This is one of my favorite meals of the year. Slow cooked Short ribs with polenta.
First off, yes, these pictures are horrible. Sometimes all that important is getting delicious food from my plate into my mouth as fast as possible, art be damned. I will make them again and do better, but for now, I apologize.
It’s bad enough that Mom makes Thanksgiving all by herself (though, her fault because she delegates nothing), but it’s made worse by the fact that when Little Buddha and I come home (or bring friends in tow), we also require (slightly demand) that she make all of our other favorites. For Little Buddha, it’s Turos Testa. Cabbage rolls were on my wish list this year and since Tomato has been gracing our table for the past three, she also has her favorites and this one, Slow Cooker Short Ribs with Grits, were BOTH of our favorites. Needless to say, Mom spent most of the weekend in the kitchen, and we love her for it.
I’ve tried on my own to remake Mom’s creamiest, slow cooker grits without success because I never really got the true recipe. Mine were also lacking in butter and whole milk, which, let’s be honest, is on its own going to make a different. These go slow and slow for about 8 hours. Totally worth the wait. Mom’s rule of thumb is 1:4 ratio grits to liquid; 1:1 ratio stock to whole milk, and lots of butter. Unsalted.
These most amazing grits are accompanied by the best short ribs I’ve had, which is saying a lot since when I go out to eat I inevitably order short ribs because I don’t make them on my own (for no good reason). This recipe is just as easy as the grits, and maybe now that I know her secrets and magic, I won’t have to wait until next Thanksgiving to roll around for me to eat them.
Though, Mom always does make it best, right?
Oh, and we’re still at Disney! To see our shenanigans, be sure to follow me on instagram! (#adventuresoftheHB #THBDoesDisney)
Short Ribs with Polenta
Slow cooker short ribs with polenta are the perfect set and forget meal- rich vegetable gravy covers the cheesy grits.
Ingredients
- For the polenta:
- 1 1/2 cups polenta
- 3 cups whole milk
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 stick butter
- salt and pepper, to taste
- For the ribs:
- 12 ribs
- cumin
- paprika
- 2 TB olive oil
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
- 2 TB tomato paste
- 1 cup parsley
- 2 cups beef or chicken stock
Directions
- Step 1 For the polenta, add all the ingredients to a slow cooker and cook over low heat for 6-8 hours. These can be made a day in advance.
- Step 2 Make the ribs. In a large bowl, add the ribs. Sprinkle generously with paprika and cumin, using your hands to ensure all surfaces are coated. There isn’t an exact measure, just make sure it’s all covered.
- Step 3 In a deep saucepan, add 2 TB olive oil. Sear the ribs on all sides until each has a nice golden crust, about 2 minutes on each side.
- Step 4 Meanwhile, in the bowl of a food processor, add the celery, onion, garlic, pepper, carrot and parsley. Chop until all is fine and well combined.
- Step 5 To the bowl of another slow cooker or a deep stock pot, add the ribs, vegetable mixture, tomato paste and stock. Cook on low for 6-8 hours until the meat is falling off the bone. Serve with the creamy polenta.
That looks amazingly good!
I was amazingly good!
So easy and looks delicious, I love grits! Who’s Bob? 😉
Haha. One of my buddies from meal sharing here in Chicago. You… 🙂