Braised Beef Shortribs With Young Spinach And Horseradish Cream

Recipe courtesy of Sunday Suppers At Lucques By Suzanne Goin with Teri Gelber Published by Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc.

Serves eight

For the beef

• 8 each 14-16 oz. beef shortribs marinated overnight in cracked black pepper and thyme sprigs
• 1 cup medium dice onion
• 1/4 cup medium dice celery
• 1/4 cup medium dice carrot
• 3 sprigs italian flat-leaf parsley
• 6 sprigs of thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 bottle hearty red wine
• 1 1/2 cup port
• 6 cups veal or beef stock

For the potato puree

• 4 large russet potatoes
• 4 large yukon gold potatoes
• 4 tablespoons kosher salt for boiling the potatoes
• 3 teaspoons kosher salt for seasoning the puree
• 1 cup cream
• 1 cup milk
• 1 pound unsalted butter, cut into chunks

For the vegetables

• 4 cups young spinach, cleaned
• 4 shallots, sliced thin

For the horseradish cream

• 1/2 cup creme fraiche
• 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish or more to taste

Mix together and season with salt, pepper and lemon if desired.

For the ribs

1. Season the shortribs on all sides with salt and pepper. In a heavy sautepan sear the shortribs in a little cooking oil until they are caramelized on all sides (except for the bone side).

2. Remove the ribs to a platter and saute the vegetables in the same pan, stirring constantly to pick up all the crusty bits left in the pan until the vegetables are caramelized. Add the bay leaf, thyme and parsley.

3. Add the balsamic, port and red wine and reduce by three-quarters. Add the veal stock and let come to a boil.

4. Pour the liquid into a braising pan and then place the shortribs and their juices in the pan. The liquid should come 3/4 of the way up the side of the meat. Cover the pan with plastic wrap (yes, it can go in the oven!) and then aluminum foil. Braise in a 350 degree oven for approximately 3 hours.

5. After 2 hours and 45 minutes check the meat for doneness. It should be tender and falling off the bone. Insert a paring knife into a shortrib...the meat should fall off the knife easily. When the meat is done, uncover the pan and let the ribs brown in the oven for 10-15 minutes until they are nicely caramelized.

6. Let the ribs rest for 1/2 hour in their juices then remove them to a sheetpan and strain the juices. When the juices cool you will be able to skim off most of the fat.

7. When you are ready to serve, reheat the ribs in their skimmed juices.

For the potatoes

1. Boil the potatoes (skin on) in water to cover with 2 tablespoons salt.

2. When the potatoes are cooked through, strain them and set aside to cool until you can handle them. Peel the potatoes and put them through a food mill or potato ricer. Put the riced potatoes in a heavy-bottomed pan. In a separate pot, heat the milk and cream together. Over a medium heat stir the potatoes with a wooden spoon to dry them out. Then slowly add in the hunks of butter stirring constantly. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.

3. When all the butter has been absorbed, slowly add in the milk/cream mixture until you achieve the consistancy of a puree. Taste for seasoning and remove from the stove.

4. At the restaurant we pass the mixture through a fine mesh tamis with a rubber spatula two times. This makes an extremely smooth puree. You can skip this step if you want a more rustic style potato puree. If you are going to serve the puree soon, you can hold the potatoes in a metal bowl covered tightly with plastic wrap. Otherwise you can make them ahead of time, let them cool, keep them refrigerated and later heat the puree in the oven with a little more cream.

When you are ready to serve

1. Put the ribs in their juices in a 400 degree oven to reheat.

2. Saute the spinach and shallots in 1 tablespoon butter until just wilted. Season with salt and pepper.

3. In the center of 8 large bowls place a spoonful of hot potato puree. Divide the spinach among the 8 bowls. Place a shortrib in the center of each bowl and spoon over some of the braising liquid. Top with a generous spoonful of horseradish cream and serve immediately.