Dallas is famous for steaks, but when chef Taylor Kearney was workshopping hearty dishes for his fall and winter menus, he wanted to showcase a different use for beef. Short ribs were the answer.

Kearney is the corporate chef for Harwood Hospitality, the group behind restaurants like Saint Ann, Te Deseo, Dolce Riviera, Elephant East and Mercat Bistro. A few years ago, the Harwood team began working with small local ranches to raise their own super-prime Akaushi cattle so the restaurants could offer the best meat across various cuts.

Kearney employs that top-notch wagyu beef in this short ribs recipe, which also features rendered beef tallow, red wine and fresh herbs, plus a side of tallow pomme puree. It’s rich, delicious and currently on Mercat Bistro’s menu, if you’d rather leave it to the professionals.

If you want to make this recipe at home, Kearney stresses that you cannot rush the slow-cooking process. Mismanage the meat, and you’ll ruin the dish, so take the time required to coax out all those flavors and textures. If you want this for dinner, he suggests starting in the morning. As a bonus, your house will smell great all day long.

When you’re ready to eat, place the pomme puree on your plate, then top with the short ribs and sauce. At the restaurant, Kearney also enlists onion jam and pickled shallots to counter the rich meat and creamy potatoes.

Equally important is the wine. The chef likes to serve these short ribs with Guigal Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2017, which he says goes perfectly with the braise.

Chef Taylor Kearney's Braised Short Ribs With Tallow Pomme Puree

Servings: 2

Ingredients

For the short ribs:
2 oz. thyme
6 sage leaves
2 bay leaves
1 head of garlic, peeled
4 shallots, peeled
2 lb. boneless chuck flap short ribs, cut into 6-8 oz. portions
2 cups rendered beef tallow
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 large carrot
2 celery stalks
4 cups red wine
4 cups beef broth
2 Tbsp. Kosher salt
1 Tbsp. black pepper, ground
For the tallow pomme puree:
2 lb. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled
½ lb. whole butter, softened
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup rendered beef tallow
2 Tbsp. Kosher salt
⅛ tsp. white pepper

Directions

For the short ribs:
1. On a large tray, lay out short ribs and season all over with kosher salt and black pepper.
2. Make a sachet with the thyme, bay leaves and sage.
3. Large dice the carrots and celery.
4. Bring a large, heavy bottomed pot to high heat and add the tallow. Sear the short ribs on all sides and ends until dark brown. Remove the short ribs.
5. In the same pot, add the shallots, garlic, celery, carrots and sachet of herbs. Do not remove excess oil. Caramelize the vegetables until golden brown. Once caramelized, add in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
6. Still on high heat, deglaze the pot with the red wine. Use a flat wooden spoon to remove all the fond on the bottom of the pot. Once the wine has come to a boil, reduce by half and add the beef stock.
7. Add the short ribs back to the pot and bring the mix to a simmer. Once the entire mixture is at a simmer, cover with either foil or a lid and braise in a 300-degree oven for 3-4 hours, until fork tender.
8. Once the short ribs are braised, remove from the oven and let rest in the sauce for at least 30 minutes. Once the ribs have rested, remove from the liquid, remove the excess fat from the sauce and over high heat reduce the sauce by half. Once the sauce is reduced, use an immersion blender and puree until smooth. Pass the sauce through a chinois or fine strainer and return the ribs to the sauce until ready to eat.
For the tallow pomme puree:
1. In a large pot, add potatoes and cover with cold water. Poach, do not boil, the potatoes until tender.
2. Once the potatoes are soft and not broken, lay out to drain for at least 5 minutes in a warm place.
3. Warm cream until it boils, then remove from heat.
4. Run potatoes and butter through a food mill or ricer.
5. Once the potatoes are milled, place in a large bowl and fold in cream, tallow, salt and white pepper using a spatula. When they are the right consistency, pass the potatoes through a chinois or fine strainer to remove all lumps.
6. Place in a pan, cover with plastic wrap and keep warm until ready to eat.