Braised Short Ribs @ Chez Moi

I decided to document the making of a masterpiece... my version of short ribs.  I scoured the internet trying to find a version of the recipe for which I had all the ingredients.  No such luck, so I took a little bit from this one and that one and it didn't turn out so bad because there isn't any left over :)

One of the recipes called for bacon.  I happened to buy some the day before.  Check.  So I rendered the fat out of the bacon in a large pot.  I removed the bacon bits, put it on some paper towels to absorb excess grease and ate all the bacon.  :)

Next, I browned the short ribs in the rendered fat.  Sprinkle with some sea salt and freshly ground pepper beforehand and resist the temptation to keep turning it over so that there's some good caramelization on the surface of the meat.  I cooked it for about 8-10 min.

I removed the short ribs and added a selection of veggies I got pre-chosen for me in a package labeled "soup greens."  It contained some stuff I never used before like turnip and parsnip, but also an onion, a leek and celery stalk, carrots, and some herbs like parsley and dill.  I added the celery, onion, and leeks first to get the aromas going and cooked it till it was translucent.

I added the freshly chopped herbs to the onion mix.

Then I added the rest of the veggies and water to cover.  Some recipes called for chicken or beef broth.  I added two beef bouillon cubes with the water.

Almost all of the recipes called for some form of another of red wine, but I didn't have any and I didn't want to go to the store for a bottle.  Luckily I found a recipe that called for beer instead.  And I just happened to have a stash of Purple Haze in my fridge.  This was my riskiest move because I could spoil a whole pot of some perfectly good meat if this went badly.  I poured it in and hoped for the best.

When everything came to a good boil, I added the ribs back in, lowered the heat and simmered it for a good three hours.  Oh, and I did add a tablespoon of flour, brown sugar, and some more salt and pepper.

People said that it was best the next day, but I couldn't wait.  I spent all day making it and I was famished.  There was enough left over for lunch the next day, and they were right.  It was definitely better the second time around.