Happy Monday morning my darlings!
Camping this weekend ended up kind of bunk. On the way out to the campsite we got hopelessly lost, which is funny because the campground is literally 2 minutes off the main highway – as it turns out, Langford is a nice city. Oops! Then it was absolutely torturous trying to set up the tarps in the torrential rain that washed out our friend’s tent and sleeping gear over night which refused to inflate, the bison burgers I make on almost a weekly basis refused to cook over the camp stove and later the open fire (charcoal bits are good for you though, right?) and there was some strange woman moaning and hysterically crying over night just as we went to bed; unsure whether she was going to ax us to death or not, and in light of everything else that had gone horribly wrong, we packed it up early and came home a night premature. Thank god for delivery food services! Of course, it was glorious to be out in the forest for a few hours and the smell of green and dirt and air was intoxicating. Next time though, dear weather, please co-operate. Just a little.
Speaking of co-operating, how about a little monthly SRC love? SRC = Secret Recipe Club. If you still don’t know what this SRC business is all about, you should. Click here. This month I was assigned Kimberly @ Rhubarb and Honey.
I was super pumped to get her for three reasons.
- Her culinary style = my culinary style: “80% “fresh / local / sustainable” and 20% “nostaligic / somewhat bad for you / everything in moderation….[with the idea that] healthy, delicious food, preferably produced locally and in a sustainable manner, should be available to everyone”. Hell yes.
- She’s had my blog previously for SRC, choosing to make my rendition of Blackened Brussel Sprouts – a dish that while popular in our own household, is by far, the most popular dish on the blog as well.
- Clowns freak her out. In my world, anyone who hates clowns must be awesome. Because clowns aren’t.
Kimberly also has some killer resources for people living in both the USA and Canada who want to learn more about eating seasonally – and therefore more sustainably and healthily – within their respective areas. I’m so proud of her. Well done, Kimberly. Well done.
After some serious debate about making:
- Basic Crostinis with 10 Little Toast Toppers (seriously? Why hadn’t I thought of a crostini tutorial!);
- Prosciutto and Parmesan Wrapped Grissini;
- Fried Parsnips and Homemade Sausage;
- Gluten-Free Jalapeno Mac & Cheese;
- Gooey Jalapeno Poppers (actually, I couldn’t resist this one. I made it @ Taste Buds last week);
- Rosy Rhubarb Syrup & a Farm Girl Cosmo;
I opted for Balsamic Braised Grass-fed Beef Short-ribs, served over a plate of basic polenta. And ya know what? Best meal I’ve had in a very long time.
It was rich, flavourful, slightly sweet bites of tender beefy goodness. Paired with a bold, fat red wine like the Noble Ridge Meritage, I was one happy lady. Wait a second, who am I kidding? I’m no lady!
Small changes: First, I doubled it. Second, I added a base of carrot and celery at the onion stage for added depth of flavor and because I lack a dutch oven, I used a blue enamel roasting pan. I also doubled her recommended cooking time as I was a touch worried they wouldn’t be as fall off the bone tender as I wanted them to be. And let me tell you, you can’t get better short-ribs in a restaurant! I highly recommend this dish to anyone who likes beef. Or tomatoes. Or just food in general.
Balsamic Slow-Braised Grass-Fed Beef Short Ribs
Cook
Total
Yield 4 servings
Ingredients
- 16 Oz Beef Short Rib, pastured, trimmed & cut into individual bone segments.
- 1 C Red Onion, chopped.
- 1 Medium Sized Carrot, sliced.
- 1 Medium Sized Stalk of Celery, sliced.
- 2 Tbsp Garlic, minced.
- 1 C Beef Broth, low sodium.
- 6 Tbsp Good Quality Balsamic Vinegar.
- 1 28 Oz Can of Diced Tomatoes.
- 3 Tbsp Brown Sugar, lightly packed (optional).
- Kosher Salt & Fresh Cracked Black Pepper.
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 300 degrees F.
- As that heats, prepare the ribs. Remove from the packaging, pat dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, heat a large Dutch oven (or blue enamel roasting pan), lightly coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Once hot, add ribs to pan; cook approx 3 to 4 minutes per side or until browned, turning occasionally.
- Remove from pan and set aside.
- Add a small glug of olive oil if necessary and toss the onion, carrot and celery into the pan. Sauté 8 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring often. Add garlic, stir and sauté 1 minute. Return the ribs to the pan, immediately followed by the broth, vinegar, sugar, and tomato. Bring to a simmer.
- Cover and bake at 300° for 3 hours. Remove from the heat and using a slotted spoon, serve 3 - 5 ribs per person over some basic polenta, gourmet smashed potatoes, or even some homemade pasta.
- Eat.
What do you do when things don’t go as planned?
To see what Kelley @ The Culinary Enthusiast made from my blog, click here.
katie
June 25, 2012 at 4:32 PMThese look absolutely amazing!
Kristy Lynn
June 26, 2012 at 5:40 PMthanks katie!
