Braised short ribs with mustard spaetzle and aromatic vegetables

I can't remember when we made this, but I definitely remember making and eating it.  Janette loves mustard greens and the like, and the spaetzle is a nice German treat for her, and with braised beef, this is right up our alley.  You can vary the vegetables to choose exactly what's in season.

This recipe requires marinading ahead of time, and the braising of the beef and preparation of the sauce is even better a day ahead of serving, so this is a great dish to make  with a little effort spread over a few days, and making it easy on the day of your meal.  That's our favorite way to make a big impression on our guests without too much stress on ourselves. There's a lot going on with this recipe, but the timing of the preparations is really manageable. Each component has some long rest times during which the other items can be attended to. 

Serves 4, so make more (almost anything braised makes fantastic leftovers).

INGREDIENTS

Short ribs:

• 1 cup chopped onions
  
• ½ cup carefully washed and chopped leeks
  
• 1 Granny Smith apple, chopped
  
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
  
• 2 jalapeño chiles, chopped
  
• 4 tablespoons canola oil
  
• 4 cups zinfandel or other red wine (nothing too light—no pinot noir)
  
• 8 short ribs, trimmed of excess fat
  
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 4 sprigs thyme
  
• 4 sage leaves
  
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, tied up in cheesecloth to make a sachet
  
• salt and pepper
  

Vegetables:

• 2 Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into thick wedges
  
• 1 turnip, peeled and cut into thick wedges
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• salt and pepper
  

Mustard greens:

• ⅓ cup bacon, raw and chopped
  
• 4 cups mustard greens, cleaned and chopped
  
• ½ cup water
  
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  
• 1 teaspoon sugar
  

Mustard spaetzle:

makes 2 cups

• 2 eggs, beaten
  
• 3 tablespoons stone-ground mustard (plus extra to dress it after preparation)
  
• 2 cups flour
  
• 1¼ cups milk
  
• 2 tablespoons butter
  
• salt and pepper
  

DIRECTIONS

Prepare the ribs: Carmelize the onions, leeks, apple, garlic, and jalapeños in a hot sauté pan in 2 tablespoons of canola oil over medium-high heat for 7 to 10 minutes (until golden brown). Add the wine and bring to a simmer.  Cool the mixture and add the short ribs, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, thyme, sage, and coriander seeds. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Remove the ribs from the marinade and season them with salt and pepper.  Sear the ribs in a hot roasting pan with the remaining 2 tablspoons canola oil for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.  Add the marinade and stock and cover with aluminum foil.  Place the roasting pan in a 350°F oven and braise for 3 to 4 fours, or until the meat is fork tender.

Cool the ribs in the liquid, then remove them from the pan and set aside.  Strain the liquid into a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer.  Continue to simmer the braising liquid for 30 to 45 minutes, or until reduced to 1½ cups.

When ready to serve, place the ribs on a roasting pan and reheat in a 325°F oven for 7 to 12 minutes (until warmed through).

Prepare the mustard spaetzle: Combine the eggs, mustard, and flour in a medium bowl. Gradually add enough milk to make a fairly stiff batter.

Prepare the vegetables: Toss the potato and turnip wedges with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Place on a sheet pan and roast at 325°F for 45 to 60 minutes, or until tender.

Prepare the mustard spaetzle: Combine the eggs, mustard, and flour in a medium bowl.  Gradually add enough milk to make a fairly stiff batter.  Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.  Using a pastry bag, spoon, or spaetzle maker (spaetzle maker?!—we just used a plastic bag with a corner cut off), drop 1/2 teaspoonfuls of batter into lightly salted water.  Cook for about 1 minute, or until the spaetzle floats, and drain.  Sauté the spaetzle in the butter for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and keep warm.  Just before serving, toss with a spoonful of the mustard (or a similar whole-grain mustard).

Prepare the mustard greens:  Render the bacon in a sauté pan and add the mustard greens.  Cook for three minutes and add the water, balsamic vinegar, and sugar.  Continue to cook the greens for 10 to 15 minutes, or until tender, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

ASSEMBLY

Place two braised short ribs and some of the mustard greens into each bowl with a small amount of braising sauce. Arrange some of the roasted potato and turnip wedges in the bowls. Sprinkle with the mustard spaetzle and top with freshly ground black pepper.

MAKE AHEAD

Apart from the advance preparation required by marinating the meat, you can braise the meat and turn the braising liquid into your sauce a day (maybe two days) ahead.  That makes the rest pretty simple.

Wine Notes

This dish, with the rich, gelatinous braised meat, matches well with a tannic, smoky/spicy wine. With that said, match it with a wine similar in character to the wine you used in the marinade:  if you used a zinfandel, drink a zinfandel.