Red-Wine Braised Short Ribs with Cauliflower Purée and Garlicky Kale

Ingredients

1. 1.5 kg grass-fed bone-in beef short ribs, in 5–6 cm pieces
2. 12 g fine sea salt and 1 tsp black pepper, 2–24 h ahead
3. 2 tbsp tallow, ghee or avocado oil
4. 1 piece medium organic onion, diced (about 120 g)
5. 2 piece organic celery stalks, diced (about 100 g)
6. 1 piece medium organic carrot, diced (about 100 g; skip it to lower carbs)
7. 4 piece organic garlic cloves, smashed
8. 30 g organic tomato paste
9. 250 ml dry red wine
10. 500 ml organic beef stock or bone broth
11. 1 piece 3 sprigs thyme, 2 bay leaves, 1 sprig rosemary
12. 1 tbsp balsamic or red-wine vinegar, to finish
13. 2 tbsp organic parsley, chopped
14. 600 g organic cauliflower florets
15. 250 ml organic double cream (or full-fat coconut cream)
16. 30 g organic butter
17. 300 g organic cavolo nero or curly kale, stems removed, sliced
18. 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 garlic cloves, a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon

Step-by-step method

1. Season ahead. Salt the ribs, leave uncovered in the fridge 2–24 hours. Pat dry before cooking.
2. Heat the oven to 150 °C / 300 °F (fan 135 °C).
3. Sear hard. Heat the fat in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the ribs in 2 batches, 3–4 minutes per side, until dark brown all over. Don't crowd the pot. Set aside.
4. Build the base. Pour off all but 1 Tbsp fat. Add onion, celery and carrot, cook 6–8 minutes until soft and golden. Add garlic and tomato paste, cook 2 minutes until the paste darkens to brick red.
5. Deglaze. Pour in the wine, scrape the bottom, and boil until reduced by half (about 5 minutes).
6. Braise. Add stock, herbs and the ribs, liquid reaching halfway up the meat. Bring to a simmer, cover and move to the oven for 2½–3 hours. Turn the ribs once at the halfway point.
7. Test. The meat is done when a fork slides in and twists with no resistance and the meat is pulling from the bone. If not, return for another 30 minutes. Target temperature: ~93–96 °C.
8. Make the purée while the ribs cook: simmer the cauliflower in salted water 12–15 minutes until very soft. Drain very well, then blend with the cream and butter until silky; salt to taste.
9. Finish the sauce. Lift the ribs out onto a plate and cover. Strain the sauce, skim the fat (a spoon, or chill and lift it off), and reduce over high heat to a glossy, coat-the-spoon consistency, 10–15 minutes. Stir in the vinegar to brighten. Return the ribs to the sauce to glaze.
10. Kale. Sauté garlic in olive oil for 30 seconds, add the kale with a splash of water, cover for 3 minutes, then uncover and sauté until tender and glossy. Add lemon.
11. Plate the purée, a rib, spoonfuls of sauce, and the kale. Finish with parsley.

Variations

• Weigh substitutions and recalculate nutrition before serving.

Storage

Best served fresh. Refrigerate leftovers promptly in a covered container and use within two days.

Questions and answers