Anniversary Dinner - Tender Succulent Short Ribs..

Now, if that title didn't entice you, then there's not much that will. I rarely spend hours slaving over a meal in the kitchen but once in a while an occasion comes along where you just want to make something that will knock someone's socks off...namely, a first anniversary. I had toyed with the idea of going out to a romantic restaurant but as our main pass time is checking out places to eat, I thought this would be something a little more memorable.

Speaking of romantic restaurants, a few weeks earlier, we had dined at a classy place called Prado, in San Diego, set in the middle of a beautiful park. I ordered duck which was amazing but I looked over at Nadir's huge short ribs and took a tentative bite. The tender meat just fell off the bone and proceeded to melt in my mouth. Needless to say, a few minutes later, the short rib dish was in front of me and the duck had mysteriously made its way over to Nadir :)

With the memory of those short ribs still fresh in my mind I started looking online for recipes. A lot of them seemed pretty complicated and entailed leaving things overnight and cutting up hundreds of vegetables. I finally decided on a pretty simple recipe by Paula Dean. . I seasoned the short ribs with salt and pepper and seared them in olive oil and garlic. I then added some beef broth and water and brought it to a boil. Afterwards, I put everything in an oven proof pot with a lid, adding onions and seasoning and let it cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours in the oven. The short ribs aren't hard to make they just take a while to cook.

While they were in the oven I made some mashed potatoes, mushrooms, and salad to go along with them. I pulled the short ribs out of the oven once Nadir was home and, hands down, it was one of the best dishes I've ever made. The meat was so tender that it just flaked off the bone. The gravy was hearty and flavorful and the creaminess of the mashed potatoes alongside the butter coated mushrooms complemented the meal perfectly. This isn't a meal you'll be making weekly but when you want to pull out the big stops, keep this recipe in mind. Its definitely worth it.

Recipe for Short Ribs by Paula Dean

Ingredients

• 3 pounds short ribs
• House Seasoning, recipe follows
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• Oil
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped, plus 2 more cloves chopped
• Water
• Beef Broth, plus more for roasting
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 onion, sliced
• White rice, for serving

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Season ribs liberally, or to taste, with House Seasoning. Lightly dust with 2 tablespoons flour. (I skipped the flour part)

In a Dutch oven, place a small amount of oil. Add the 2 garlic cloves and cook until lightly browned. Add the ribs and brown on each side. Add half water and half beef broth to cover ribs. Bring to a boil. Remove the ribs from the Dutch oven and place in a casserole dish (I used a pot which had a cover that I left on while it was cooking in the oven. I highly recommend you do this). Add the remaining garlic, salt and pepper, onions, and about 1 cup broth to the ribs. Roast ribs for 2 hours. Serve over buttered white rice.

House Seasoning:

1 cup salt

1/4 cup black pepper

1/4 cup garlic powder

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.