Braised short ribs with creamy grit, roasted carrots & Brussels sprouts

Whitney Miller | Master Chef Season 1 winner


Ingredients
Short Ribs: 
4 tablespoons light olive oil or canola oil 
4 pounds bone-in short ribs (about 8) 
2 tablespoon fine sea salt 
1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper 
1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped 
2 celery ribs, roughly chopped 
8 garlic cloves, roughly chopped 
1 cup julienne sundried tomatoes 
2 tablespoons soy sauce 
4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 
4 cups beef stock 
1 to 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 

Roasted Rainbow Carrots: 
2 pounds rainbow carrots 
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 

Roasted Brussels Sprouts: 
12 Brussels sprouts, stem ends trimmed and loose outer leaves discarded 
2 tablespoons diced sweet onion 
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
1 garlic clove, minced 
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt 

Parmesan Grits: 
3/4 teaspoon salt 
1 1/2 cups stone-ground grits 
4 tablespoons butter 
1 cup grated parmesan cheese 
1/4 to 1/2 cup heavy cream 
Chopped chives, for garnish

Directions: 

For short ribs, heat oil in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Season ribs with salt and pepper. Brown all sides of the short ribs and then transfer to a slow cooker. Add onion and celery to the skillet. Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for a minute. Transfer to slow cooker and stir in sundried tomatoes, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and beef stock. Add short ribs. Set slow cooker to high and cover with lid. Cook for about 3 hours or until tender, flipping short ribs over halfway through cooking. Once tender, transfer short ribs to a plate. Strain the sauce through a wire mesh strainer into a large bowl, pressing the vegetables against the strainer to extract as much sauce as possible. Remove the top layer of fat from the sauce and discard. Stir vinegar into the sauce. 

In the last hour of cooking the short ribs, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Peel and cut carrots at a diagonal into about 1 1/2-inch pieces. Toss carrots with olive oil and season with salt.  Bake for about 45 to 50 minutes or until tender. 

For the Brussels sprouts, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut Brussels spouts in half lengthwise. Add Brussels sprouts and onions to baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Add minced garlic and salt. Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes or until tender.  

For the grits, bring 5 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Stir in grits, reduce heat to low, cover and cook according to package directions. Once cooked, stir in butter, parmesan cheese, cream and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook for an additional 5 minutes to melt cheese. 

To serve, spoon some of the grits onto a shallow bowl or plate. Top with 2 short ribs per plate. Spoon the sauce around the grits and over the meat. Top each plate of grits with roasted carrots and Brussels sprouts. Garnish with chopped chives.

about this recipe

I remember my first time trying short ribs. I was transported to beef heaven. It is still my favorite way to enjoy beef. When I think of short ribs, I think of comfort food and fall and comfort food go hand-in-hand. This dish can be presented 'chefy' or served family style.