“Decadent and rich, slow-cooked ribs make me a happy man,” says Stone. “Short ribs are naturally a tough piece of meat, which isn’t a negative thing. It means they have loads of flavour and, after gently braising, the meat can be broken up with the back of a fork. Gremolata is a herb condiment classically made with parsley, lemon zest and garlic, and gives this dish a grassy-zesty lift.”
Ingredients
Pomme purée
Gremolata
Method
Main
1.Preheat oven to 140C. Dry-roast spices in a small frying pan over medium-high heat until fragrant (2-3 minutes), and transfer to a bowl. Dry short ribs well with paper towels and season to taste. Heat a large casserole over medium-high heat until hot, add 2 tsp olive oil and half the ribs, then cook, turning once, until ribs are heavily caramelised (5-6 minutes). Set aside and repeat with remaining oil and ribs.
2.Wipe out casserole with paper towels, add sugar and cook without stirring until dark caramel (1-2 minutes). Add wine (be careful, hot caramel will spit), stir to combine and simmer until reduced by half (1-2 minutes). Add stock and toasted spices, bring to the boil, return ribs to casserole, cover and braise in oven, turning ribs every 45 minutes, until very tender (3-3¼ hours). Cool ribs slightly in braising liquid, then remove and set aside in a warm place.
3.Strain braising liquid into a saucepan and set aside until fat settles on the surface. Skim off fat and simmer braising liquid over medium-high heat until reduced by two-thirds (15-20 minutes), then strain through a sieve lined with muslin and keep warm.
4.Meanwhile, for pomme purée, bring potatoes to the boil in a large saucepan of salted water (to cover by 4cm) over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until tender but not bursting apart (20-25 minutes). Drain and peel while hot, then pass through a moulis or press through a ricer or sieve into a clean pan. Stir potato over medium heat to dry out (1-2 minutes), then add butter in batches, beating well between additions, then press through a fine sieve and return to pan. Add milk in 4 stages, beating well between additions, season generously to taste with sea salt (about 3 tsp) and keep warm.
5.For gremolata, blanch three-quarters of the parsley until bright green (30 seconds), then drain and refresh. Drain again, squeeze out excess water, then process in a blender on high speed with oil until very smooth and vibrant green (8-10 minutes). Strain through a fine sieve and refrigerate until required. Parsley oil can be made 3 days ahead. Just before serving, finely chop remaining parsley, and add to parsley oil with lemon rind and juice, garlic and 1 tsp sea salt flakes.
6.Divide the pomme purée among serving plates, and top with a short rib, a little sauce and gremolata and serve.
Drink Suggestion: 2009 Emilio Moro, Ribera del Duero, Spain. Drink suggestion by Ben Aviram
Notes
