Merlot-Braised Beef Short Ribs with Rosemary-Parsnip Mashed Potatoes

Merlot-Braised Beef Short Ribs with Rosemary-Parsnip Mashed Potatoes

So what does one make for dinner on a Sunday when the Packer's and the Viking's are playing at 3:15? Why something that braises for 3 hours, of course! Everything for this dinner could be prepped and cooked before and during the game. Heat up the sides, blend the gravy and reduce and you've got dinner! Hey football is serious around here!


This is Bon Appetit's Short Rib Recipe that they labeled under "New Beef Stew". It's nice to see recipes being published that utilize the "lesser" cuts of meat for the sake of being economical but...for those of us who have been cooking for a long, long, long time we already knew that many of the "cheaper" cuts yield some of the most flavorful and divine dinners! This recipe appealled to me primary because of the addition of parsnips to the braising liquid and the mashed potatoes. I wasn't dissapointed. There were no carrots in this recipe and at least in my house it's not beef stew, new or old without them. That's where A.B.'s glazed carrots came to the rescue. The ginger ale glaze was a welcome addition. The original recipe used Zinfandel but I had 2 bottles of Merlot so one went into the pot and one went alongside the dinner. The only other thing I did was use an immersion blender on the sauce because I wanted it to be more like gravy. Ah, watching Brett Farve win again and a delicious dinner to boot. It was a wonderful Sunday ;). Enjoy!


Merlot-Braised Beef Short Ribs with Rosemary-Parsnip Mashed Potatoes (And A. Browns Ginger-Ale Glazed Carrots) Bon Appetit, May 2009

Ingredients
8 beef short ribs (If you have a big enough pot you could easily add another 2-or 3)
3 tablespoons room-temperature butter, divided
8 3- to 4-inch-long meaty beef short ribs (about 4 pounds)
Coarse kosher salt
2 1/2 cups chopped red onions
2 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled parsnips
6 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 750-ml bottle Merlot or Zinfandel 
2 cups low-salt beef broth
1 tablespoon all purpose flour



Potatoes
3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pound large parsnips, peeled, peeled, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 cup whole milk
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary



Directions
Ribs: Preheat oven to 325°F. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy large ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle ribs with coarse salt and pepper. Add to pot in single layer and sauté until brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer ribs to large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon butter to pot. Add onions; sauté until brown, about 6 minutes. Add parsnips; sauté until beginning to color, about 6 minutes. Mix in garlic, then rosemary. Add wine and broth; bring to boil, scraping up browned bits.


Return ribs and any accumulated juices to pot, arranging in single layer. Bring to simmer; cover and place in oven. Braise until ribs are very tender, about 2 1/2 hours.



Using tongs, transfer ribs to clean bowl. Spoon fat from pan juices. Boil juices until just beginning to thicken, about 10 minutes. Mix 1 tablespoon butter and flour in small bowl to smooth paste. Whisk into juices in pot; simmer until thickened enough to coat spoon, about 5 minutes longer. Season gravy with coarse salt and pepper. Return ribs to pot; spoon gravy over. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Rewarm over low heat before serving.


Potatoes: Cook potatoes and parsnips in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 15 minutes.


Meanwhile, bring milk, butter, and rosemary to simmer in small saucepan.
Drain potato mixture and return to pot. Stir briefly over medium heat to evaporate excess moisture. Add milk mixture and mash well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Transfer ribs and gravy to large shallow bowl. Serve short ribs with mashed potatoes.


Recipe: Glazed Carrots
Recipe courtesy of Alton Brown


Ingredients
1 pound carrots, approximately 7 medium, peeled and cut on the bias 1/4-inch thick
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter
Heavy pinch kosher salt
1 cup good-quality ginger ale
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves



Directions
In a 12-inch saute pan over medium heat, combine the carrots, butter, salt and ginger ale. Cover and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, remove the lid, stir, and reduce the heat to low. Cover again and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the lid, add the chili powder and increase the heat to high. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the ginger ale is reduced to a glaze, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Pour into a serving dish and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve immediately.


(I omitted the chili powder for this dinner but it does add a nice flavor for other applications)