Red Wine Braised Short Ribs with Whipped Provolone Cauliflower

Ingredients

Short Ribs

• 5 pounds bone-in beef short ribs
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• 2 cups dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme, plus more for serving
• 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 head of garlic, unpeeled and halved crosswise

Cauliflower

• salt
• 2 large heads of cauliflower, cored and separated into florets
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1/2 cup provolone cheese, shredded
• 4 tbsp (1/2 stick) salted butter

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F.
2. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. Place them in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and cook until just browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer the ribs to a plate.
3. Add the onion and shallots to the Dutch oven. Cook, stirring, until the onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Return the short ribs to the pan. Add the wine, broth, tomato paste, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper and gently stir to combine. Add the garlic.
4. Cover and roast until the short ribs are tender and falling off the bone, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Discard the thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, and garlic.
5. Make the cauliflower. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cauliflower and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, pat dry, and then return to the pot.
6. Add the garlic to the cauliflower. Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. (Alternatively, transfer the cauliflower to a food processor, add the garlic, and process until combined). Add the provolone and butter. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Blend until the cheese has melted.
7. Spoon the whipped cauliflower onto plates and add the ribs on top. Drizzle with the pan sauce, top with fresh thyme, and serve.