Braised Short Ribs over Turnip Puree

Recipe by The View From the Great Island

Braised Short Ribs over Turnip Puree ~ this is a richly satisfying meal that can be done on the stove, in the oven, or in a slow cooker. What I learned: when you brown a bone-in meat and then braise it in red wine and beef stock for a long time over a very low heat, and then reduce the sauce, it becomes something pretty awesome. Braising sounds so much better than pot roasting, but that’s basically what it is. You can do it in a low oven or on the stove ~ even in the slow cooker if you like.  A good heavy pot helps.  It takes a while, but not all day; 3 hours should do it, and you can walk away, no stirring or tending involved. Usually you see this dish served over pasta, or polenta.  I thought it would be a nice to lighten it up and serve it over a root vegetable puree. The mashed turnips are really nice underneath the rich sauce.  I think they’re my favorite root vegetable.  They don’t have the sweetness of carrots and parsnips; they have a slightly bitter ‘just out of the field’ taste, and  I don’t think the …

Ingredients

• 2 lbs short RIBS
• salt and fresh cracked pepper
• flour (leave out for gluten free/paleo)
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 large or 3 medium shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 carrots (diced)
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 oz 14 can beef broth
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• several sprigs fresh thyme
• turnip Puree
• 3 medium to large turnips, peeled and cut in large chunks
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• enough chicken stock or milk to thin the puree
• salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Method

1. Sprinkle the ribs with salt and pepper on all sides, then dredge in flour, shaking off the excess.
2. Heat the oil in a large heavy pot on medium high heat and brown the ribs on all sides. You should hear a loud sizzle when they hit the pan. Remove the ribs to a plate.
3. Lower the heat and add the vegetables to the pan and saute for a couple of minutes until they begin to soften.
4. Add the red wine and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan to get any brown bits. Reduce the wine for a couple of minutes. Then add the broth, paste, and herbs. Bring back to a boil.
5. Nestle the ribs into the stock. They should be almost covered with liquid, if not, add a little water. Reduce the heat, cover, and let the ribs braise for about 3 hours until the meat falls off the bone. You can do this on the stove, or in a 325 degree oven.
6. Now you need to get rid of the excess fat. The easiest way to do this is to refrigerate the pot for a couple of hours, or even overnight, and then peel off the hardened fat. This gives the sauce time to develop its flavor as well. You can also let the sauce rest for about half an hour and then skim the fat off with a large flat spoon if you can't wait, but you will have a fattier sauce.
7. Remove the meat to a platter. Carefully remove the bones and shred the meat, keep warm. Pick out the bay leaves and stems from the sauce, and boil it for several minutes to reduce it down. Don't skip this step. Check the seasoning.
8. Spoon some Turnip Puree on each plate or bowl, and top with some of the meat. Then ladle the hot sauce down over the meat and puree. Garnish with chopped parsley.
9. To make the turnip puree: cover the turnips with cold water in a saucepan and boil gently until they can be easily pierced with a sharp knife. Drain.
10. Put the turnips, butter and stock or milk in a food processor and process till creamy. Add sat and pepper to taste,

View the recipe instructions at The View From the Great Island