Chipotle Short Ribs over Creamy Grits

These slow-cooked Chipotle Short Ribs are fall-off-the-bone tender! Juicy beef is seasoned to sweet, spicy, and smoky perfection. Serve them alongside creamy, cheese-infused grits for a hearty Sunday dinner.

Ingredients

For the Short Ribs

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 lbs bone-in beef short ribs about 6-7 ribs

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 medium onion chopped or sliced

3 slices bacon diced into small pieces

5 small carrots chopped into big pieces

5 stalks celery chopped into big pieces

8 garlic cloves minced

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

3 Chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce plus 1 tablespoon of adobo sauce from the can

1 cup beef stock

3/4 cup red wine

1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 teaspoons cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

2 bay leaves

Fresh parsley chopped for garnish

For the Grits

2 cups half and half

2 cups water

Salt

1 cup old-fashioned grits make sure they aren’t instant

1 tablespoon unsalted butter plus more as needed

1/4 cup goat cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

For the Short Ribs

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Add olive oil to a dutch oven over medium high heat. Liberally season short ribs with salt and pepper on all sides then add a few to the dutch oven to sear. You should get a nice sizzle sound.

Brown in batches, making sure they are separated with enough space so they aren’t touching. Make sure they are totally browned on all sides then remove from the pot and set aside.

Drain out fat leaving just 1 tablespoon. Scrape the bottom of the dutch oven and add in the onion, bacon, carrots, and celery and stir everything together and cook until veggies are tender and bacon has browned.

Add in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds then sprinkle flour on and stir in.

Stir in the chipotle peppers and adobo sauce then deglaze with the beef stock, red wine, and tamari. Stir in brown sugar, cocoa powder, and cumin and add in the bay leaves. Bring the braising liquid to a simmer

Once simmering, add the short ribs back into the liquid, cover, and cook in the oven for 2 1/2 - 3 hours or until ribs are completely tender (easily separated with a fork) and the liquid has thickened.

For the Grits

Add half and half and water to a large pot over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Add some salt to the liquid.

Once liquid starts boiling, briskly stir in grits and bring heat down to low and cover with lid. Cook according to instructions on the back of the package (about 20 for stone ground) stirring twice during this time to maintain smoothness. They should be completely tender and thick.

Once ready, stir in butter and goat cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste. Optional: add more butter if needed, but it will already taste rich with the short ribs and sauce on top.