Braised Short Ribs w/ Roasted Vegetables

Ingredients

Braised Short Ribs

  • 5 lbs bone-in short ribs
  • kosher salt
  • freshly cracked black pepper
  • olive oil
  • 2 onions, diced
  • 4 stalks celery, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 1 cup red wine (optional)
  • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 qt beef stock
  • 4 sprigs of sage
  • 2 sprigs of rosemary
  • 2 bay leaves

Roasted Root Vegetables

  • 1 bunch long carrots, halved lengthwise
  • 4 celery sticks cut in fourths
  • 1 yellow onion quartered 
  • olive oil
  • kosher salt
  • freshly cracked black pepper

Whipped Mashed Potatoes

  • 5lbs Russet potatoes or Yukon Gold washed and peeled
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Braised Short Ribs

  1. Pat the short ribs dry and allow them to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper on all sides. Heat a large Dutch oven (or heavy-bottom pot) over medium heat. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom. When the oil is hot, work in batches to sear the short ribs on all four sides until deeply browned. Transfer the short ribs to a plate and set aside.
  2. Add the onions and celery to the beef drippings. Season with a good pinch of salt. Cook until softened and slightly brown. Stir in the garlic and continue to cook for a few seconds. Stir in the tomato paste and flour until well combined. Let cook for another minute or so.
  3. Add the wine and balsamic vinegar. Stir well and bring the liquid to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes. Pour in the beef stock and add the short ribs back to the pot, along with the herbs. Bring the liquid to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pot, leaving a slight crack to allow steam to escape.
  4. Braise the meat for 3 ½ hours. Stir in the lemon zest. Serve the short ribs & roasted root vegetables (recipe below) over whipped potatoes. Spoon some of the braising liquid over top.

Roasted Root Vegetables

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Arrange the onions onto a sheet pan and the carrots + celery onto another.
  2. Drizzle olive oil over the vegetables and toss well to coat all sides. Spread the vegetables into an even layer (the vegetables should not be on top of each other). Season well with a good pinch of salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
  3. Roast for 35-40 minutes, or until tender and caramelized.

Mashed Potatoes

  1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1/2 inch pieces. 
  2. Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover them with cold, salted water. There should be about an inch more water than needed to cover the potatoes.
  3. Bring the potatoes to a boil and then lower the temperature to medium. Let the potatoes simmer until they are fork tender, about 15 minutes.
  4. Drain the potatoes and place them in a large bowl. Add the butter and about half of the milk and begin to whip the potatoes with a hand-held mixer on low speed or with a stand mixer. Whip the potatoes until smooth, adding more milk as needed and seasoning them with salt and pepper. [Be careful not to over-whip the potatoes as they can become gummy. Whip only until smooth.]