Easy Peasy Braised Short Ribs

Well we're over the hump and counting down to the weekend! Last night the Mr. and I had baked barbecued chicken with roasted sweet potato fries and finally caught up on Dexter from Sunday. Has anyone else been watching? Meanwhile, I'm kicking off this morning with a few things that are making me smile:

• My DIY pumpkin spice coffee
• Bruce Springsteen's Racing in the Street on my iPod
• The fact that I finally wrapped up the Dragon Tattoo series last night on the Path and have so thoroughly enjoyed reading these books! A bit of withdrawal has set in, so new recommendations are welcome!
• Fringe is on tonight and it is quickly becoming my favorite show on TV this season.

Meanwhile, I found a new favorite dinner dish. I was always intimidated by the thought of cooking short ribs, and fortunately once I feel the bug of wanting to learn a particular dish, make no mistake, I'm going to learn it. Who would have thought that this would be one of the easiest dinners I've ever made? Not this gal.

Boneless beef short ribs, sliced onions, basil gravy and brown rice make this a dish that screams comfort food, albeit it in a very brown way. It's perfect for a chilly night at home when you don't feel like slaving over a dish. Toss the ingredients together, simmer for an hour or so, make a quick gravy from the rib stock and you've got a dish that only seems like you've slaved all evening. Easy peasy. Oh and the braised part? That's just a fancy way of saying that the meat is seared in the pan first, and then continues cooking, covered, in liquid.

Braised Short Ribs
1 lb. boneless beef short ribs
1/4 C whole wheat flour (or all purpose, if you prefer)
1 can low sodium beef broth
1 large onion, sliced
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
1 tsp basil, dried
black pepper
olive oil
brown rice, egg noodles, or quinoa

Heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet. Meanwhile, mix together 1 tsp salt and flour together in a dish. Lightly coat the ribs in flour mixture. When oil is hot, sear the ribs on each side until browned. Do not cook them all the way through! This is just to get some flavor on the meat. Add the sliced onions and cook until they are just softened.

 

Pour 3/4 of the beef broth over the meat. You will want to make sure that most of the beef and onions are covered. Bring the broth to a boil and reduce the heat.

Cover the skillet and simmer for 60 to 90 minutes or until the short ribs are fork tender. Mine were done in just over an hour, but this could take an hour and a half or even two hours (though that has not been the case for me). When cooked to desired tenderness, remove the ribs from the pan. It’s time to make the gravy! Add the rest of the beef broth, a couple teaspoons of flour (if you like it thick), black pepper and basil and whisk together.

 

Taste the gravy. If it needs more salt, add more kosher salt. I added another 1/2 tsp or so to taste. Serve over a bed of rice, noodles or quinoa (or any other carb that you prefer), drizzle with gravy and enjoy! I didn’t even need a knife for mine.

So there you have it. Braised short ribs that couldn't be easier. This is a meal that will certainly be added to my regular repetoire since it was delicious, comforting and super simple to boot.

So what do you think? Have you ever tried a new dish, only to find how easy it is? Have you tried short ribs? And bonus question, what is making you smile on this gorgeous autumn Thursday?