First I want to say THANK YOU for all of the kind words you all have sent my way in regards to my 50 day challenge to do one thing every day that scares me. I am a few days in and I am loving this! I feel like I am really pushing myself outside of my comfort zone and it’s been amazing. So thank you thank you thank you. If you haven’t been following along, check out the 50 things tab to catch up on the journey so far.

A few weeks ago I went to Fort Worth for the University of Texas vs. Texas Christian University football game with some friends. My dad grew up in Fort Worth so I grew up going to Ft. Worth a few times a year to visit my grandparents and I still love any excuse to get back to funky town (I hear that’s what the cool kids are calling it!)

Friday night we went to the most incredible restaurant called Tillman’s Roadhouse in the 7th street district. The decor of this restaurant was romantic and very country chic. It had wooden deer heads on the walls and large chandeliers hanging everywhere, it was definitely my kind of place. If the decor wasn’t enough the food was even better. We had some truffle popped corn to start off and vino of course. The menu was full of interesting dishes like chicken and dumplings made with gnocchi, lobster tamales, but the highlight for me was definitely my entrée. I had the best short ribs evaaaa!

Ever since, I have been dreaming of the little baby ribs and their rich savory delight. So, today I finally broke down and made my own version.

Laying on a little bed of sweet potato grits, I was in comfort food heaven.

 

As the weather starts to cool down this would be a great dish to indulge in.

Braised Short Ribs Ingredients: serves 4-6

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 pieces short ribs

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

4 small carrots, diced

4 stalks celery, diced

1 medium onion, diced

6 cloves garlic, smashed

2 tablespoons flour

4 Chipotle peppers in Adobe sauce

2 teaspoons adobe sauce from Chipotle peppers

2 cups red wine (a syrah or zinfandel would be nice) or hard cider

1 cup beef stock

2 bay leaves

Recipe:

This may be prepared in a slow cooker or in the oven. If using the oven, preheat to 275 degrees.
 Place  Dutch oven, or heatproof slow cooker insert over medium heat. Add olive oil, and heat until it is very hot but not yet smoking. Season short ribs generously with salt and pepper on all sides. Add short ribs to the pot, working in batches if necessary (make sure not to let the short ribs touch – you run the risk of them steaming rather than browning). Cook ribs until browned on all sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. Do not rush!

Remove ribs from pot and set aside.
 Remove excess fat, leaving just about 2-3 Tbsp in the bottom.

Add carrots, celery, onion, and garlic to oil in the pot, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and golden, about 10 minutes. Season with a little salt and pepper.

Add flour, Chipotle peppers and adobo sauce to the softened vegetables, and stir to combine. Deglaze the pan with the wine; stir with a wooden spoon until all browned bits have been scraped from the pan. Bring to a simmer, then add beef stock.

Return browned ribs to the pot and add the bay leaves. Bring the liquid to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover the pot, and place it in the oven or slow cooker. If using a slow cooker, cook on high setting. Cook until ribs are very tender, about 3 hours.

Sweet Potato Grits, serves 4-6

2 cups water

2 cups low fat milk

1 cup stone ground grits

1 large sweet potato, peeled and grated

1/5 teaspoon ginger

pinch of ground cinnamon

1 Tbsp unsalted butter

S&P

Recipe:

In a large sauce pot add the milk and water. Bring to a gentle boil over medium high heat. Slowly add the grits while continuously whisking. Add the sweet potato. Season with salt and pepper. Decrease the heat to low and simmer, stirring often, until the grits are creamy and thick, about 45 minutes to an hour. Add the ginger, cinnamon and butter. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Serve with the Braised Chipotle Short Ribs.