Sous Vide Short Ribs with Root Vegetable Purée

Foundations Referenced

• → Brown Stock / Demi-Glace
• → Red Wine Pan Sauce
• → Techniques — sous vide

Ingredients

Short Ribs

• 4 bone-in beef short ribs, ~1 lb each
• Salt, pepper
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp soy sauce (for umami)

Root Vegetable Purée

• 1 lb celery root, peeled and cubed
• 1/2 lb parsnips, peeled and cubed
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup cream
• Salt, white pepper, nutmeg

Finishing

• 1 tbsp high-smoke-point oil
• Red wine pan sauce (→ foundation), made with demi-glace
• Fresh thyme, flaky salt

Method

Sous vide (start 24–48 hours ahead)

1. Season short ribs generously with salt and pepper. Vacuum-seal each rib with thyme, garlic, and soy sauce.
2. Cook in immersion circulator at 155°F for 24 hours (tender, traditional texture) or 135°F for 48 hours (medium-rare, steak-like texture — a revelation).
3. Remove from bags. Reserve juices for sauce. Pat ribs very dry.

Purée

1. Simmer celery root and parsnips in salted water until very tender, 20 min.
2. Drain. Blend with butter and cream until silky smooth. Season with salt, white pepper, nutmeg. Keep warm.

Sear and serve

1. Heat oil in cast iron over high heat until smoking. Sear short ribs 1 min per side for a deep crust.
2. Make red wine pan sauce (→ foundation) in the same pan, adding reserved bag juices to the stock.
3. Plate: swoosh purée across plate. Place short rib on purée. Spoon sauce around. Garnish with thyme and flaky salt.

What You're Learning

• Sous vide transforms tough cuts: collagen converts to gelatin at precise temperatures over long times
• 155°F vs. 135°F: same cut, completely different textures — this is the power of precision
• Post-sous-vide sear: the Maillard reaction happens in seconds on the already-cooked surface
• Bag juices are concentrated stock — add them to your pan sauce
• Root vegetable purée: a refined alternative to mashed potatoes, using the same technique
• This dish combines foundations from across the entire curriculum: stock, pan sauce, searing, plating