Short ribs

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you know that I don't eat a lot of "centerpiece" meat. By that I mean I keep costs down by using meat as a flavoring rather than as an entree. My shopping list usually consists of bacon and various kinds of sausage, with the occasional whole chicken or fish; very rarely does red meat show up. (Not because I have anything against red meat, just that it's expensive.)

But Sam's Club was running a half-off special on short ribs the other day, so I picked some up. Short ribs are the ends of the ribs; there's a lot of fat and connective tissue, so the best way to cook them is low and slow, to allow the fat and tissue to break down. Then you get incredibly rich, moist beef. (Which, frankly, is tastier than most steak, since most steak lacks decent marbling.)

3 lbs short ribs
1 onion, chopped
1 cup each carrots and celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 cups broth
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Start by heating some bacon fat or olive oil in a Dutch oven, and sear the short ribs on all sides. Remove from the pan and add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic and shallot. Cook until tender; add the bay leaves, broth and seasonings, and add the short ribs back in. Cover and cook at 350 degrees for 2 hours.

For an added layer of flavor, once the ribs are done braising, remove them from the Dutch oven and place on a roasting rack. Increase the oven to 450, and roast the ribs for 10 minutes or so, to give them a nice sear on the outside.

The liquids can be reduced down to make a yummy sauce for potatoes.