Garlic and Red Wine Braised Short Ribs with Creme Fraiche Mash

Short ribs

2kg bone-in beef short ribs, cut cross-wise into 2-inch pieces

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 medium onions, chopped

3 medium carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 bottle dry red wine (preferably cabernet sauvignon)

10 sprigs flat-leaf parsley

8 sprigs thyme

4 sprigs oregano

2 sprigs rosemary

2 fresh or dried bay leaves

2 heads of garlic, halved cross-wise

4 cups beef stock

Mashed potatoes

3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes

1/2 cup heavy cream or whole milk, plus more if needed

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

4 tablespoons creme fraiche

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Freshly chopped chives

Gremolata garnish

Leaves from one bunch flat-leaf parsley

Zest from 1 lemon, zested into long strips

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 180°C. Season short ribs liberally with salt and pepper. In a large casserole, heat oil over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, brown the short ribs on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the drippings.

Add onions, carrots and celery to the pot. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the onions are browned, about 5 minutes. Add flour and tomato paste. Cook, stirring constantly, until well-combined and deep red, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the wine, then add the short ribs. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium and simmer until wine is reduced by half, about 25 minutes. Add all herbs to the pot, along with the garlic. Stir in stock. Bring to a boil, cover and transfer to the oven.

Cook until the short ribs are tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours, then transfer to a platter. Strain the sauce from the pot into a measuring cup. Spoon fat from the surface of the sauce and discard. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

While the short ribs are cooking, prep the potatoes. Peel the potatoes and dice into 1-inch cubes. Place in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a rolling boil. Cook until fork-tender.

Remove from the heat and drain the water. Process the potatoes through a ricer and place them back into the warm pot. Stir in the cream, butter, Parmesan and creme fraiche until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper and fold in the chopped chives.

In a small bowl, combine gremolata ingredients.

Serve short ribs in shallow bowls over mashed potatoes. Spoon sauce over the top and garnish with gremolata.