A classic Irish dish kicked up a notch with stout braised short rib.
Stout Braised Short Rib Shepard's Pie
Makes 8 servings
Ribs
4 to 5 pounds bone-in short ribs
Kosher salt
Coarse-ground black pepper
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 celery stalk, diced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 (14.9-ounce) can Guinness Stout Beer
2 cups beef broth, plus more for braising
1 cup barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
4 sprigs thyme
1 sprig rosemary
1 bay leaf
Topping
2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup heavy cream
1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
Kosher salt
Coarse-ground black pepper
Filling
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and sliced
Kosher salt
Coarse-ground pepper
1 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
1-2 tablespoons cornstarch
1-2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon chopped chives, for garnish
Season the short ribs with salt and pepper and allow them to sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the ribs, in batches until well-browned all over, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the ribs to a plate.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the skillet and return the pan to the medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook until the vegetables begin to caramelize, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the tomato paste and garlic and cook 2 additional minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and pour in the Guinness. Simmer until the beer is reduced by half, about 5 minutes, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the broth, barbecue sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Tie the thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf together with kitchen string and add to the pot. Return the short ribs to the pot along with any juices on the plate. Add additional beef broth to the pot, if necessary, to almost cover the ribs. Bring to a simmer, cover, and transfer to the oven. Braise until the ribs are fork tender, about 2½ hours, turning them after 1 hour of cooking time.
While the short ribs are cooking, prepare the potatoes. Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Heat over high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove the cover and reduce the heat to medium. Simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, about 15 minutes. Melt the butter over medium-low heat in a small saucepan with the heavy cream. Drain the potatoes in a colander and return them to the saucepan. Mash the potatoes then pour in the heavy cream mixture. Continue to mash until smooth. Stir in the cheese and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm until ready to use.
When the short ribs are done, remove them from the pot and place on a plate to cool. When the ribs are cool enough to handle, pull the bones from the meat and discard. Shred the meat with two forks, removing any large pieces of fat. Remove the herb bundle from the gravy and discard. Skim the fat from the surface of the gravy.
Increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.
To finish the filling, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the mushrooms, peas and parsley to the Dutch oven. Depending on the amount of gravy in the pot, dissolve 1 or 2 tablespoons cornstarch in 1 or 2 tablespoons water to make a slurry. Stir the slurry into the gravy until dissolved. Return the pot to the heat and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir the reserved meat into the gravy then transfer the filling to a large baking dish, leaving enough room for the potato topping.
Spoon the mashed potatoes on top of the meat filling and spread to the edges of the dish. Place the dish on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake until the filling is bubbling and the potatoes are golden brown, about 40 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped chives.
