Invention

Okay, so I have about 50 packages of beef short ribs.  I blogged about this yesterday I believe.  Trying to come up with all kinds of ways to use it up.  Much like my "Cooking My Through" ground beef magazine.  So, today I am going to cook 3 packages of the beef short ribs in the crock pot, seasoned with some taco seasoning.  After they are fork tender, I'm going to shred it up and get rid of the fatty pieces and bones.  Then, going to serve with Monterrey jack cheese, cilantro, queso and tomatoes on corn tortillas.  Should be super yummy!

Beef Short Ribs

Did you know there are differences between beef short ribs and other beef short ribs?  We get a whole cow's worth of red meat twice a year and I have no fewer than 12 packages of beef short ribs.  P-Dub has 2-3 excellent recipes for preparing them.  However,  the beef short ribs she buys in the store are actually better than the ones we get with our own cow.  Typically, that is never the case as it's always better to get your own beef rather than in the store.  I prepared two packages of beef short ribs in my dutch oven yesterday and there were no leftovers to speak of.  Not because my family gobbled down seconds and thirds either.  After I put some on all 7 plates, there was none left in the pot.  My Man was grabbing last little bits off the kids plates as I was scraping them off after dinner.  Ree's beef short ribs were full of tender meat between the ribs.  Mine had about 2-3 tablespoons of meat between the ribs.  I finally just got my hands in the pot and started searching for meat to pull off the bones.  Taste was super yummy though!  Served with a side of roasted potatoes, spinach salad and Tastefully Simple Beer Bread!

Recipe: Braised Short Ribs

Prep Time: 20 Minutes  |  Cook Time: 2 Hours  |  Difficulty: Easy  |  Servings: 4

Print Recipe3"x5" Cards4"x6" CardsFull Page

Ingredients

• 8 whole Beef Short Ribs
• Kosher Salt and Pepper To Taste
• 1/4 cup All-purpose Flour
• 6 pieces Pancetta, Diced
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
• 3 whole Carrots, Diced
• 2 whole Shallots, Peeled And Finely Minced
• 2 cups Red Or White Wine
• 2 cups Beef Or Chicken Broth (enough To Almost Cover Ribs)
• 2 sprigs Thyme
• 2 sprigs Rosemary

Preparation Instructions

Salt and pepper ribs, then dredge in flour. Set aside.

In a large dutch oven, cook pancetta over medium heat until complete crispy and all fat is rendered. Remove pancetta and set aside. Do not discard grease.

Add olive oil to pan with the pancetta grease, and raise heat to high. Brown ribs on all sides, about 45 seconds per side. Remove ribs and set aside. Turn heat to medium.

Add onions, carrots, and shallots to pan and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in wine and scrape bottom of pan to release all the flavorful bits of glory. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes.

Add broth, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed. Add ribs to the liquid; they should be almost completely submerged. Add thyme and rosemary sprigs (whole) to the liquid.

Put on the lid and place into the oven. Cook at 350 for 2 hours, then reduce heat to 325 and cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes. Ribs should be fork-tender and falling off the bone. Remove pan from oven and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes, lid on, before serving. At the last minute, skim fat off the top of the liquid. (Can also refrigerate mixture, then remove solid fat from the top.)

Serve 2 ribs on bed of creamy polenta, spooning a little juice over the top.

Tastefully Simple: Pork Loin

Have you ever been to a Tastefully Simple Party?  They are awesome!  I started using it about 5 years ago. It's one of those things where you host a party and the based off of how much your guests buy and if they book a party, you get dollars off or half priced items.  I happened to host a $1000 show and ended up with a pantry full of products.  Everything is really good.  Most of the stuff is a mix that you just add some thing too and voila, you end up with dinner.

Over the years, my favorite Tastefully Simple gal moved and I had to find a new one.  Here's my side note:  if you sell something be it Tastefully Simple, Mary Kay or Scentsy or something else, it is AWESOME if you have a storage of product so that when I call you, I can get it the same darn day.  My previous TS gal ran her business this way and it was great.  I do not like being out of a product and then have to wait 5 days for it to come in the mail.  So, over time, I just stopped ordering TS stuff simply because I couldn't find someone close by who kept a stock.

Recently, I was invited to another party.  I hadn't been to one in almost 4 years so it was high time to see what new stuff was out there.  I was happy to see that several of my favorite items were still in the catalog and a few new things.  The recipe I'm talking about today is this!:

Crock Pot
Pork Loin
Tastefully Simple Vidalia Onion Dressing

Just cook in the crock pot all day.  It is heavenly served over mashed potatoes!

Solo Club

Making spinach salad and olive cheese bread today for lunch with friends!

Recipe: Olive Cheese Bread

Prep Time: 10 Minutes  |  Cook Time: 25 Minutes  |  Difficulty: Easy  |  Servings: 12

Print Recipe3"x5" Cards4"x6" CardsFull Page

Ingredients

• 1 loaf French Bread
• 6 ounces, weight Pimiento-stuffed Green Olives
• 6 ounces, weight Black Olives
• 2 stalks Green Onions (scallions)
• 1 stick Butter, Room Temperature
• 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
• 3/4 pounds Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated

Preparation Instructions

Roughly chop both black olives and pimiento-stuffed green olives. Slice green onions into thin pieces.

Combine butter, mayonnaise, cheese, olives and green onions in a mixing bowl. Stir together until thoroughly combined. Spread mixture onto French bread that has been sliced lengthwise. Bake at 325ºF for 25 to 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and browning.

Mixture can also be refrigerated (up to two days) and used as a dip. Great with crackers.

Spinach Salad:

Ingredients

• 3 whole Eggs
• 7 slices Thick Cut, Peppered Bacon
• 1 whole Red Onion, Small
• 1 package Mushrooms, White Button
• 8 ounces, weight Baby Spinach, Washed Dried And Stems Removed
• 3 Tablespoons Reserved Bacon Grease
• 3 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
• 1 dash Salt

Preparation Instructions

Cook eggs: cover with water, bring to a boil, then turn off heat and allow to sit in water for 20 minutes. Drain off water and add ice on top of eggs.

Fry bacon until crispy/chewy. Remove to a paper towel.

Remove 3 tablespoons grease and set aside.

Add 2 add'l tablespoons of grease to a separate skillet over medium heat.

Slice red onions very thinly, then add to skillet. Cook slowly until onions are caramelized and reduced. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Slice mushrooms and add them to the same skillet. Cook slowly until caramelized and brown. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Chop bacon.

Peel and slice eggs.

Make hot bacon dressing: Add 3 tablespoons bacon grease, vinegar, sugar, and Dijon to a small saucepan or skillet over medium-low heat. Whisk mixture together and heat thoroughly.

Add spinach to a large bowl. Arrange onions, mushrooms, and bacon on top. Pour hot dressing over the top; toss to combine.
Arrange eggs over the top and serve.

Enjoy!

NOTE* I am not sure everyone will want all that jazz on their spinach salad, so I'm serving everything on the side and then they can add what they want.  I'm groovy like that!