Grass Fed Beef Short Ribs

Ah, the dilemma. Grass fed or grain fed? Organic or local? Free range or caged? Does it really matter? If you ask my dad, he's say if it hasn't killed him after all these years, it's okay to keep eating it. And my husband just wants to know how much it costs.

So as I was pondering these life changing questions, Easter was coming up and I decided to make short ribs. We love short ribs. Well, Oliver and I do. But if I serve them with pasta, then the girls will eat some. Well, two of them will. The third gets chicken nuggets. I can only do so much.

Here's my recipe. They are so amazing, but the best part is, they're incredibly easy, but taste like a lot of work went into them. I bought my ribs at Whole Foods, and the grass fed ones were the same price as the regular kind. Bonus.

I use one pound per person. There's always leftovers, but that's okay. They're even better the next day.  In fact, I made these the night before.

Ingredients:

4 pounds grass fed short ribs, bone in

3-4 cloves garlic, chopped

3 carrots, diced or sliced

3 celery stalks, roughly chopped

3 shallots, diced

2 large bay leaves

bunch of fresh parsley

fresh thyme

3 cups chicken stock

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes

1 1/2 cups hearty red wine (I use a cabernet)

Place the ribs on a big broiler pan. Lightly season with salt and pepper and bake in the oven at 450 for 45 minutes, turning once after 20 minutes. 

Take them out, turn the oven down to 375. Transfer to a dutch oven and throw in the garlic, carrots, celery, shallots, bay leaves and a bunch of the parsley and thyme.  

By now the roasting pan should have cooled enough to throw those juices in. Add the wine, diced tomatoes, and chicken stock.  

Maybe some more wine. 

Put it back in the oven, uncovered, and let it cook for 2 1/2 hours.

By now they will be falling off the bone delicious. Like I said, I made them the night before and then let them simmer on the stove for a few hours before serving. Serve over pappardelle or polenta. With some freshly grated pecorino romano cheese on top. And a glass of cabernet.