Wednesday, March 25, 2015

What We Are Eating - Beef Ribs and Grits

Beef Ribs and Grits
adapted from The Pioneer Woman

I know, you are thinking, "Grits? Really?"  Yep!  We love grits and I have seldom made them.  These are yummy cheesy grits which are even better!  Josh tasted them and then, couldn't get enough of them!  They paired really nicely with the ribs and were a nice change from potatoes or noodles.  The ribs were "fall off the bone" good - so tender and flavorful and (a true tragedy) I even forgot to throw the bacon in the pan!  These would make a great Sunday Dinner!   Please note - the recipe below is just for the Ribs BUT if you click the link above - it will take you to the recipe page which supplies a link for the Cheesy grits! 


Ingredients

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 beef short ribs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 thin slices bacon, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 carrots, diced
2 shallots, finely minced
1 medium onion, diced
Splash of red wine
4 cups beef broth (enough to almost cover the ribs)
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
Cheese Grits or regular grits, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Salt and pepper the ribs, then dredge them in the flour. Set aside.

In a large Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until completely crispy and all the fat is rendered. Remove the bacon and set aside. Drain off any excess fat.

Add the olive oil to the pan with the bacon fat and raise the heat to high. Brown the ribs on all sides, about 45 seconds per side. Remove the ribs and set aside.

Lower the heat to medium. Add the carrots, shallots and onions to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Splash in the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan to release all the flavorful bits of glory. Add the broth, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper and bring to a boil. Taste and add more salt if needed. Add the ribs to the liquid; they should be almost completely submerged. Add the thyme and rosemary sprigs (whole) to the liquid. Finally, add the cooked bacon.

Put on a lid and transfer to the oven. Cook until the ribs are fork-tender and falling off the bone, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Remove the pan from the oven and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes with the lid on before serving. At the last minute, skim the fat off the top of the liquid. (You can also refrigerate the mixture, then remove the solid fat from the top.)

For each serving, arrange 2 ribs on a bed of the grits, spooning a little juice over the top.