The perfect St. Patrick's Day spread!
What sums up a good Irish meal? In my mind it’s meat and potatoes, accompanied by an ice cold pint, plain and simple. In honor of St. Patrick Day I whipped up this dish, which I think even the most hardcore Irishman would approve of.
INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp canola oil
6 boneless short ribs
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 white onion, diced
2 large carrots, chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
2 clergy stalks, trimmed and chopped
2 leeks, sliced (pale green and white part only)
1 fennel bulb, sliced
1/2 tsp fennel
1/4 tsp cardamom
4 thyme sprigs
4 sage leaves
2 fresh bay leaves
2 rosemary sprigs
3 cups beef stock
2 bottles of Guinness Stout
2 lb. potatoes, mixture of Idaho, Russet, and Yukon Gold
4 tbsp Kerrygold Irish butter
2 tbsp heavy cream
Fresh chives, thinly sliced
THE HOW TO
Short Ribs
In a large stew pot, heat the oil until shimmering. Season the short ribs with salt, pepper, a dash of Worcestershire sauce, and add half of them to the pot. Cook over medium high heat, turning, until well browned all over, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining ribs.
Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the pot. Add onion, carrots, celery, leeks, and fennel bulb, and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes. Add the beef stock, beer, garlic, and remaining herbs and spices and bring to a boil. Transfer ribs and pot contents to a pressure cooker and set for 60 minutes on high.
Transfer the ribs to a platter. Strain the sauce (discard vegetables) into a medium saucepan and skim off the fat with a piece of bread (Gordon Ramsay trick), and boil until reduced to 2 cups, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Pour some of the gravy pack onto meat and let rest. Preheat the oven, and set to high broil. When ready to serve, spoon gravy over the ribs and broil the meat so it develops a nice caramelized crust, about 4 minutes on each side. Serve the ribs with the mashed potatoes, drizzle with gravy, and garnish with chives.
Mashed Potatoes
Peel, halve, and boil potatoes till tender. Drain potatoes, add to mixing bowl along with butter and cream, and proceed to mash. Season with salt and pepper to taste.