Smoked Short Ribs, Cauliflower Puree & Chimichurri

Our sixth food and wine pairing in this series is the 2019 Moonrise Kingdom Shiraz Grenache Petite Sirah which another_food_blogger has matched with this dish of Smoked Short Ribs, Cauliflower Puree & Chimichurri. 

This wine is dry and very textural with big tannins, with a generous mid-palate followed by a long, clean, refreshing run of linear, fast-moving acidity.  This acid/tannin structure is perfectly counter-poised by off-dry and acid-sweet red and dark berry fruit flavours, and an interplay of that fruit with oak’s spice.  This is the perfect accompaniment to these smoky flavours of Gaivn’s Short Ribs, the creaminess of the cauliflower puree and the heat from the chimicurri.

Enjoy.

Serves 6

Ingredients

Short Ribs – 4-5kg (2 racks of 3)
Olive oil x 2 tbsp
BBQ rub (see tips)

Cauliflower Puree
Cauliflower x 700g – cut into bite sized florets
Garlic x 2 cloves – crushed
Brown onion x ½ – diced
Butter x 30g
Milk x 225ml
Vegetable stock x 225ml
Salt

Chimichurri
Coriander (incl stalks) x handful
Parsley x ½ amount of coriander
Oregano x 1 tsp
Red wine vinegar x 1 tbsp
Salt & pepper
Chili flakes x 1 tsp
Olive oil x 3 tbsp
Ginger x ½ tsp – grated
Jalapeno x 1 – diced
Lime juice x 1 tbsp
Spring onion x 1 -sliced finely

Garnish (optional)
Coriander x handful
Red Chili x 1 – sliced finely
Crispy shallots

Method

Short Ribs

1. Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs – the side where the bones are. To do this use a sharp knife to gently pierce the membrane and using a piece of kitchen towel you can just pull it off in one movement  -hopefully!
2. Rub the short ribs in the olive oil and cover with your favourite BBQ rub
3. Set your smoker/BBQ for indirect cooking (130c) – if using an offset this is done for you! If using a kettle BBQ then use the snake method. I used hickory wood for this smoke but you can choose your preferred wood chunks
4. Smoke the ribs on the BBQ for 4-6 hours (see tips) or until internal temp is 93c
5. Once the ribs hit 80c, wrap them in foil for the remainder of the cookForm 4 x burger patties and flatten them out to be larger than the size of the bun *see tips*

Cauliflower Puree

1. Cook the onion & garlic on medium heat with the butter in a medium sized saucepan
2. Once soft (2-3 minutes), add cauliflower, milk, stock & salt
3. Bring to a simmer on low heat and cover/cook for 5-6 minutes
4. Remove the lid and allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes until most of the liquid as evaporated and cauliflower looks almost mushy
5. Blend until smooth

Chimichurri

1. Place all ingredients (EXCEPT spring onions) into a small food processor and blend together. You may want/need more oil but that’s personal preference if you want a runnier chimichurri
2. Remove from blender and add chopped spring onions
3. Store in fridge until ready to use

Essential Tools

• BBQ
• Chopping board
• Chef knives
• Blender
• Measuring utensils
• Saucepan

Tips/Tricks

• It’s important to cook the ribs at 120-140c so that it cooks low n slow – this gives a chance for all the fat to melt and the meat to soften
• During the cooking process you should spritz/spray the ribs after 1 hour and then every hour of the cook. This helps to keep it moist and for the exterior to soak up the smoke from the wood
• Resting the meat is INCREDIBLY important – this allows all the juices to redistribute keeping the meat juicy and moist
• 93c is the internal temperature you are looking for but it’s about touch/feel. Your probe should be able to go through the ribs like butter – use the temperature as a guideline and your probe as gospel!
• On average a short ribs will take 4-6 hours to cook but sometimes it can be quicker or slower. When cooking low n slow timing is never exact.
• If your cook finishes quicker than expected then wrap it tightly in a few layers of foil, wrap in a towel and leave it in a cooler or cool bag. It will keep for 1- 2 hours at desired temperature