Braised Beef Short Ribs With Spinach & Horseradish Cream

Total Time: 11 hrs Preparation Time: 8 hrs Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 2 tablespoons black peppercorns, cracked
• 8 beef short ribs (approx 5 1/4 lb.)
• 6 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup chopped sweet onion
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 1/4 cup chopped carrot
• 2 cups dry wine
• 1 1/2 cups ruby port
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 bay leaf (not california)
• 3 fest flat-leaf parsley sprigs
• 3 cups veal stock or 3 cups beef stock
• 1 1/2 lbs russet potatoes (baking)
• 1 1/4 lbs yellow fleshed potatoes
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 medium shallots, thinly sliced
• 15 ounces baby spinach
• 1/2 cup creme fraiche
• 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish (to taste)
• fresh thyme sprig

Recipe

• 1 prepare short ribs:.
• 2 press peppercorns onto short ribs and put in a large roasting pan. scatter thyme sprigs over ribs, then chill, covered, for 8 hours, or overnight. remove thyme sprigs and reserve.
• 3 preheat oven to 350°f.
• 4 sprinkle ribs with kosher salt. heat oil in a deep 12 inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until it is hot but not smoking. brown the ribs in two batches on all sides, transferring meat sides up to a roasting pan.
• 5 add onion, clelery, and carrot to the skillet and saute, stirring and scraping up the brown bits in pan, until the vegetables are golden brown, about 8 minutes. add wine, port, vinegar, bay leaf, parsley, and reserved thyme sprigs and boil until mixture is reduced to about 3/4 cup, about 20 minutes. add stock and bring to a boil, then ladles over short ribs in roasting pan (liquid will come about halfway up ribs).
• 6 cover the pan tightly with 2 layers of foil and braise short ribs in the middle ot oven until meat is tender and almost falling off the bone, 2 to 3 hours (depending on the size of the ribs). uncover roasting pan and roast ribs until they are slightly browned, about 15 minutes more.
• 7 remove from oven, then tent with foil and let stand for 10 minutes. transfer ribs to a platter and keep warm, covered.
• 8 pour liquid in roasting pan through a fine sieve into a bowl, then skim off the fat. (liquid should measure 1 cups, but you may have more. if so, transfer liquid to a small saucepan and boil until reduced to 1 cup.)
• 9 make potato puree while short ribs braise:.
• 10 cover unpeeled potatoes with salted cold water by 1 inch in a 6 to 8 quart saucepan. simmer potatoes, uncovered, until tender, about 25 minutes. drain in a colander and cool 15 minutes, then peel potatoes while they are still very warm. heat milk and cream until warm in a large heavy saucepan over low heat, then force peeled potatoes through a potato ricer into the saucepan. add butter a few pieces at a time, stirring until incorporated before adding next few pieces. season the puree with salt and keep warm, covered.
• 11 prepare spinach while ribs are standing:.
• 12 heat olive oil in clean 12 inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then suate shallots, stirring, until golden, about 4 minutes. add spinach and saute stirring, until just wilted, about 2 minutes. season with salt.
• 13 make horseradish cream:.
• 14 stir together creme fraiche and horseradish.
• 15 serve each rib on potato puree with spinach, then drizzle with cooking liquid and top with a dollop of horseradish cream.
• 16 cooks note: the ribs can be made one day ahead. cool, uncovered, in roasting pan, then chill, covered. reheat, covered, in a 350 f oven until heated through.