Braised Beef Short Ribs, Sweet Carrot Puree, Pan Roasted Baby Potatoes, Button Mushrooms, & Seared Onions
Prep Time: 40 min Cook Time: 2 ½ hrs Serves: 2
Winter weather and colder temperatures call for a hearty braise. This recipe may seem daunting, but fortunately most of the work is done in the oven. Developing the flavors gradually will help ensure you have a robust dish with decadent texture. Trust me; it’ll be well worth it in the end.
To begin, sear the ribs on high heat in a large pan on all sides. Sautéing the carrots, celery and onions in the leftover drippings will produce caramelization and build the deep flavors that a good braise delivers.
When preparing the carrots, cut them into equal size slices and simmer in water with sugar and salt. Cook the carrots until they are extremely tender, and reserve the liquid used to simmer them to make your puree. Gradually add the reserved liquid as you process the carrots so you don’t accidentally add too much.
The mushrooms are cooked twice; once in the oven to remove excess water, and then finished in a pan with butter when you’re ready to serve. It’s important to cook them this way, as simply placing them in the pan first will result in soggy mushrooms that have steamed in their own liquid.
Cook the onions quickly in butter over med-high heat. You want to cook them fast with higher heat and let them retain some texture while still picking up some flavor from the pan.
When the ribs are finished, strain the solids out of the braising liquid and reduce until thickened for use as a sauce. You may need to skim the liquid to remove some excess fat. Simply remove the thin translucent layer of fat that will accumulate on top with a ladle and allow the liquid to reduce until it coats a spoon. Stir in a small knob of cold butter to finish the sauce off the heat.
INGREDIENTS:
● 1 lb bone in beef short ribs
● 48 oz beef stock
● 1 cup Amber ale
● 2 celery stalks, cut into ¼” slices
● 7 medium carrots, peeled and divided (2 cut into ¼” slices, 5 cut into 1/2 “ rounds)
● 1 ½ yellow onion, divided (1 rough chopped, ½ sliced into ¼” crescents)
● 2 cup button mushrooms, chopped
● 2 oz bacon
● 6 baby yukon potatoes
● 6 oz chives, divided (4 oz whole, 2 oz chopped fine)
● 4 oz thyme, whole
● 4 cloves garlic, minced
● 2 tbs olive oil
● 4 tbs vegetable oil, divided
● 4 tbs butter, divided
● 3 cups water
● ¼ cup granulated sugar
● salt and pepper to taste
● flat leaf parsley for garnish
method:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place a large pan over high heat with 2 tbsp vegetable oil. While the pan is heating, season all sides of your short ribs liberally with salt and pepper. When the pan has come up to temperature, begin searing the short ribs for 1 minute on each side. When all sides have been seared, remove the short ribs from the pan and set aside.
Remove any used oil from the pan. Reduce to medium heat and add in remaining 2 tbs of vegetable oil, garlic and rough chopped onions, stirring occasionally. Cook for 2 minutes before adding in the celery and carrots. Allow carrots and celery to begin to brown before pouring in the beer. Begin stirring with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to remove any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Continue stirring to allow the beer to reduce and evaporate before returning the short ribs to the pan. Once in the pan, pour in enough stock to almost cover them leaving only the very top of the short rib exposed. Add in the whole chives, thyme, and bacon and bring to a boil. Put on the lid and place in the oven for two hours.
Coat the chopped mushrooms evenly with 2 tbsp of olive oil before spacing them apart on a lined sheet tray. Roast in the oven for 15-20 mins to remove any excess moisture and then set aside.
Combine the remaining carrots with the water, sugar, and a liberal pinch of salt in a small sauce pot. Set the pot over medium heat and bring up to a simmer, allowing the carrots to cook until very tender. Strain off the carrots, reserving a ¼ cup of the liquid. Add carrots to a blender and begin blending on low, gradually easing towards high to avoid splatter. Carefully pour in reserved liquid in stages, pureeing the carrots until very smooth. Season with salt (to taste) and set aside.
Place a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat and add in 1 tbsp butter. Place the reserved onions into the pan and season lightly with salt. Allow the onions to cook until they soften and start to brown, tossing occasionally. Reserve the onions once they have finished.
Place potatoes in a medium sauce pot and cover with water. Season the water heavily with salt and set the potatoes over medium heat to simmer until fork tender. Remove the potatoes from the water and slice in half.
Once the short ribs are fork tender, remove from the pan and strain off the solids in the liquid. Return the liquid and short ribs back to the pan and reduce over medium high heat.
Finish the mushrooms and potatoes while the braising liquid is reducing. Place a medium sized pan over medium heat and melt 1 tbsp of butter. Place the potatoes cut-side down into the pan. Cook for two minutes on each side until golden brown, remove from pan, and set aside.
Return pan to high heat, along with 1 tbsp of butter. Add the mushrooms and allow to brown, tossing occasionally. Once browned, incorporate the chopped chives and potatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste. .
Once the braising liquid has reduced to the point where it will coat a spoon, remove the short ribs. Add remaining 1 tbsp of butter and stir to emulsify. Serve the short ribs, potatoes, and mushroom over the carrot puree spooning the reduced sauce on top. Finish by garnishing with whole parsley and the browned onions. Enjoy!