Braised Short Ribs with Maple-Brown Butter Sweet Potato Mash

(from castro15’s recipe box)

Categories: Meals

Ingredients

  • For the Ribs:
  • 2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 6 tbsp. canola oil
  • 4 lbs. beef short ribs, cut English-style
  • 4 large carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 3 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 14.5 oz. bag frozen pearl onions, thawed
  • 1 1/2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp. tomato paste
  • 12 oz. bottle beer
  • 2 tbsp. light brown sugar
  • 6 Roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 2 bay leaves
  • For the Sweet Potato Mash:
  • 4 lbs. orange sweet potatoes
  • 6 tbsp. butter
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • Kosher salt and black pepper

Directions

  1. Make the Ribs: Preheat the oven to 325. Arrange the racks so there’s room for both the sweet potato tray and your braising pot.

  2. In a small bowl, combine the cayenne, paprika, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Rub all of the meaty parts of the ribs with the rub.

  3. In a large Dutch oven, heat 4 tbsp. of the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering-hot. Add the ribs and brown all over until golden, turning every few minutes to brown all three sides, 10 minutes total. Transfer the ribs to a platter, pour the fat out of the pot, then carefully wipe out the pot with a wad of paper towel.

  4. Add the remaining 2 tbsp. oil to the pot, still over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrots and celery begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until it disappears into the vegetables and the flour browns a drop, about 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the beer and scrape up the browned bits at the bottom of the pot using a metal spoon. Bring to a boil and cook until the liquid has reduced by half and thickened, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar. Add the tomatoes, beef broth, bay leaves and 2 tsp salt.

  5. Bring to a boil, then return the short ribs to the pot, bone-side up. Cover, transfer to the oven, and bake until the meat is super tender and the liquid has thickened, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

  6. Carefully remove the ribs from the liquid. Remove the bones from the meat, then cover the meat with foil to keep warm.

  7. Set a colander over a large bowl and gently dump the vegetables and liquid into the colander. Skim the fat off the liquid and season to taste with salt and pepper. Return the vegetables to the strained liquid and cover to keep warm.

  8. Make the Sweet Potato Mash: After the ribs have been baking for about 45 minutes, pierce the sweet potatoes all over with a fork, arrange them on a baking sheet, and bake until tender, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Remove them from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.

  9. While the potatoes are cooling, in a small saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat until browned and toasted, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the maple syrup and 1 tsp salt and cook for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.

  10. . Remove the skins from the sweet potatoes, place the flesh in a large bowl, add the maple-butter mixture, and mash until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

  11. . Scoop the mashed potatoes on a serving platter and serve the ribs on top. Pour some of the gravy on top and serve the rest of the gravy with the braising vegetables, if you want.

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