Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Comforting Short Ribs

Tex here, and ever since we got back from our trip to Ouray, Colorado last summer, I have wanted to make short ribs. You see, while we were visiting my favorite town, we went to a then-new restaurant called Brickhouse 737 where I had the most amazing short rib dinner.
It was comfort food to the max, with a gourmet flare.

Oh, how I wanted to replicate that amazing flavor back here in Texas. So, after watching and waiting for short ribs to go on sale, I scooped up a few packages and set out to prepare my own comforting version of this memorable meal. After pulling from a couple of different recipes, this is what I came up with.

Here's what you'll need:
  • 3 lbs. short ribs, I used boneless, but bone-in will work, too
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • Bacon, cut into small pieces (about 4 strips if you're using thick-sliced like I did or 6 regular slices)
  • 2-3 tablespoons coconut oil (you can use canola or olive)
  • 3 carrots, sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 32 oz beef broth
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.

Season your ribs with salt and pepper.
Then lightly dredge in flour.
Set aside.
In a large Dutch oven, over medium heat, cook the bacon until all of the fat is rendered and the meat is crispy, but not burned.
Remove bacon to paper towel.

Crank up the heat to high and add your oil to the bacon fat. Brown the ribs in batches and set aside.
Once all the meat has been browned, lower the heat and add the carrots, onions and garlic.
Stir that around for a minute or so, then add a little bit of the beef broth, scraping the bottom of the pan to incorporate all those little bits of meat.
Add the remainder of the broth, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste and bring to a boil.
Now add your browned ribs and top with thyme and rosemary.
And don't forget about that cooked bacon.
Cover and place pot in oven for two and half hours.

Remove from oven and allow to rest with the lid on for at least 20 minutes.
Oh, the aromas of this feast will have you counting the seconds.

Now the Brickhouse served their short ribs over mashed potatoes, but after seeing our favorite pioneer cook serve hers over cheese grits, I decided to go that route. And I'm so glad I did.
Y'all, I was in heaven. This savory dish was beyond my expectations. Even hubby commented that "This is an excellent meal. You need to make this again."
And I definitely will. In the meantime, we had plenty for dinner the next night and lunch the day after that. My taste buds were tickled pink.

And yes, I did this one-pot meal as the one-armed wonder. It's amazing what you can do with one hand, especially when you're determined. Of course, I did have to have my son and husband help me move the pot, but they've been such good sports. Especially when they know I'm fixing food for them instead of the other way around.

According to my physical therapist, recovery is moving along as expected. Shoulder still aches, some days more than others, and after two weeks of sleeping in the recliner, I'm finally back in my bed. Oh, and I don't have to wear that nasty sling at home unless I want to. Otherwise, the therapist says only whenever cars, kids and crowds are involved.

And then there's our BIG move.
You'll be hearing me talk a lot more about that in the coming weeks. We've been purging and packing, preparing to put our house on the market in just a little under a month. Something that is as scary as it is exciting. We have much to do on both ends of the move and trying to get everything lined up is proving to be rather daunting. But it'll all come together.

Now it's your turn.
Have you ever had something at a restaurant you were determined to recreate at home? What was it? And how did it turn out?




Mindy Obenhaus lives in Texas with her husband and kids. She's passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com

9 comments:

  1. Mindy, this looks fabulous. And now I'm wondering why we didn't get short ribs with our beef last year? I'll be sure to include them this year!

    Meanwhile, there's always the grocery store, right?

    So glad your shoulder is healing well.

    And the big move! You've been planning this for so long! Praying that the house will sell quickly. :)

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    1. Thank you, Jan. And yes, this meal was over-the-top delicious. You will definitely have to check the grocer, because I think you will love it.

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  2. I am now dying for short ribs!!! These look amazing, Mind-o!!!! I've never cooked short ribs like this, and haven't cooked them in years, so I'm going to do this. Although NO GRITS will die in the making of this, and it will be mashed potatoes (this Celtic woman will be so stinkin' happy!!!)

    But aside from that, bacon and beef???

    It's what's for dinner!!!

    And I'm so glad that your arm/shoulder is improving although I know it's never as fast as we'd like... although with a move involved, I'd be wearing that sling night and day.

    Mama didn't raise no dummies! :)

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    1. Ruthy, I was never a fan of grits either until I had cheese grits. Good ones will give mashed potatoes a run for their money.

      After having worn the sling day and night for two weeks, I was glad to get it off because my arm kept cramping. There are times when it's good to have it as a reminder, though, or if the shoulder is really aching. But then the cold therapy works wonders on the aches, too. Once we get into full blown moving mode, I may wear it just to save me from myself, though.

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  3. Yay on your recovery going as planned. And you being a one-armed wonder in the kitchen. :-)

    Not tempted by the ribs at all. Are you surprised? There used to be a restaurant in the trendy market area that served amazing pecan burgers. Totally awesome goodness. And then the owner retired and the restaurant changed hands...but they didn't change the menu. Phew! Until a year later they did. The pecan burger was taken off the menu. I was devastated and have never found a replacement for it or a recipe that comes even close. Boo hoo.

    Don't overdo has you prepare to move! Let all the fellas do the heavy stuff.

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    1. No worries on the heavy lifting, Kav. Since I usually cook with cast iron, I've already been putting them to work. Just can't move that big pot to the oven with one hand.

      Pecan burgers, huh? As someone who loves pecans, I am definitely intrigued. Tell me more about them. Consistency? What else might have been in there besides pecans? I wonder if they quite carrying them because pecans are so expensive?

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  4. Heresy, here. I don't think I've ever had short ribs, Mindy. But these look delicious.

    Looking forward to hearing more about the infamous move!

    Glad you're making progress with your shoulder. I loved the list of things to protect it from.

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    1. They are SO delicious, Mary Cate. And until I tasted those in Ouray, I'd never had them either. One bite and I was sold.

      Yeah, cars, kids and crowds. Cars is two-fold, protection and reminder, kids and crowds is solely for protection. They see the sling, they typically hesitate. I had to inform my five-year-old grandson not to try and tickle Grammy under that arm. Of course, he forgot. Grammy was quick to remind him, though.

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  5. Mindy, my stomach literally growled while reading this! It looks so, so good.

    I'll be thinking of you during your move!

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