Pepper Cream Shorties & Cacio e Pepe Mash

Cook Time 3 hours 45 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

2kg (about 4 large pieces) bone-in beef short ribs

Salt

2 tbsp olive oil

155g brown onion, finely chopped

6 small French shallots, peeled and halved lengthways

1½ tbsp garlic, finely chopped

2 tsp black peppercorns, cracked in a mortar and pestle or coarsely ground

2 tsp green peppercorns in brine, drained

1 tsp mustard powder

2 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour 

250ml dry white wine

500ml beef stock

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf

1 tbsp chopped rosemary leaves 

60ml thickened (heavy) cream, to finish

Cacio e Pepe Mash

1.2kg floury potatoes, peeled and chopped

80g unsalted butter

110g pecorino, finely grated

60ml thickened (heavy) cream 

1–2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of salt

Optional pickled red onion topping

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp white (granulated) sugar 

1½ tsp salt

Method

Preheat the oven to 160°C fan-forced.

Season the short ribs with salt. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Brown the ribs on all sides until golden, then set aside.

Add the onion and shallot to the pot and cook for 6–8 minutes until softened and just starting to caramelise. Add the garlic, black peppercorns, green peppercorns, and mustard powder, stirring through, and cook for 1 minute. 

Sprinkle the flour in and stir through. Add the white wine and let it bubble for 2 minutes, stirring and scraping up any sticky bits from the base of the pot. Pour in the beef stock and Worcestershire sauce, then add the bay leaf and rosemary. Return the ribs to the pot, bring to a simmer, cover tightly, and cook at a low simmer for 3–4 hours. Alternatively, transfer to the oven and braise for 2½–3 hours or until the beef is spoon-tender.

Uncover for the final 20 minutes to reduce the sauce slightly. Right at the end, add the cream and stir it through.

For the cacio e pepe mash, boil the potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain and mash or pass through a potato ricer. Fold in the butter, pecorino, cream and pepper. Taste and season with salt. 

If making the pickled onions, toss the onions with red wine vinegar, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Set aside for at least 20 minutes.

Serve the mash topped with the short ribs and sauce, with pickled onion on the side, if using.

Leftover short ribs and mash can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.