Oh My Yum, Oh My Almost Disastrous Dinner Party, Oh My Scott's Short Ribs!

YOU NEED A HUGE DUTCH OVEN FOR THIS RECIPE. Before I say anything, let me say that. Because mine was too small, and it almost RUINED my dinner party! Gasp! But it is my own fault for making a recipe for the first time for a dinner party the same day. What would Ina say...tisk, tisk!

Dinner Party Menu:

Green Salad
Scott's Short Ribs
Baked Potatoes with sour cream and chives
Cheddar biscuits (also by Ina, and previously posted on this very blog)
...and for dessert, peanut butter snicker cookies with chocolate frosting thanks to neighbor and dinner party guests Kim and Bubba.

I ate so much I contemplated gaging myself toward the end. Being that full, well, it hurts so good. A couple close calls:
- The baked potatoes and biscuits were a last minute update, so I had some time management issues.
- I used wax paper instead of parchment paper to line my baking sheet for the biscuits - a rookie mistake, live and learn.
- My dutch oven was TOO SMALL! ARGH! This recipe contains like 8 cups of uncooked veges, one and a half bottles of red wine plus 6 cups of beef stock, 6 short ribs...! I got everything in but two cups of the beef stock. I was able to fit one in later on in the process, but my ribs had a very...um...concentrated flavor. They were actually delicious, but I am still going to go out and buy a bigger dutch oven for next time.

When all was said and done the food was delicious, the cookies were sinful (yay for us getting neighbors who rock at desserts!), and we watched The Hangover together which was so funny I was crying before the movie was half over. Hip Hip for a social life!

P.S. Sorry there aren't more pictures, I was a little frazzled toward the end, as I noted above. It came out beautifully, almost like a stew.


Scott's Short Ribs
Recipe by: Ina Garden from Barefoot Contessa, Family Style
Cook Time: 3 hours, Serves: 4 (the ribs shrink up, so I would only try to stretch it to six if I knew they weren’t very hungry.)

Ingredients:- 6 beef short ribs, trimmed of fat
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup good olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups chopped onion (2 onions)
- 4 cups large-diced celery (6 large stalks)
- 2 carrots, peeled and large-diced
- 1 small fennel, fronds, stems, and core removed, large-diced
- 1 leek, cleaned and large-diced, white part only
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 (750-ml) bottle burgundy or other dry red wine
- Fresh rosemary sprigs
- Fresh thyme sprigs
- 6 cups beef stock
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar

Directions:Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the short ribs on a sheet pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.


Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven and add the onion, celery, carrots, fennel, and leek and cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Pour the wine over the vegetables, bring to a boil, and cook over high heat until the liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes.

Add 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Tie the rosemary and thyme together with kitchen twine and add to the pot.



Place the roasted ribs on top of the vegetables in the Dutch oven and add the beef stock and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Cover the Dutch oven and bake for 2 hours or until the meat is very tender.

Carefully remove the short ribs from the pot and set aside. Discard the herbs and skim the excess fat. Cook the vegetables and sauce over medium heat for 20 minutes, until reduced. Put the ribs back into the pot and heat through. Serve with the vegetables and sauce.