48ozbeef shortribsbones attached-optional (if the bones are removed they will weigh less)
2cupsdark beer
8cupsbeef stockpreferably homemade
½cupeach diced carrotonion and celery
2ouncesdried boletesroughly two handfuls
Bouquet garni of 5 black peppercorns3 cloves of garlic, 5 sprigs of thyme, 1 bunch of parsley, and 1 dried bay leaf (wrap these ingredients in cheesecloth and tie closed for easy removal)
Kosher salt and pepper
Flavorless oil or lard for searing
Root vegetablesas needed (I used a couple shallots, a stalk of salsify, and two heirloom carrots, cut into equal sized pieces. If you use shallots, cook them until completely soft.)
2tablespoonsunsalted butter1 tablespoon for sauteing the vegetables, plus an additional tablespoon for thickening the sauce
Instructions
Marinate the shortribs for 24 hours in the beer and bouquet garni, turning them every few hours to ensure an even infusion.
The day you cook the ribs, rehydrate the mushrooms by placing them in the stock for 20 minutes. Agitate the mushrooms in the stock to remove any debris, then strain the stock. Finely chop the mushrooms and reserve.
To cook the ribs, remove them from the beer, dry them thoroughly, then season liberally with salt and pepper. Heat a few tablespoons of the oil or lard in a large braising pan. Sear the shortribs deeply on each side until golden brown.
Discard the fat from the pan, deglaze with the beer, cook off the alcohol for a few minutes, reducing the booze by half, then add the diced vegetables, bouquet garni, shortribs, and stock. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then cook, covered, for 2.5 hours or so until fork tender, but not falling apart. Remove the ribs, strain the stock to remove the vegetables and bouquet and discard, then add the mushrooms back to the stock. Chill the ribs.
Put the stock back on the burner and reduce to 2 cups, then chill.
Meanwhile, blanch each of the vegetables in salted water individually until tender, then chill in an ice bath and reserve. This can all be done days in advance.
Plating The Dish
Reheat the stock with the shortribs in it. Season to taste with salt and pepper. When the sauce and ribs are hot throughout, whisk in the cold butter and heat, whisking constantly until the sauce thickens and becomes creamy. Meanwhile, reheat the vegetables in some butter until lightly colored and warmed through. Toss the vegetables with some chopped parsley. On the middle of two preheated dinner plates, plate a short rib and drizzle some of the sauce over to taste. Garnish with the vegetables and serve immediately.
Notes
In the dish pictured, I julienned the boletes, which ended up looking weird, which is why they're minced in the recipe method.An interesting phenomena is the color change these boletes undergo. When fresh they turn black when cut, then back to yellow when dried, then blue when re-hydrated.