With bourguignon ribs and rustic mashed potatoes, I invite my dear colleagues from “Il Club del 27” to lunch.
This month we took inspiration from the book Gathering: Casual-Fancy Meals to Share by America’s Test Kitchen, where the most famous chefs of America’s Test Kitchen created menus suitable for many occasions, from a dinner with friends to a more formal lunch, or a perfect British-style picnic.
I decided to prepare these bourguignon ribs accompanied by a delicious rustic mashed potato, part of one of the menus in the book. Other cooking companions will prepare the rest of the menu, and we will virtually sit at the table together. You can see all the selected recipes and menus as usual in this month’s article on the MTChallenge website.
The original recipe from the book uses beef ribs, but I couldn’t find them at my trusted butcher; this type of rib cut is unusual in Italy. So I replaced them with pork ribs, very tasty and perfect for long cooking. The dish is completed with a delicious rustic mashed potato with a bold, rich flavor, perfect for soaking up the sauce from this recipe.
Here are some delicious recipes for a family lunch
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 1 Day
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 6 people
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
- Energy 1,170.70 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 64.22 (g) of which sugars 13.99 (g)
- Proteins 68.13 (g)
- Fat 60.34 (g) of which saturated 22.55 (g)of which unsaturated 21.84 (g)
- Fibers 8.93 (g)
- Sodium 1,146.12 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 500 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Bourguignon Ribs and Rustic Mashed Potatoes
- 3.3 lbs pork ribs
- 3 1/8 cups red wine
- 1 lb champignon mushrooms (sliced or quartered)
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth
- 5 oz bacon (in strips)
- 3/4 oz dried porcini mushrooms
- 7 oz pearl onions (borrettane)
- 2 small white onions (coarsely chopped)
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 carrots (medium-sized, cut into 3/4-inch pieces)
- 2 celery (stalks coarsely chopped)
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 garlic (a whole head with cloves separated and crushed)
- 2 leaves bay leaf
- 6 sprigs parsley (plus 1 tablespoon chopped parsley)
- 5 sprigs thyme
- 2 tsp sugar
- 3 tbsp brandy (optional)
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- 2.87 lbs potatoes
- 8 oz sour cream
- 6.35 oz butter (melted)
- to taste salt
- to taste milk
Tools
- Casserole
Preparation of Bourguignon Ribs and Rustic Mashed Potatoes
This recipe should be prepared a day in advance because both the meat and the sauce need to rest to achieve maximum flavor.
Place the ribs seasoned with salt and pepper in a large baking dish so that they are in a single layer. Bake in a preheated oven at 428°F for about 45 minutes. The ribs should brown well.
Remove the baking dish from the oven and discard the cooking fat, keeping it aside in a bowl. Take two tablespoons of the cooking fat and return it to the baking dish with the ribs and add the bacon strips evenly. Continue cooking for another twenty minutes.
Remove the baking dish from the oven and lower the temperature to 302°F. Transfer the ribs to a plate and add the flour to the baking dish, spreading it well over the surface. Stir carefully to dissolve all the flour, then add the beef broth, about 1 1/4 cups of red wine, and the tablespoon of tomato paste. Mix carefully.
Add the chopped onions, diced carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, porcini mushrooms, parsley sprigs, some peppercorns, and thyme sprigs.
Return the ribs and check that the braising liquid covers at least 3/4 of the ribs. If it’s too low, you can add a bit of water.
Return the baking dish to the oven and let it cook for at least an hour.
While the ribs are cooking, cook the pearl onions with 1/2 cup of water, the two tablespoons of reserved cooking fat, and the sugar. Cover with a lid and let cook for 5-6 minutes, then uncover and let all the liquid evaporate. Add the champignon mushrooms, season with salt, and continue cooking for a few more minutes. Once the vegetables are cooked, transfer them to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until it’s time to finish the dish.
Add 1/4 cup of water and thoroughly degrease the bottom. Set aside.
Add the pearl onion cooking fat to the baking dish with the ribs and continue cooking. Check the cooking; the ribs are ready when they start to separate from the bones.
Once ready, remove the ribs from the baking dish and place them on a plate. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, discarding the vegetables.
Let the ribs and the strained liquid cool in the refrigerator for a day.
After the resting time, remove the fat from the surface of the strained liquid. Transfer the liquid to a saucepan and add the remaining wine. Bring to a boil and continue cooking the sauce over low heat to thicken it.
Add the pearl onions with the mushrooms and ribs. Cover with a lid and let everything heat thoroughly, it will take 7-8 minutes.
Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.
Boil the potatoes in plenty of water, once ready, drain them and let them cool slightly before peeling.
Pass them through a potato ricer, collecting the pulp directly in a large saucepan. I cut them in half and mash them without removing the skin, it’s much quicker.
Pour the melted butter over the mashed potatoes and mix carefully, then incorporate the crème fraîche.
Add hot milk until the desired consistency is reached.
Season with salt and serve.
