Spice rubbed beef short ribs with black plums, glazed porcinis, and potatoes recipe

Ingredients

• 2 medium dried ancho chiles or 1 tablespoon dried ancho chile powder
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon allspice berries
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 3 whole star anise
• 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 (1 ¼ or 1 ½-pound) or 4 (7- or 8-ounce) boneless beef short ribs
• 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) olive oil
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• ½ small onion, sliced
• 2 ounces fresh ginger, sliced thin
• 3 garlic cloves
• 3 ounces tamarind paste
• 2 plum (roma) tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup (8 ounces) dry red wine
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 12-ounce bottle or can dark beer, such as Santa Fe Brewing Company Nut Brown Ale
• 4 cups (1 quart) Light Chicken Stock
• 1 cup (8 ounces) Veal Demi-Glace

• 4 medium size russet potatoes
• ¼ cup (2 ounces) olive oil
• 8 ounces porcini mushrooms, or other wild mushrooms, sliced or cut in equal-size chunks
• 12 cipollini onions, blanched and peeled
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
• Kosher salt and ground white pepper

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
• 2 large black plums, or other plums, halved
• Kosher salt and ground white pepper
• 2 teaspoons fresh grated horseradish or more to taste, for the finished dish
• Tarragon leaves, small arugula leaves, or tiny salad greens, for the finished dish

To Prepare the Spice Rub and Ribs
1. Combine the chiles, peppercorns, coriander, allspice, cumin, and star anise in a small sauté pan. Warm over medium heat until lightly toasted and fragrant.
2. Transfer to a spice grinder or clean coffee grinder and process to a coarse texture. Mix in the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
3. Rub the short ribs with the spice mixture and place the meat in a large zipper-lock bag or in a shallow dish covered with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours.
4. Warm a heavy medium-size roasting pan on the stovetop over high heat. When the pan is very hot, add the oil and quickly swirl it around.
5. Add the short ribs and sear until richly brown on all sides, 5–6 minutes. With tongs, remove the beef and place it on a plate.
6. Add the celery, onion, ginger, and garlic to the pan. Lower the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes, then add the tamarind and tomatoes, and sear until the ingredients are deeply browned, almost black.
7. Pour in the wine, soy sauce, and beer. Scrape up the mixture from the bottom, and reduce the liquid by half.
8. Return the short ribs to the pan, add the stock and demi-glace, cover the pan and bake until the meat is quite tender but short of falling apart, 2 ½–3 hours.
9. Remove the short ribs from the pan and wrap in foil to keep them warm if you will be serving them within 1 hour. If you have cooked them ahead, let them cool a little and then refrigerate.
10. Degrease the braising liquid and keep it warm over low heat.
To Prepare the Porcinis and Potatoes
11. Pare off about half of the potato peels, leaving them striped, more or less, from top to bottom. Cut the potatoes in 1-inch cylinders or, more simply, into 1-inch cubes.
12. Warm the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes and brown them on all sides over several minutes.
13. Stir in the mushrooms and onions, and sear them all around briefly.
14. Add 1 inch of the braising liquid to the pan (reserving the rest), adjust the heat to medium-low, and cook until the vegetables are tender. Stir and scrape the vegetables up a few times to cook them evenly. If liquid still remains, turn the heat up to high to evaporate it and glaze the vegetables. (If the vegetables aren’t yet tender when the mixture is drying out, just add a little water.)
15. Stir in the tarragon. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
To Prepare the Plums
16. Warm the oil and butter in a small skillet over medium heat.
17. Add the plums, cut-side down. Sauté on that one side until softened with a few caramelized spots, a couple of minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Putting it all Together
18. If needed, reheat the short ribs and remaining braising liquid. Divide the ribs equally among 4 plates. Drizzle each with a few tablespoons of the braising liquid. Spoon vegetables around the meat, getting a few potatoes, porcinis, and onions on each plate. Add the plums, leaning them against the meat. Scatter horseradish over each plate, garnish with leaves, and serve.