Continuing my ongoing saga to create restaurant quality meals at home, this weekend I decided I was going to tackle a dish that has always scared me.

Braised Shortribs.

I wanted to give myself the best chances of success, and that meant I was going to need to start with the best beef. So I headed out to visit my go-to butcher shop, the over 90 year old Acme Meats. Seriously, if you live in Edmonton and you haven’t been to Acme, you should let Corey the butcher hook you up with some quality local meats.

Acme to the rescue

The first step is to add some oil (I used olive oil) to your dutch oven and sear off the shortribs on all sides. You may need to do this in batches so as not to cool the pan too much. As I am cooking for 2, I used 2 ribs cut into 4 pieces each.

smells great already

Remove the seared meat from the pan and add in the onions and mushrooms, garlic, and spices. Saute about a minute then deglaze the pan with your red wine and beef stock.

Bring to a boil and return the ribs to the pan, basting with the succulent juices.

Everybody in the pool!

Slide your dutch oven into a pre-heated 350 degree oven. It’s now time to sit back and enjoy one of these…

You’re going to let the short-ribs braise for about 3 hours, then pull them out of the broth and set aside on a plate. Put the pot on the stovetop and reduce the juices to your desired consistency and season to taste.

Return the shortribs to the pot, cover, and remove from the heat. They will stay warm in the dutch oven until you are ready to serve.

love me tender

The accordion potatoes could not be easier. Wash 6 equal sized potatoes and slice them most of the way through in 1/4″ segments. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven at 425 degrees until soft. (about an hour) Or put them in the oven with the ribs at the lower temperature for the last hour of cooking and crank it up to 425 when you take the ribs out until done.

Now that we’ve got all the components made, it’s time to dish up some short-ribs and slather some butter on those potatoes. And hey, why not make your mom happy by adding a little steamed broccoli?

Go ahead and give this one a try. You’ll love it.

crazy good

you know you want it

Braised Short-ribs with Accordion Potatoes

• 2 short-ribs, cut into 8 pieces.
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 1-2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 1/4 cups red wine
• 1 1/4 cups beef stock
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp herbs de provence
• 1 tsp salt
• 6 equal sized potatoes
• olive oil

Sear ribs on all sides with olive oil in a dutch oven. Remove, and add onions, garlic, mushrooms, thyme, and salt to the pot and saute a minute or 2. Deglaze with the wine and stock. Return the ribs to the pot and braise in a preheated 350 degree oven for 3 hours.

Slice potatoes most of the way through in 1/4″ sections, and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and put in the oven for the last hour of the ribs cooking time. After you pull the ribs out, turn up the potatoes to 425 to finish cooking.

Remove the short-ribs from the pan and reduce the juices on the stovetop until desired consistency is achieved. Return the short-ribs to the sauce and you are ready to serve.