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