Kimberly
June 25, 2012 at 4:35 PMWhoop whoop! Can you see me doing my happy dance over here? I’m so happy because you got my blog this month! Not only are our culinary styles the same, you are hilarious and I love reading all your posts!
And I love, love, love your version of my short rib recipe. Short ribs and polenta … is there a better a better combination than that??? I think not!
Seriously, I am drooling while reading your post, and you’ve inspired me to make this dish again soon … even though we’re hitting 100 degrees here in St. Louis!
Happy SRC Day! Thanks for a lovely post!
Kristy Lynn
June 26, 2012 at 5:41 PMOh yay! haha – i love reading YOUR posts!!
…p.s. jealous. we’re sitting at a whopping 15 degrees in the day here. i think that’s about 60 degrees in the US. as i said: jealous.
p.p.s. i love having you this month!! you have such a beautiful blog!
Gingered Whisk
June 25, 2012 at 6:03 PMAwesome! I love this beef recipe, its so delicious looking! 🙂
Kristy Lynn
June 26, 2012 at 5:44 PMYOU are delicious looking!
Kelley @ The Culinary Enthusiast
June 25, 2012 at 6:24 PMHey Kristy! Loved having your blog this month. I’ll definitely be back for more recipes. Keep ’em coming!
Kristy Lynn
June 26, 2012 at 5:44 PMi’m so stoked that you made what you did! it looks great Kelley! i’ve linked to it from this post now 🙂
Shelly { @ Quiet Luxury }
June 25, 2012 at 7:48 PMOMG that looks SO good!
Quiet Luxury
Kristy Lynn
June 26, 2012 at 5:46 PMthank you Shelly!
Amanda @ Once Upon a Recipe
June 25, 2012 at 9:27 PMBeautiful – food and photos! I’m impressed!
When things don’t go as planned, I have a drink. Just kidding. Maybe.
I usually take a deep breath, and come up with a plan B. Sounds like you had to take many deep breaths this weekend! Cheers to being safe, sound, and dry!
Kristy Lynn
June 26, 2012 at 5:46 PMdrinking helps for sure. especially when planning out plan B.
Sam
June 25, 2012 at 10:08 PMSo…it took me a while to realize that the title of the post was not the name of the recipe, but the title of the blog the recipe is from…I just kept thinking “that really doesn’t look like rhubarb. It looks like meat.”
Kristy Lynn
June 26, 2012 at 5:47 PMjohn just said the same thing. sorry love. haha
Sam
June 26, 2012 at 6:05 PMNot your fault–first full day of summer vacation brain malfunction. 🙂
Lisa~~
June 25, 2012 at 10:52 PMWhat a gorgeous short rib recipe, I’m saving it to give it a try.
If you haven’t already, I’d love for you to check out my group “A” SRC entry: Candied Popcorn.
Lisa~~
Cook Lisa Cook
Kristy Lynn
June 26, 2012 at 5:47 PMon my way lisa!
amy @ fearless homemaker
June 26, 2012 at 12:20 AMoh, how heavenly! these short ribs look absolutely divine – good pick for the SRC. sorry to hear that your camping trip didn’t go perfectly, but i just feel like that means that your next camping trip will be absolute perfection. =)
Kristy Lynn
June 26, 2012 at 5:47 PMlet’s keep thinking that amy and maybe it will turn out to be true 🙂
Sarah @ The Pajama Chef
June 26, 2012 at 12:25 AMthis sounds so flavorful & delicious. great SRC choice!
Kristy Lynn
June 26, 2012 at 5:47 PMYOU are flavourful and delicious Sarah! thanks for stopping by!
Asiya @ Chocolate and Chillies
June 26, 2012 at 3:35 AMOhhhh…this is mouthwatering!!! Great SRC pick!
Kristy Lynn
June 26, 2012 at 5:48 PMthanks Asiya!
Karen S Booth
June 26, 2012 at 2:28 PMHI darlink! GREAT recipe and LOVELY photos as always! Hugs, Karen from Lavender and Lovage
Kristy Lynn
June 26, 2012 at 5:48 PMthank you Karen – yours looks great too! xo!
Sara
June 26, 2012 at 4:33 PMThis looks SO delicious – totally gorgeous and tasty!! Definitely will need to try this recipe.
Kristy Lynn
June 26, 2012 at 5:48 PMlet me know how it works out for you Sara!
A Cooks Quest
June 26, 2012 at 5:00 PMI have everything for this recipe, it is going on the menu for this week. Great SRC post!
Kristy Lynn
June 26, 2012 at 5:48 PMoooh! i want photos and details!
Teresa, foodonfifth.com
June 26, 2012 at 5:51 PMAs I am typing this my printer is printing out your short ribs recipe…on polenta! This is what I am planning for our upcoming Fourth of July Weekend! I cannot wait to try this. I also must confess that this is the first recipe I have ever printed off a blog site before. Thanks.
Kristy Lynn
June 26, 2012 at 5:54 PMTeresa lovely, you just made my day! please let me know how it turns out for you – i want photos! haha.
