March-ing into Spring

Hello Lovahs. Did you enjoy your snow day? I did. I stood home with my Mickey Girl, rented a chick flick, baked some Challah bread (again) and consumed an entire bottle of cheap wine (raise your hand if you have an SSB?) I will not mention how peeved I was when i tried to talk Mickey twice before noon and the streets and sidewalks were still not plowed that day- I called out and gave myself a snow day.

Dear Mother Nature,

AREN’T YOU DONE YET?

Looking forward to Spring.

-Mo

Mom is still recovering and I am still helping out when i can. I went to see her after the pasta and meatballs had run out and she had another comfort dish on her mind. BBQ Braised Short Ribs. Of course mama! but first… I need a snack.

I had some leftover tortillas in the house. I had some salsa. I was feeling really greedy and then found some shredded cheddar/colby jack cheese. SO I made some nachos.

Clearly, this is more than a snack but nuking chips with cheese and spicy salsa produces something heavenly. MMM. If i had some guac or sour cream I might have died and gone to heaven.

Okay, Ribs.

Since i had some on my hands, I decided to make them a bit differently. Normally, i just dump the ribs into my crock pot, pour sauce all over it and then cook on low for 10 hours. I decided that today, I was going to sear these babies to lock in their juices. I trimmed most of the fat off of the ribs. And seasoned them with garlic, salt, and pepper. I sprinkled a bit of flour on them too to make a nice crust when they sear.

In a screaming hot pan, sear each side of the short ribs for a minute on each side.

You dont want to cook them but you want to create a nice seal for all the moisture to stay inside the ribs. Add them to your crock pot, pour your favorite BBQ sauce on top of it (enough to cover the ribs) and about 1/2 cup of water. Place the lid on those delish ribs and cook on low for 10 hrs or on high for 5 hrs.

I whipped up a pot of garlic mashed potatoes and steamed some fresh spinach.

The ribs were fantastic before but seasoning and searing them before slow cooking them made them so incredibly awesome! they were amazing! they didnt last very long as everyone wanted seconds.

Seriously, the short ribs are a little bit pricier but they are meaty and taste amazing when braised or slow cooked! do try! you will not like- you will LOVE!

Speaking of Love… hello SPRING- I know you are coming! I can smell it!

BBQ Short Ribs

About a month ago, I found an AMAZING deal on short ribs. They were like $2.50 per lb and thats a bargain! I stocked up, cleaned the bunch, and froze them in two people servings. When I spoke to Henry he had said he might be coming home on a particular day. I prepared for his arrival by defrosting a pack of these meaty and succulent ribs. When the day finally came for him to come home, something happened and he has the worst luck known to man and this unfortunate event has delayed his voyage home.
So, i made these ribs for me and Mickey.
These ribs are DELICIOUS. And EASY! and if you dont make them you will be missing out on something so wonderful it will make you cry.
You’ll need a slow cooker. I got my inspiration from a very awesome lady! If you dont have one, go and get one after reading this post. Holidays are among us and these things are on sale for practically nothing! I have two slow cookers. The one above is my first one, It is a 4 qt size and was purchased for $10 at walmart 2 years ago on Black Friday. My other one was a housewarming gift, it is a 6 qt and was on sale for $20- when it retails for $30 or $40. Its a great time saver and really allows you to be creative in the kitchen!

What you will need, Short Ribs and Barbecue sauce. I made 8 ribs and ran out of BBQ suace but if you are making 4 ribs you can use just one bottle of sauce.

Throw ribs into crock pot. Some people prefer to sear them first but if you’re short on time, you can toss these in damn near frozen and they will come out fine!

I knew my bottle of BBQ sauce wasnt going to cut it so i added a few things to spruce it up a bit. Garlic powder…cuz I love garlicky BBQ!

The entire bottle of barbecue sauce.

And if you are making 4 and your sauce doesnt cover the ribs, add some water. But remember, adding water will dilute that smoky BBQ-y taste- might want to add a lil salt and garlic to bring it back.

Honey, What is BBQ sauce without a little honey? I feel like my sauce is complete now that I have added water, garlic, and honey.

If you have a programmable slow cooker, cook for 8-10 hrs on LOW or 4 hrs on HIGH. This is what you will see. The top layer is oil. But the smell in your house will be straight up BBQ. I stook that pesky layer of oil off and with a slotted spoon, fished for my ribs that have shruken into yummy tender pieces of love.

Meat is so tender it FALLS OFF THE BONE. The bones are still floating around in the pot.

And there they go. Soaked in BBQ Sauce!
Just an example of the soakage. The center of this bone, is the color the bones started out as. If you are a fan of chewing on the bones… these will be quite flavorful. I gave to Mickey and she destroyed one! Then I found out that cooked bones are bad for doggies. I hope she enjoyed that treat because she wont be getting any of those!

I seperated the meat from the bones and admired the beauty. Two ingredients (kind of) made this masterpiece. I was set for a few days with this lovely stuff!

Now what to eat with it….

I know. another instant potato dish. You would think I knew better… but it was a freebie and I never tried this one. I DESPISE instant mashed potatoes- because they are awful… but i figured why not? If this tasted horrible, I was gonna make a salad to go with it.

Can I confess something? I FREAKING loved these instant garlic mashed potatoes! They were not instant tasting at all… and i think its all the garlic, butter and milk in them. I was impressed. Waay better than the other brand of instant potatoes that i tried!

Paired it with some broc/cauliflower mix. I used a small plate to make me feel like I was eating a lot. (those ribs didnt last very long! they were too damn good)

Seriously, you will NOT regret making these ribs. They taste amazing and are a cinch to make. My mother, the skeptic, used this recipe and has already went out to buy more ribs so she can make these again! But be warned! they are DANGEROUSLY good!