Five Spice Beef Short Ribs with Parsnip Purée

Who doesn't love braised fall-off-the-bone short ribs? This recipe gets a unique twist with Chinese flavorings. The Chinese Five Spice, famous for its ability to enliven even the blandest dishes, gives an incredible depth of flavor and the parsnip purée is a bright base to soak it all up. Also, whenever we make this, our house smells absolutely divine. A great way to welcome guests to a Chinese dinner party!

INGREDIENTS

• 4 pounds English cut beef short ribs (about twelve 3-inch pieces)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more for boiling
• 1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 medium carrot
• 7 medium parsnips, divided
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon high-heat vegetable oil, such as grapeseed
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons SKORDO Chinese Five Spice
• 1 750-ml bottle dry red wine
• 4 cups low-sodium beef broth (homemade, if possible)
• 1 small onion, cut into wedges
• 5 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, stems reserved
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Season ribs with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 1/4 teaspoons pepper and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Rinse one carrot and one parsnip and cut into thirds (no need to peel); set aside.
2. In a large bowl, toss short ribs with flour until evenly coated. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or other oven-safe pot over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add 3 or 4 short ribs and sear on all sides until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and continue working in batches to sear remaining short ribs. Pour out all but 1 tablespoon oil from Dutch oven and reduce heat to medium. Add tomato paste and five spice powder and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute. Add wine to pot, scraping up brown bits with a wooden spoon. Bring cooking liquid to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until liquid is reduced, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the carrot and parsnip chunks that you just set aside, broth, onion, garlic, reserved cilantro stems, bay leaves, and seared short ribs. Nestle the short ribs in the cooking liquid to cover. Bring the liquid to a simmer on the stovetop, then cover and transfer to the oven to braise for 2 hours. Uncover pot and continue to braise in the oven until beef is very tender and falling off the bone, 30 to 60 minutes more.
4. Meanwhile, boil a large pot of salted water. Peel and roughly chop remaining parsnips. Add parsnips to boiling water and cook until tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes. Drain vegetables and return them to the pot. Add milk, butter, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Use an immersion blender, potato masher or a fork to blend or mash to desired consistency (it can be as smooth or chunky as you like!). Taste and adjust seasoning. Place a lid on the pot and reserve until ready to serve.
5. When short ribs are done, transfer them from cooking liquid to a plate. Set a strainer over a large bowl, and strain cooking liquid. Discard solids and pour strained cooking liquid back into Dutch oven. Set pot over medium-high heat and simmer until liquid is reduced by half and coats the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Gently reheat parsnip purée.
6. Serve short ribs over parsnip purée, topped with its sauce and a sprinkling of cilantro.

 Inspired by: Epicurious