Black Pepper & Mustard Braised Short Ribs

Using a spice grinder, coarsely grind the brown and yellow mustard seeds. Transfer to a small bowl. Coarsely grind the peppercorns and add to the bowl. Stir in the salt. Rub the short ribs on all sides with the spice mixture.

In the stovetop-safe insert of a slow cooker or in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm 2 Tbs. of the oil until almost smoking. Working in batches, brown the ribs on all sides, 7 to 8 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate.

Add the bourbon to the insert or sauté pan and simmer, stirring to scrape up the browned bits from the pan bottom, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining 1 Tbs. oil and the onions and cook, stirring, until they are soft and lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Add the celery, carrots and garlic and cook, stirring, under the vegetables are tender, about 7 minutes. Add the demi-glace, honey, stock and vinegar and bring to a simmer.

Return the ribs to the insert and transfer to the slow-cooker base. If using a sauté pan, transfer the ribs to a slow cooker and add the onion mixture. Cover and cook on high according to the manufacturer's instructions until the meat nearly falls off the bone, about 6 hours. Transfer the ribs to a platter.

Using a stick blender, puree the sauce and vegetables in the insert. Place the insert on the stovetop over high heat and simmer until the sauce is reduced by half, about 17 minutes. If using a standard slow cooker, puree the sauce and vegetables, then transfer the mixture to a saucepan and simmer as directed above.

Pour the sauce over the ribs and garnish with the parsley. Serve immediately with buttered rice. Serves 4.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen