ingredients
- ½ cup Anson Mills grits
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup chicken stock or water
- 3 oz butter
- 3 0z cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 tsp blackening spice
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Combine cream and water in a sauce pot over medium-high heat.
- Once the liquid comes to a boil, whisk in grits.
- Continue to whisk grits until slightly thickened, approximately 2 minutes.
- Reduce heat to a simmer and allow grits to cook 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Once the grits are softened, add butter, cheese, and seasoning.
- To serve, spoon grits onto plates and top with braised short ribs.
Photography by Anna Bullock, Hinge Creative
