Slow Cooked Short Ribs and Celery Root Puree

Fall is here (it seems to be cooling down ever so slightly?!) and so it’s time to bust out the slow cooking recipes! You know the ones where you walk in from your long day and your whole house smells amazing? Yup, this Slow Cooked Short Ribs and Celery Root Puree recipe is one of those.

Jen and I picked up these ingredients on our recent shopping trip to the new Whole Foods Market in Newport Beach.

This recipe calls for a dutch oven (a heavy cooking pot with a tight fitting lid) but you can easily switch to the crockpot and let it slow cook all day if you like (see my notes below).

This is an excellent make ahead recipe for entertaining, it’ll almost taste better the second day.

Note: Short ribs are a fattier meat so be prepared to remove as much fat as you can but embrace what you can’t because it’ll taste darn good.

The Celery Root Puree is the perfect creamy counterpart to this tomato and wine braised short rib and makes for an exciting substitute to a traditional mashed potato.

If entertaining be sure top with the gremolata to brighten the flavors and give the dish a pop of color.

For the Ribs:

2 1/2 lbs bone in beef short ribs

2 tsp dried basil

2 tsp dried thyme

kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

2 cups crushed tomatoes (I like San Marzanos)

1 cup chicken stock

5 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

1/3 cup vermouth

1/2 cup red wine

1 star anise (available at most Gourmet Markets, or you can omit, will still taste great!)

1 bay leaf

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Ready, Set, Cook!

Sprinkle ribs with dried basil, dried thyme, S+P, massaging the herbs and spices onto the surface of the meat.  Heat up an oven-proof dutch oven (or heavy pan with a tight fitting lid) over medium heat and add in some olive oil, when the oil is hot, brown the short ribs on each side.

When ribs are browned, remove them from the pot and carefully remove all but 2 tablespoons of the remaining fat.  Then over medium low heat add the chopped celery, onion, and garlic, stirring often to sweat the veggies, careful not to burn.

Add the red wine, stirring and using a spoon to pull all of the good flavor off the bottom of your pot.  Reduce the wine a little bit and then add the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth and vermouth and stir.  Then add the star anise and bay leaf.

{If you want to use your slow cooker at this point put your ribs into the slow cooker and and pour the liquid from your dutch oven on top and put on low for 6-8 hours}

Next, place the ribs back into your dutch oven and cover with the lid and place the entire dutch oven (pot) into the oven at 340 degrees for 2.5-3 hours.

When you pull it out of the oven, carefully remove much of the excess fat with a spoon making sure not to remove the delicious sauce.

Celery Root Puree

3/4 lb celery root (celeriac), green parts removed, peel off the snarly outer parts and cute into 1 inch cubes

1 garlic clove

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon butter

Simmer celery root, garlic and salt in a saucepan, covered until celery root is very tender, about 15-20 minutes.

Let cool a bit and drain the celery root of the liquid (reserving the liquid just in case) and then puree with cream & butter in a food processor until smooth.  (If you need to thin a little puree in a bit of the reserved cooking liquid.)  Season to taste with a little salt if necessary.

Gremolata topping

1 bunch italian (flat leaf) parsley, cut green leafy parts off of stems & chop

1 lemon, zested & minced

1 garlic clove, minced

Stir together and sprinkle on top of your short ribs just before serving.

Enjoy!

XO
Your Sus Chef