Braised Short Ribs

This is the only photo I have of this dinner.

1) because it was date night and I was trying not to be rude

 and spend more time taking pictures of the food 

than sitting down and eating it and holding a conversation

and

2) because it was really, really good and I scarfed it all down pretty fast.

I'd never eaten, much less prepared, short ribs.

But oh. I will again, my friends.

It's like the most tender, flavorful pot roast

On A Stick.

My only complaint is that because the meat is so fatty,

I found the best way to serve it was to cut the meat 

off the bones and trim it completely before 

returning it to the cooking liquid. 

I didn't figure this out until after it had been served,

 but leftovers were much less hassle after this was discovered!

Also, I don't own a Dutch oven, but I just prepared 

everything stovetop in my large soup pot,

and then transferred it to a Pyrex baking dish 

and covered with foil to go in the oven.

Works for me!

What You'll Need

• 8 whole Beef Short Ribs
• Kosher Salt and Pepper To Taste
• 1/4 cup All-purpose Flour
• 4 pieces Bacon, Diced
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
• 3 whole Carrots, Diced
• 2 whole Shallots, Peeled And Finely Minced
• 2 cups Red Or White Wine
• 2 cups Beef Or Chicken Broth (enough To Almost Cover Ribs)

What To Do:

Salt and pepper ribs, then dredge in flour. Set aside.

In a large dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until complete crispy and all fat is rendered. Remove bacon and set aside. Do not discard grease.

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

Add onions, carrots, and shallots to pan and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in wine and scrape bottom of pan to release all the flavorful bits of glory. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes.

Add broth, bacon, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed. Add ribs to the liquid; they should be almost completely submerged. 

Put on the lid and place into the oven. Cook at 350 for 2 hours, then reduce heat to 325 and cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes. Ribs should be fork-tender and falling off the bone. Remove pan from oven and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes, lid on, before serving. At the last minute, skim fat off the top of the liquid. (Can also refrigerate mixture, then remove solid fat from the top.)

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman