Beef Short Ribs with Fennel and Lemons over Thyme Infused Mashed Potatoes

The weather in Tampa has been HORRIBLE!  It has RAINED for 3 straight days.  

Tropical Storm Debbie will just NOT go away, FYI, Florida is somewhere under that big swirl of clouds.  
I feel as if I have been soaked since I got up on Sunday and by Tuesday, I was in need of some comfort food.  Gordy and I loved my experiment with Slow Cooked Short Ribs over Basil Whipped Potatoes, so I decided to keep experimenting!  Luckily I had some short ribs in the freezer.  I put them out to thaw while I was working.  When I got off at noon, I dried them off and sliced them between the ribs.  I sprinkled them with a little salt and pepper.

 I chopped my vegetables into large chunks.  I browned the ribs in a little olive oil and then removed them to a plate. 

 I added a little more oil to the pan and cooked the chopped veggie with 2 sprigs of thyme and a little salt. 

 When soft, after about 10 minutes, I returned the ribs to the pot along with 2 cups of red wine, 4 cups of beef broth, 4 sprigs of thyme, 1 quartered lemon and 2 stalks of fennel.  I brought it all to a boil, covered the dutch oven and placed it in a 300 degree oven for about 4 hours. 

I carefully removed the dutch oven and allowed it to cool for a couple of minutes.

 I removed the fennel, thyme and the lemons. 

 I strained most of the broth off, leaving about 1/2 cup or so.  I gently stirred the meat and vegetable, removing all the bones.  I returned the lid to my dutch oven while I simmered the strained broth in a separate pan for about 15 minutes, until reduced and thicken.  I added thickened broth back to the dutch oven and placed it back in the warm oven while I prepared my potatoes.

 To save pots, I boiled the potatoes I reduced the broth in, along with a little salt and 2 cloves of garlic.  While the potatoes were cooking, I warmed 1/4 cup of cream in the microwave for about 30 seconds.  I added 2 sprigs of thyme and let it infused while the potatoes finished cooking.  When the potatoes were done, I turned my burner off and I drained the pot.  I returned the pot to the burner to help evaporate any additional water.  I removed the thyme from the cream.  I whipped the potatoes with my hand held mixer, slowly adding the infused cream.   This was INCREDIBLE.  I can't wait for leftovers.....and for DEBBIE to leave, she has overstayed her welcome in Florida!

Short Ribs with Fennel and Lemons 

over Thyme Infused Mashed Potatoes
(print recipe)

For Ribs

4 pounds beef short ribs, cut between bones

2 fennel bulbs

6 celery stalks

6 carrots, peeled

1 medium onion

8 ounce mushrooms, quartered

olive oil

5 sprig fresh thyme

2 cup dry red wine

4 cups beef stock

1 lemon, quartered

salt and pepper

For Potatoes 

2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered

2 cloves garlic, peeled

2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup cream 
3 sprigs thyme

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Pat dry meat and season with salt and pepper.  Let sit while preparing vegetables.  Peel and chop fennel, reserve stalks.  Chop onion, celery and carrots into one inch chunks.

Heat olive oil in dutch oven and add meat, browning each side for about 2 minutes..  Remove to plate.  Add more oil to pan if necessary and add vegetables with a little salt and 2 sprigs of thyme.  Let cook until softened, around 10 minutes.  Return ribs to dutch oven and add wine, beef stock, rest of thyme and fennel stalks.  Bring to a boil.  Cover and place in oven and cook for about 3-4 hours, until beef is falling off the bones. 

Allow to cool for a couple of minutes, remove any visible bones.  Strain liquid, reserving.  Discard fennel stalks, thyme sprigs and lemons, keep stirring gently and removing bones.

Return cover to dutch oven to keep warm.  In a sauce pan reduce liquid until thicken about 15 minutes.  Add thicken sauce to meat and vegetables.  Return to warm oven while you prepare mashed potatoes.

Place potatoes and garlic in small stock pot,cover with water.

Add 1 tsp of the salt and bring to boil over high heat.

Cook until tender,about 25 minutes.

While potatoes are cooking warm cream in microwave for about 30 seconds. Add thyme and set aside to infuse.

Drain potatoes.  Remove thyme from cream.  Whip potatoes and garlic with hand mixer.  Add cream, the remaining 1 tsp of salt, and pepper.

Mix well.