Short Ribs served over 3 Cheese Risotto

You guys know how I love to photograph each step of my meals, it helps me remember what I did and it is how I learn from other food bloggers too. This was a really special meal, and it kills me that I don't have more photographs. For one I was in a huge rush to put this together and my camera battery was also dead. These few pictures I do have were taken just before serving this meal to guests and taken with my phone.

Short ribs are special, they are one of my favorite things to cook and to eat. They are easy to prepare, impressive to serve, and taste so good when cooked slow and low they fall right off the bone.

Jim and I were having friends over for dinner and I had planned to make short ribs, but I had misjudged my time and had to really rush to get this put together and in the oven. They need to cook for 3 hours at least. My recipe is loosely based on this one from Giada.

Short ribs can be expensive, so I just watch for sales at the meat counter. You want to buy about a pound per person. I was serving four, so this recipe used four pounds of beef short ribs.

Ingredient List:
Short Ribs
Salt and Pepper
Onion powder
Garlic Powder
Olive Oil
1 large Onion
3 cloves garlic
3 carrots
3 celery stalks
5 roma tomatoes
1 cup red wine
3 T dijon mustard
2 cups beef broth

Preheat the oven to 350.

I seasoned the short ribs with the usual S.P.O.G. (salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder.) Using my heavy dutch oven I used just enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pot and heated to medium-high. In batches, sear the short ribs on all sides until nice a brown. Remove and set aside on a plate. My mother seasons her short ribs with S.P.O.G. and then dusts them with flour. See her recipe here.

I diced one onion and added it to the dutch oven along with a couple of carrots and celery stalks that got a rough chop. Let this cook, stirring frequently for about five minutes. Then add three cloves of coarsely chopped garlic. Cook, stirring frequently for two minutes. When onions are translucent, add five roma tomatoes that have been quartered. Add one cup of good red wine. and 3 tablespoons of dijon mustard. (This is the secret ingredient.) Bring this mixture to a boil and scrape up the brown bits on the bottom of the pot left from browning the short ribs.

Return the ribs to the pot and add enough beef broth to fully cover the meat. Cover the pot and place in the oven for three hours, until the meat is fork-tender and falls easily off the bone.

Note: Giada removes the short ribs from the cooking liquid and then blends the remaining broth and vegetables into a sauce, pours over cooked pasta and serves the short ribs on top.

I pulled the short ribs out of the cooking liquid and placed on top of 3 cheese risotto. Yum yum yum. Let me say again, "YUM!"

I did however reserve all the cooking liquid and a couple days later, I skimmed the fat from the top and then heated in a sauce pan over medium heat. Once heated through I took my immersion blender to the sauce, added a teaspoon of cornstarch to help thicken, and then served over cooked pasta like Giada had originally suggested in her recipe. This was SO GOOD!