Sunday short ribs
By Kevin Bludso
Soul food
By Kevin Bludso
Level
Easy
Ingredients for 6 to 8 people
- 16 meaty, bone-in beef short ribs – about 6 or 7 pounds
- Seasoning salt
- Ground black pepper
- Granulated onion
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 packet + 1 packet Lipton Dried Onion Soup Mix (0.9 ounces each)
- 2 ½ cups water + more for gravy
- 8 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup + ½ cup finely chopped onion
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder
- ½ tablespoon Kitchen Bouquet
- 1 cup flour + more if needed
- Cooked extra long grain rice or Mashed Potatoes to serve
Cooking equipment
- 1 wide skillet ; 15-inch or so roaster or baking dish
- A small or medium saucepot
Preparation
Preheat your oven to 350°F
The Short Ribs
1) Season the tops and sides of the short ribs (leaving the bones on the back alone) liberally with seasoning salt, black pepper and granulated onion.
2) Place the wide skillet over medium high heat and add the vegetable oil.
3) Once shimmering and hot, add the short ribs, meat-side-down (in batches if necessary). Cook until browned – about 6 minutes – and then turn over bone-side down and brown for 2 more minutes.
4) Transfer the short ribs to the roasting pan in a single layer, meat side up – leaving the grease in the skillet for the gravy.
5) Turn off the heat on the skillet. Top the short ribs with the whole garlic cloves and ¼ cup of chopped onions.
6) Meanwhile, combine 1 packet of onion soup mix and 2 ½ cups water in a saucepot and place it over high heat.
7) Bring to a simmer and whisk thoroughly to combine.
8) Remove from heat and pour over the short ribs – using just enough of the liquid to partially submerge the short ribs.
9) Cover with a lid or foil and then transfer to the oven.
10) Allow to roast until just tender – about 3 hours.
The sauce
1) While the short ribs are roasting, begin making the gravy.
2) Heat the skillet with the grease in it to medium-low heat.
3) Add the chopped garlic and ½ cup of chopped onion and stir to combine. Add chicken bouillon powder, 1 packet of onion soup mix and kitchen bouquet and stir.
4) Add the cup of flour and whisk constantly until the flour is nice and toasted – about 3 minutes.
5) Add 4 cups of warm water, a little at a time, while whisking constantly. Add more water if needed to get to a medium consistency gravy – usually about 2 more cups.
6) Bring to a bare simmer and continue simmering for about 10 minutes.
7) Remove the gravy from the heat and set aside while the short ribs roast.
Assemble
1) Once the short ribs are just tender, remove the pan from the oven.
2) Transfer short ribs to a platter or bowl temporarily, leaving the broth in the pan.
3) Add the reserved gravy to the broth, only a cup or so at a time, and whisk – only using as much as you need to reach a medium-thick gravy consistency.
4) Return the short ribs to the pan, meat-side-down in the gravy.
5) Cover with foil and roast until completely tender – around an hour.
Serve immediately, with rice or mashed potatoes and some of the gravy.
Bon appétit!
