Beef Short Ribs over Jarlsberg Mashed Potatoes

 

Have you noticed yet how much I love short ribs?  Probably.  It’s mostly because they are such a hands-off protein that is guaranteed to turn out well so long as you adhere to the old “low and slow” maxim of barbecue.  They can be served with excellent results over basically any starch and with a wide range of flavor profiles.  You may have guessed I am particularly partial to short ribs with tomatoes, which is reflected in this recipe.  Mostly, I included it because the mashed potatoes over which these short ribs were served were absolutely divine.  They were also incredibly simple and had a large punch of flavor without the addition of any milk or heavy cream.  This was a hearty meal.  You could also serve this as a simple stew by removing the beef meat from the rib bones and shredding, simmering in the cooking sauce, before serving atop mashed potatoes.  I thought it was lovely as is, however.

Beef Short Ribs over Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

Serves 2

Short Ribs:

5-6 beef short ribs

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

1 cup all-natural, whole wheat flour

1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

2 tsp. garlic powder

4 whole marinated garlic cloves, smashed with flat edge of knife

1 15 oz can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, with juice

1 tbs. garlic-flavored hot sauce

1 tbs. canola oil

Season ribs on all sides with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.  On a large plate, combine flour, kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes and garlic powder.  Roll short ribs in flour mixture until evenly coated with a light layer of the flower mixture.

Heat canola oil in a large sauté pan.  Add ribs and sear until well-browned, roughly 2-3 minutes per side.  Remove to a small casserole dish.  Add garlic cloves, whole peeled tomatoes with juice and garlic hot sauce to casserole.  Cover and marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 200º.

Add ribs and cook roughly 9 hours until meat is tender and falling from the bone.

Jarlsberg Mashed Potatoes:

5 medium Idaho potatoes, rinsed and mostly peeled, diced into 1/2″ cubes

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

1 cup Jarlsberg cheese, shredded

1/4-3/4 cups water reserved from boiling potatoes

If you do not want any skins in your potatoes, peel them completely.  If you want a lot of skins, do not peel them.  Generally, I peel the fattest part of the center, leaving the tips of the potatoes encased in the peels.  This leads to a rustic flair for the mashed potatoes but leaves a mostly creamy texture.

Boil a large pot of salted water.  Add potatoes and boil for roughly 25 minutes until potatoes are fork tender.  Drain potatoes, reserving a cup or two of cooking water (you probably won’t use all of this, but just in case!).

Add potatoes, salt, pepper, and grated cheese to a food processor.  Pulse in 2-3 second bursts 10-15 times until potatoes are mostly disintegrated.  Scrape down sides.  Slowly add reserved cooking water, a few tablespoons at a time.  After each addition of water, pulse potatoes and scrape down sides, testing for texture.  Continue adding water and testing until desired consistency.  Test for taste and add salt or pepper as necessary.

Serve short ribs over the mashed potatoes with a healthy ladle full of the braising liquid.

Shredded Braised Beef Short Ribs with Egg Noodles

I love short ribs.  They are versatile, rich, decadent, delicious and extremely cost effective.  I can rarely resist the very minimal price tag, and so have had to find a variety of ways to serve them.  This dish was so amazingly, mouthwateringly good that I’ll be making it, or a small variation on it, again in the very near future.  I prepared the marinade the night before serving, marinated overnight, and then popped these in the oven before I left for school in the morning.  It was such a load off to come home from a long day of studying and just have to boil some noodles, shred up the meat, and feast on 9 hours of slow-braised flavor.  This dish is comfort food at it’s finest.

As you may notice, this is very similar to my Tomato and Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs with Creamy Polenta.  I included it on the page, though, because it really illustrates how a few small changes to some standard ingredients and techniques can create a dish with an entirely different feel, even if the flavors are very similar.

Shredded Braised Beef Short Ribs with Egg Noodles

Serves 2

Shredded Braised Beef Short Ribs:

5 beef short ribs

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

1 tbs. dried thyme

1 tbs. dried parsley

1 tbs. canola oil

3 cloves garlic, smashed

2 cups red wine (I used a very bold burgandy)

2 cups homemade chicken stock

1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce

1 tbs. red wine vinegar

1 tbs. balsamic vinegar

2 medium carrots, chopped

2 medium onions, cut into wedges

2 ribs of celery, chopped

1/2 cup button mushrooms, sliced

Non-stick cooking spray

Season beef short ribs with kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper, dried thyme and dried parsley.  I let them sit in the refrigerator a few hours to help the flavors develop, but you could skip right to the next step if you’re pressed for time.  Heat the canola oil in a large skilled over high heat.  Sear the short ribs.  Spray a large casserole dish with non-stick spray and place the seared ribs into the casserole dish.  Add the garlic, wine, chicken stock, Worcestershire, red wine vinegar, and balsamic vinegar.  Cover the casserole and let marinate overnight.

Preheat oven to 200º.  Place covered casserole in the oven and braise, turning once, 8 hours.  Add the chopped vegetables and braise an additional 1-2 hours until vegetables and tender and meat is separating from the bones.  Remove casserole from oven.  Now is a good time to start boiling the water for the egg noodles.

Separate solids and liquids through a colander.  This makes it easier to pick out the beef bones.  If any meat remains attached to the bone, remove it.  Remember to save your bones for stock by letting them cool and them placing them in a zip lock in the freezer.   Add all ingredients to a large sauce pan and heat to a simmer over medium-high heat in order to reduce sauce by 1/2.  Meanwhile, shred the beef with two forks.  Taste the sauce for seasoning and adjust levels of vinegar, salt and pepper as necessary.

Egg Noodles:

Cook according to package directions.

Serve shredded beef and vegetables over the egg noodles.  Ladle some sauce over top and enjoy.