Use your slow cooker to braise short ribs to perfection! They become incredibly tender in mix of beef stock and bourbon, and are terrific served on top of cheesy grits. It’s a dish that warms you from the inside out.  It’s possible that I owe my entire marriage to my ability to make short ribs. One of the first recipes I truly mastered was braised short ribs with homemade pasta, and now whenever I make them and watch my now-wife take a bite, I say to myself, “Gotcha!” This is a simpler version of the full-on braised short ribs, but no less delicious. Instead of homemade pasta, cheesy grits are a rich serve-along.

INGREDIENTS

For the short ribs:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3-4 pounds bone-in beef short ribs
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large shallot, sliced
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
2 cups beef stock
1/4 cup bourbon
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
Orange zest, for garnish

For the cheesy grits:

1 cup coarse ground corn grits
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

STEPS

Quickly brown the short ribs:

1) Toss flour with salt and pepper and coat ribs well in the mixture.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the short ribs and brown well on all sides, working in batches so as to not crowd the pan.

When the short ribs are browned well, transfer them to a slow cooker.

Scrape up the pan drippings:

1) Add the shallot, carrots, and celery to the skillet along with 1/2 cup of water. Use the liquid to scrape up any bits stuck to the pan.

Transfer the vegetables (they don’t need to be fully cooked) to the slow cooker along with any liquid from the skillet.

Slow cook the short ribs and veggies:

1) Add beef broth, bourbon, brown sugar, Worcestershire, garlic, and bay leaf to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours (or high for 5 to 6 hours).

Cook the grits:

1) When there’s about thirty minutes left on the short ribs, heat the stock in a medium pot over medium heat until it’s simmering.

Whisk in corn grits in a steady stream. Turn the heat down to low, and cover the pot and simmer for about 20 minutes until grits are thick and tender. Stir regularly to prevent sticking.

The only way to truly know when grits are done is to taste them. If they are crunchy, keep going and if you need to add more liquid, then do so.

When the grits are soft, add salt, pepper, butter, and cheese and stir to combine. Keep warm until ready to serve. If the grits get too thick (they hold their shape if stirred and don’t flow back into a single layer), add water by the 1/4 cup to loosen the grits.

Serve:

1) Divide the grits onto between plates and top each plate with a short rib. Add the veggies and a few spoonfuls of juice from the slow cooker as well and garnish with fresh orange zest.