Servings: 4
INGREDIENTS
- All-purpose flour
- 4 pounds beef short ribs
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons corn oil
- 1/2 cup date paste (available at Indian markets)
- 1 bunch baby carrots, peeled and trimmed
- 1 bunch baby beets, peeled and trimmed
- 1 bag white pearl onions, outer layer peeled and root end trimmed
- 1 1/2 cup red wine
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 300F.
Dust the short ribs with flour and season them with salt and pepper on all sides. In a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, warm corn oil. When hot, add ribs (work in batches) and brown on all sides, about 15 minutes per batch. Remove and set aside.
Add the date paste to the pan and crush it up with the back of a spoon. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the short ribs to the pan and add red wine and bring to a boil. Add chicken stock and bring liquid to a boil.
Reduce heat to low (liquid should be just under a simmer), cover, and transfer the pan to the oven. Cook until ribs are tender and the bone slips right out, about 2 hours 15 minutes. About 45 minutes before the ribs are done, add the carrots, beets, and pearl onions to the pan.
Lift ribs out of their braising liquid and sprinkle short ribs with salt and pepper if desired. Garnish with parsley and serve with cooking liquid.
TIP
This dish is great with Luxurious Potato Puree (see below).
LUXURIOUS POTATO PUREE
Servings: 4
INGREDIENTS
- 2 pounds Ruby Crescent potatoes or French fingerlings, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2 inch rounds
- 4 tbsp. salt
- 8 oz butter (2 sticks), room temperature
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup whole milk, warm
- Salt and pepper
- Fresh nutmeg
DIRECTIONS
In a medium-sized stockpot, cover the potatoes with 2 inches of water and add the salt. Bring to a boil and lower heat immediately so water is at a brisk simmer; if the potatoes boil too hard, they will break apart while they are cooking. When a paring knife inserted into a piece of potato meets no resistance, drain the potatoes and rice or pass them through the fine disc of a food mill into a clean stockpot over low heat.
Add the butter four tablespoons at a time, mixing vigorously with a rubber spatula. When all the butter has been incorporated, add the milk and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Grate a little bit of nutmeg into potatoes and mix again. Serve immediately.
TIP
For a decadent texture, pour the potatoes through a fine mesh strainer, using a small ladle or spatula to push the potatoes through. It’s not easy, but this will result in the best potatoes you have ever made.