Braised Beef Short Ribs With Spinach & Horseradish Cream

This recipe is from the November 2001 issue of Gourmet Magazine. It is from the "You Asked for It" Column and was adapted from Lucques in Los Angeles. You will need to do some advance prep for the ribs (overnight) so plan accordingly. It is a bit fussy, but it is so yummy it hurts.

• Ready In: 11 hrs
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• For short ribs

• 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 white 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

• For potato puree

• 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

• For spinach

• 3  tablespoons olive oil
• 4  medium shallots, thinly sliced
• 15  ounces  Baby Spinach

• For horseradish cream

• 1⁄2 cup creme fraiche
• 1  tablespoon  prepared horseradish (to taste)

• Garnish

•  fresh thyme sprig

Directions

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 white 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.