Beef short ribs is one of my favorite cuts, as they are tender and meaty. However to make a good braised short rib takes time as most recipes calls for them to cook in the oven for about 3 hours. In addition, often they are required to be coated in a rub the night before. So why bother going through all this trouble? Because the results is the most succulent and moist piece of meat ever to be served. As for the actual recipe, this dish was made following Suzanne Goin's.
Ingredients:
6 beef short ribs, 14 to 16 ounces each
1 tablespoon, and 4 whole sprigs thyme
1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup diced onion
1/3 cup diced carrot
1/3 cup diced celery
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1½ cups port
2½ cups hearty red wine ( I used a Cabernet)
6 cups beef or veal stock
4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
2 bunches Swiss chard, cleaned, center ribs removed
Potato purée (recipe below)
Horseradish cream (recipe below)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Potato purée
1½ pounds russet potatoes
1½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
¾ cup heavy cream
¾ cup whole milk
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
Kosher salt
Horseradish cream
¾ cup creme fraiche
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Season the short ribs with 1 tablespoon thyme and the cracked black pepper. Coat the meat well, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
Take the short ribs out of the refrigerator an hour before cooking, to come to room temperature. After 30 minutes, season them generously on all sides with salt.
Turn the oven down to 325°F.
When it’s time to cook the short ribs, heat a large sauté pan over high heat for 3 minutes. Pour in 3 tablespoons olive oil, and wait a minute or two, until the pan is very hot and almost smoking. Place the short ribs in the pan, and sear until they are nicely browned on all three meaty sides. Do not crowd the meat. When the ribs are nicely browned, transfer them to a braising pan. They should lie flat, bones standing up, in one layer.
Turn the heat down to medium, and add the onion, carrot, celery, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up all the crusty bits in the pan. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, until the vegetables just begin to caramelize. Add the balsamic vinegar, port, and red wine. Turn the heat up to high, and reduce the liquid by half.
Add the stock and bring to a boil.
Pour the liquid over the short ribs, scraping any vegetables that have fallen on the ribs back into the liquid. The stock mixture should almost cover the ribs. Tuck the parsley sprigs in and around the meat. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and a tight-fitting lid if you have one. Braise in the oven for about 3 hours.
The meat is done when it will yield easily to a knife. Taste a piece if you are not sure.
Let the ribs rest 10 minutes in their juices, and then transfer them to a baking sheet.
Turn the oven up to 400°F.
Place the short ribs in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, to brown.
Strain the broth into a saucepan, pressing down on the vegetables with a ladle to extract all the juices. Skim the fat from the sauce and, if the broth seems thin, reduce it over medium-high heat to thicken slightly. Taste for seasoning.
Swiss Chard:
Heat a large sauté pan over high heat for 2 minutes. Tear the Swiss chard into large pieces. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil to the pan, and add the Swiss chard. Season with a heaping a teaspoon salt and a pinch of ground black pepper. Cook for a few more minutes, stirring frequently, until the greens are tender.
Potato Puree:
Place the potatoes, whole and unpeeled, in a large sauce pot. Add 2 tablespoons salt and fill the pot with cold water. Bring the potatoes to a boil over high heat, turn down the heat to low, and simmer about 45 minutes, until tender. One type of potato may be done before the other, so check doneness and remove one variety first, if necessary. When the potatoes are cooked through, strain them, and set them aside to cool for 10 minutes or so. Heat the cream and milk together in a small saucepan, then turn off the heat. When the potatoes have cooled, peel them and pass them through a food mill or potato ricer. Put the riced potatoes in a heavy-bottomed pan. Heat them over medium heat a few minutes, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, to dry them out a little. Add the butter slowly, stirring constantly. Season with 2½ teaspoons salt. When all the butter has been incorporated, slowly stir in the warm cream mixture until you have a smooth purée. Taste for seasoning.
Horseradish Cream:
Combine the crème fraîche and horseradish in a small bowl. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and pepper. Taste for balance and seasoning.
Verdict:
The meat was tender as expected and fell off the ones once out of the oven. However if eaten alone it was slightly bland and could use a little more salt in the braising liquid. The potato purée was too creamy for my taste as both the butter and cream mixture provided too much of a rich texture. My favorite side was actually the Swiss Chard which resembled spinach in acidity but provided a nice chewy contrast to the potatoes. In the end the various compartments of the dish came together well and complimented each other. I would definitely make short ribs again, just not sure if I would use this recipe.
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