Melanie
June 26, 2012 at 6:00 PMI don’t always love pictures of raw meat, but gosh your top one looks completely appetizing! I’ll definitely need to try this one!
Kristy Lynn
June 26, 2012 at 6:06 PMi ordinarily feel the same way melanie. i guess the camera gods looked kindly on me that day!
Baking Addict
June 26, 2012 at 9:36 PMWow this looks amazing!! I hardly eat beef but I would really like to try this! I hate it when things don’t go to plan but I usually improvise and hope for the best 🙂
Kristy Lynn
June 27, 2012 at 7:45 AMlikewise, i’m not a huge beef eater. though i do like the gin 😉
Lindsey at NW Backyard Veggies
June 26, 2012 at 10:30 PMGluten Free Jalapena Mac and Cheese?!?
Oh, my…I do declare….I might just be getting a case of the vapors.
I’m heading there right….NOW.
Kristy Lynn
June 27, 2012 at 7:46 AMHAHA – exactly.
withoutadornment
June 27, 2012 at 1:17 AMYummy! I’ve recently started eating beef and things like this recipe make me wonder why I didn’t start sooner! I’ve definitely pinned this for future making! 🙂
Kristy Lynn
June 27, 2012 at 7:46 AMoooh! i love pinning!
Kels @ K and K Test Kitchen
June 27, 2012 at 2:10 AMShort ribs are seriously my favorite thing ever. And these look amazing. I can also totally understand why you came home early from your camping trip, I’ve been there, with the rain streaming into the tent and literally everything going wrong! Good luck next time!
Kristy Lynn
June 27, 2012 at 7:47 AMthey were so tasty! i was worried they’d be fatty but they weren’t at all. mmmm short ribs 🙂
[email protected]
June 27, 2012 at 3:41 AMFirst time visiting–love your site! The short ribs over polenta are absolutely drool inspiring. Well done!
Kristy Lynn
June 27, 2012 at 7:47 AMnice to have you Fran! polenta = good. short ribs = good. this dish = good.
Avril
June 28, 2012 at 1:49 AMAny time you want to come over to my house and cook me dinner you are MORE than welcome to! 🙂 You did a gorgeous job on this dish! Just gorgeous!!!!
Kristy Lynn
June 28, 2012 at 4:14 PMdeal avril.
Dorothy at Shockinglydelicious
June 28, 2012 at 10:21 PMWonderful choice! Adding it to my “must make” list! Looks particularly good sitting on polenta. (Visiting you from SRC Group D.)
Kristy Lynn
July 3, 2012 at 3:38 PMpolenta is always a good idea. always.
April @ Angel's Homestead
June 30, 2012 at 1:38 AMBoy does this look good, especially over the polenta. : )
Kristy Lynn
July 3, 2012 at 3:38 PMthanks April!
April @ The 21st Century Housewife
July 2, 2012 at 11:57 AMI’m sorry you had to abandon your camping trip; I really can sympathise with the weather being terrible. We were lucky last week and missed a lot of the showers, but it’s been unseasonably cold and very damp here in the UK. I’m just off to visit Rhubarb and Honey, what an interesting sounding blog and those recipes sound amazing. As for those delicious Short Ribs, I really have to make them – what a great balance of flavours there is going on in that gorgeous sauce!
Kristy Lynn
July 3, 2012 at 3:39 PMi think we’re getting the short end of the summer stick, you and i. i’m almost tempted to move to dallas texas! just for the sun.
Janice
July 16, 2012 at 4:35 AMI’ve been looking for different grass fed beef recipes and I think I found a good one with your
balsamic slow-braised grass-fed beef short Ribs. I can’t wait to try this one.
Kristy Lynn
July 16, 2012 at 3:45 PMlet me know how it works out for you janice! Thanks for stopping by!
Brenna
February 5, 2017 at 9:48 PMKristy! We met on Friday night out at dinner on Robson! I’ve been stalking all your awesome-ness and just made this for dinner tonight and it was heavenly!! I didn’t have a can of diced tomatoes though and wasn’t about to head out in this snowmagedon, so I diced up the one tomato I had, and an apple and half a pear and let me tell you—AMAZING! My family asked if we can have this every week! #winning! I look forward to trying more from your beautiful blog and will be ordering your book of course!! Thank you 🙂
Kristy Gardner
February 9, 2017 at 11:54 AMBrenna! It was so lovely to meet you. I’m stoked to hear from ya! And SO stoked that you liked my recipe. I’m impressed that you swung for the fences with the apple and pear – I’m intrigued and TOTALLY trying it next time I make this. Which may be tonight because it’s cold AF outside and I want saucy beef on polenta. Thank you so much for taking the time to say hi and ordering my book and being generally awesome. But of course you’re awesome – we’re Vancouverites!! ….Even if we are snow’d und’a. xoxo!
Kristy Gardner recently published…Sauteed Kale Penne with Toasted Walnuts & Fresh Parmesan