Braised Short Ribs

with Horseradish Gremolata and Potato Puree

Makes 8 servings

Short ribs are always a crowd-pleaser and difficult to mess up, so keep this decadent dish in mind for your next dinner party. I prefer to braise a whole rack of short ribs—this makes slicing easier—but individual ribs are fine as well. The creamy potatoes that accompany the short ribs are downright gluttonous, with just enough garlic confit to give them a sweet, roasted flavor without making them into garlic mashed potatoes.

Braised Short Ribs

Preheat the oven to 250°F. In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat and add the onions. (If you don’t have a large Dutch oven, cook the onions in a skillet and transfer to a roasting pan before adding the ribs.) Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are well browned, about 10 minutes. Add the short ribs, garlic, salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, water, and 2½ cups of the vinegar. Bring the liquid to a simmer, then place a piece of parchment on top of the ribs. Cover the pot with aluminum foil and bake until the meat is very tender, 4 to 5 hours. Remove the pot from the oven and let cool to room temperature. Remove and discard the rosemary and thyme. The ribs can be cooked a day ahead and refrigerated overnight (which will also make it easier to remove the fat).

While the ribs braise, combine the remaining 1 cup vinegar and the sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce until you have a glaze thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Turn off the heat.

Remove the ribs from the pot and use a ladle to discard the fat. Pass the braising liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium saucepan and reserve the liquid and the garlic and onions. Bring the braising liquid to a boil and reduce until it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Transfer to a blender and add the reserved garlic and onions. Blend until smooth (the mixture should be the thickness of ketchup).

Preheat the broiler. Cut the meat off the bones and trim any connective tissue. If you braised a whole rack of ribs, divide the meat into eight portions. Place the ribs in a skillet and spread the puree over the ribs. Add just enough water to cover the bottom of the skillet. Broil until a crust forms on the ribs, 4 to 6 minutes (if the ribs start to char or burn, remove them from the oven). Brush the top of the ribs with the vinegar glaze and return to the broiler for about 1 minute, or until the top of the meat is caramelized (remove the meat if the glaze begins to burn).

Potato Puree

  • 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ¾ cup milk
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 5 cloves Garlic Confit
  • Kosher salt

In a medium saucepan, cover the potatoes with cold water. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat and cook the potatoes until soft, 15 to 20 minutes. While the potatoes cook, combine the cream, milk, butter, and garlic confit in a small saucepan and warm over low heat (do not boil). Drain the potatoes and, when cool enough to handle, pass them through a ricer or food mill into a saucepan, adding the garlic as well. Heat the puree over low heat, stirring in enough of the hot cream until the puree is very smooth and creamy. Season to taste with salt. Cover the top of the potatoes with plastic wrap and keep warm.

Horseradish Gremolata

  • ½ cup finely chopped parsley
  • ½ cup finely chopped chives
  • 1 red finger chile, seeded and finely chopped
  • 1½ tablespoons finely grated fresh horseradish
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

In a bowl, combine the parsley, chives, chile, horseradish, and lemon zest.

For Serving

Spoon some potato puree into the center of eight serving plates and top with the short ribs. Pour any leftover liquid from broiling the ribs over the meat. Sprinkle the gremolata and pickled onions over the meat and serve.

The Takeaway

Even with super-tender braised meats like these short ribs (and the brisket), I like to slice and broil the meat with a sweet glaze. This “braise and glaze” technique builds a wonderfully caramelized crust that crackles like the top of a crème brûlée.