Braised Beef Short Ribs Family Dinner

This is a favorite winter time dish of mine; it always fills the house with delicious smells and with fall off the bone short ribs, it's a treat that we try to enjoy at least once a year.  Although the short ribs themselves can be expensive (I always try to buy them when their on sale) these recipes and family dinner spread, make it all worthwhile.  If there happens to be any left overs, it's perfect for Braised Beef Short Rib Sliders.

On the Menu

1st Course - Starters: Dinner Rolls & Healthy Mushroom Soup 

2nd Course - Main Dish: Braised Beef Short Ribs

3rd Course - Side Dishes: Garlic Mashed Potatoes &

 Brussels Sprouts Asiago

4th Course - Recommended Dessert: 
Decadent Poached Pear

1st Course - Starters: Dinner Rolls & Mushroom Soup - 

Breaking bread over delicious, earthy flavored soup is a great way to start a meal with family and catch up on everybody's week.  My Healthy Mushroom Soup is broth-based (much healthier than the creamy mushroom soups) and is part of my Winter Soup Series. Click here for the recipe.  The rolls are perfect for sopping up soup or the gravy-sauce from the Braised Beef Short Ribs.

2nd Course - Main Dish: Braised Beef Short Ribs

Ingredients:

4-6 bone in beef short ribs

sea salt & pepper to taste

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tbsp. light olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

3-4 carrots, washed, peeled, cut into large chunks

1 bottle of red wine (I use cabernet sauvignon, merlot and pinot roir work fine too based on taste preference)

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 can diced tomatoes (I use Italian seasoned ones)

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. garlic powder

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Season short ribs with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Place flour into a Ziplock bag or in a bowl and coat the short ribs.
4. In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and sear ribs on each side (don't over crowd and cook in batches as needed) place seared short ribs on a plate and set aside.
5. In the same skillet, add onions and carrots; cook until veggies begin to soften, scraping up the pan dropping into the mix.
6. Add wine, chicken broth, tomatoes and seasonings. 
7. Increase heat slightly(to achieve simmering) stir and allow flavors to blend (a couple of minutes).
8. Add short ribs back into the gravy-sauce and bring everything to a simmer.
9. (If you're not using an oven proof pan, transfer gravy-sauce and short ribs to a deep baking dish) transfer to the oven and cover with pan lid or tin foil. I make sure the short ribs are laying meatiest part down into the gravy-sauce to soak up as much flavor into the meat as possible.
   
10. Bake for approximately one hour or until the meat on the short ribs begins to shrink back from the bone (exposing the bone).
11. Then reduce oven to 350 degrees F and cook for approximately one more hour or until the meat is fork tender and falls off the bone easily.

The gravy-sauce should be a thicker consistency but if it's still too thin, you can remove the short ribs and place the gravy-sauce back on the stove over medium heat and cover and allow the sauce to reduce until desired consistency.

3rd Course - Side Dishes: Garlic Mashed Potatoes & Brussels Sprouts Asiago
Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

3-4 Gold Yukon potatoes, thoroughly washed

4-5 cups water

1/2 cup milk

3 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. garlic paste

1 tsp. garlic powder

salt to taste

1. Cut potatoes into 1-2" pieces and place in a medium-large sauce pan with the water and bring to a boil.
2. Continue boiling for about 30 minutes or until potatoes have softened.
3. Drain the water and turn off the heat, but return sauce pan with the potatoes back to the hot burner.
4. Mash up the potatoes and then add milk, butter, garlic paste, garlic powder and salt and continue mashing up until everything is well blended and soaked into the potatoes.

Brussels Sprouts Asiago

Ingredients:

4 servings of fresh Brussels Sprouts (click here to find out my technique to prepare these veggies under Tips)

1 tsp. sea salt

1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1/2 cup shredded Asiago cheese

1 tbsp. butter

1 tbsp. garlic paste

1/2 cup heavy whipped cream

1/2 cup red onion, chopped

2-3 bacon strips, cooked

1. Place Brussels sprouts in about an inch of water in a skillet over low-medium heat, covered.
2. Steam Brussels sprouts for about 10 minutes or until the begin to soften.
3. Drain from water and transfer to serving bowl and season with salt.
4. In a sauce pan over medium-high heat, add butter, garlic paste and heavy whipping cream and mix until butter has completely melted.
5. Gradually add in shredded cheeses, a small handful at a time, stirring frequently, to melt cheese and avoid burning the bottom.
6. Once cheese is completely melted (almost boiling) about 8 minutes, pour over Brussels sprouts. 
7. Add in onion and crumble the bacon over the sprouts and then mix everything together so that sprouts are evenly coated with cheese and onions and bacon are mixed through all layers of the dish.