Name: Guinness-braised short ribs with crispy oyster gremolata and buttermilk
Total time: 4 h 20 min
Ingredients: 1.2kg beef short rib, cut into individual ribs; vegetable oil, for frying; 150g of onion, roughly chopped; 150g of carrots, roughly chopped; 1 garlic bulb, halved; 1 large tomato, roughly chopped; 1 pinch of white peppercorns; 1 pinch of cloves; 1 pinch of juniper berries; 3 star anise; 2 bay leaves; 5 sprigs of rosemary; 3 sprigs of thyme; 300ml of white wine; 300ml of veal stock, or brown chicken stock; 75g of smoked bacon, chopped; 70g of black treacle; 800ml of Guinness; 250g of buttermilk; 100g of unsalted butter, melted; 3g of salt; 1 garlic clove, finely sliced; 15g of lemon juice; 4 oysters; plain flour, for dusting, seasoned with salt and pepper; 2 eggs, beaten; 200g of breadcrumbs; 5g of chervil, finely chopped; 5g of parsley, finely chopped; 1 lemon, zested

Main
Medium
4-6
4 hours 20 minutes

PT4H20M

A knockout sharing dish that's perfect for cold weather, this recipe takes the classic combination of beef and oysters and amps up the flavour tenfold. Short ribs are slow-cooked in a rich Guinness, treacle and bacon sauce until falling off the bone, before being garnished with deep-fried oysters tossed in a zesty, herby gremolata. The light buttermilk sauce brings everything together with a lactic creaminess.

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Short rib

1.2kg beef short rib , cut into individual ribs
vegetable oil, for frying
150g of onion , roughly chopped
150g of carrots , roughly chopped
1 garlic bulb , halved
1 large tomato , roughly chopped
1 pinch of white peppercorns
1 pinch of cloves
1 pinch of juniper berries
3 star anise
2 bay leaves
5 sprigs of rosemary
3 sprigs of thyme
300ml of white wine
300ml of veal stock , or brown chicken stock
75g of smoked bacon , chopped
70g of black treacle
800ml of Guinness

Buttermilk sauce

250g of buttermilk
100g of unsalted butter , melted
3g of salt
1 garlic clove , finely sliced
15g of lemon juice

Oyster gremolata

4 oysters
plain flour, for dusting, seasoned with salt and pepper
2 eggs , beaten
200g of breadcrumbs
5g of chervil , finely chopped
5g of parsley , finely chopped
1 lemon , zested
5g of fresh horseradish , finely grated
Maldon salt
1 pinch of Espelette pepper
vegetable oil, for deep-frying

To garnish

oyster leaves
edible flowers

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Preheat an oven to 150°C. Heat a generous glug of vegetable oil in a large frying pan. Add the carrots, onions, garlic and tomatoes, along with the peppercorns, juniper berries, cloves and star anise, and fry for 5-10 minutes until coloured

vegetable oil, for frying
150g of carrots , roughly chopped
150g of onion , roughly chopped
1 garlic bulb , halved
1 large tomato , roughly chopped
1 pinch of white peppercorns
1 pinch of juniper berries
1 pinch of cloves
3 star anise

Add the thyme, rosemary and bay leaves, cook for a few more minutes, then pour in the white wine and reduce by half. Add the veal (or chicken) stock, give everything a good stir, then transfer the contents of the pan into a large casserole dish

3 sprigs of thyme
5 sprigs of rosemary
2 bay leaves
300ml of white wine
300ml of veal stock , or brown chicken stock

In the same pan, fry the bacon until coloured, then pour this into the casserole along with any fat. Deglaze the frying pan with a little water, scraping up any bits on the bottom, then add this to the casserole too

75g of smoked bacon , chopped

Place the frying pan back over a medium-high heat. Season the short ribs liberally with salt and pepper, then colour them all over in the pan until deeply caramelised. Transfer to the casserole dish and drain any leftover fat from the frying pan

1.2kg beef short rib , cut into individual ribs

Pour the Guinness into the frying pan and simmer for a few minutes to burn off the alcohol, then stir in the treacle. Transfer this to the casserole, then give everything a good stir. Place the lid on the casserole dish and transfer to the oven. Cook for 3-4 hours

800ml of Guinness
70g of black treacle

While the beef cooks, make the buttermilk sauce. Shuck the oysters and strain their juices into a bowl (set the oysters aside in the fridge to make the gremolata later). Place all the ingredients for the sauce in a blender along with the oyster juices and blitz until smooth. Transfer to a saucepan and gently heat (do not allow to boil). Very gently simmer for 5 minutes, then pass through a fine sieve. Set aside to reheat before serving

4 oysters
250g of buttermilk
100g of unsalted butter , melted
3g of salt
1 garlic clove , finely sliced
15g of lemon juice

When the short ribs have been cooking for 3-4 hours and are very nearly ready, make the oyster gremolata. Take the reserved oysters and cut them in half, then place the flour in 1 bowl, the eggs in another and the breadcrumbs in a third. Coat the oyster halves in flour, then egg then breadcrumbs, ensuring they are completely coated

plain flour, for dusting, seasoned with salt and pepper
2 eggs , beaten
200g of breadcrumbs

Bring a deep-fat fryer or deep pan of oil to 180°C. Meanwhile, mix together the chervil, parsley, lemon zest and horseradish, then season with the salt and Espelette pepper

vegetable oil, for deep-frying
5g of chervil , finely chopped
5g of parsley , finely chopped
1 lemon , zested
5g of fresh horseradish , finely grated
Maldon salt
1 pinch of Espelette pepper

Deep-fry the oysters until crisp, then toss in the herb mix

To serve, pile the short ribs onto a serving platter, ensuring they’re coated in plenty of the reduced sauce. Place the oysters on top, sprinkling over any leftover gremolata. Pour over the buttermilk sauce, garnish with oyster leaves and edible flowers and serve

oyster leaves
edible flowers

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George Farrugia

After swapping a law degree for a career in the kitchen, George Farrugia's flavour-driven, classically rooted cooking has made him one of the UK's rising culinary stars.