SLOW BRAISED SHORT RIBS WITH TURMERIC CAULIFLOWER MASH

Paleo Recipes

This is one of my winter is on the way comfort foods, succulent juicy fall of the bone tender slow braised beef with bone marrow infused au jus (which I just have to have in a mug with my meal!)  this is a dinner that cooks itself low and slow in the oven, aga or crock pot where very little effort is needed.  I often set this up early in the day so when we all get home we are welcomed with the gorgeous mouth watering smell of dinner,  just throw on some cauliflower mash and we're good to Go! 

Prep time 10minutes / Hands on cooking 20 mins / Slow cooking time 3-4 hrs

Ingredients 

(Serves 4)

6-8 short ribs (Butcher or Waitrose)

1 tbsp coconut or olive oil

2 carrots peeled and diced

1 large onion finely sliced

1 whole bulb garlic halved

1 leek quartered

2 bay leaves

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 sprig marjoram (optional)

1.5 ltr beef stock

1 ltr water (approx)

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp mustard powder

For The Cauliflower Mash

1 large head cauliflower florets

2 tbsp butter

1 pinch sea salt

1 pinch black pepper

1/2 tsp turmeric (optional)

Turn your oven to 150 C / 290 F, place the coconut oil in a large oven skillet or braising tin on a low medium heat, add the onion, gently cook for 10 minutes until translucent, next add the carrots and leek and leave to cook for a further 10 minutes until softened, you can add everything at once if in a hurry, but layering ingredients gives more depth of flavour, add the rest of the ingredients and place the short ribs bone side down in the tin, this is so that all the flavour from the bone marrow will melt into the stock, add enough water to cover the ribs.  Cover the braising tin with a sheet of parchment then tin foil and pop in the oven to work its in unattended magic for around three hours.  At this point I often remove the braising tin from the oven, have a quick check on how fork tender the meat is, if the meat is wanting to fall off the bone your good to go, if not just pop back in for another half an hour and check again.  At this point I also squeeze out all the lovely garlic purée from its casing in to the au jus and mix in, taste the au jus and season with sea salt if needed.

Meanwhile make the cauliflower mash, simply steam or boil your cauliflower until really soft, place in a large bowl with the butter, turmeric,salt and pepper and either mash by hand if you like texture or blitz with a hand blender or food processor if you like more of a soft smooth purée texture, taste and check for seasoning, that's it job done. 

Serve the gorgeous braised ribs on top of a pile of creamy buttery cauliflower mash with a ladle of au jus and for me a side order of aunjus in my special gravy mug so that I can drink in all that flavour!  It' something my man always did for me with her and my favourite dish Nan's braised steak and kidney.