Braised Short Ribs and Potato Gratin

I decided to make something that seemed fancy but only took about an hour to make and a lot of down time to cook. I'm using the downtime to study for upcoming finals. You could also use the down time to set a table or get dressed for a dinner party. Short ribs are cheap and the rest of the meal is basically vegetables which are cheap also but I did have most of the ingredients already (aka spices and liquids).

Short Ribs have been one of my favorite dishes on vegas room service menus since they sometimes don't have prime rib. When I was a kid I would get prime rib everyday we were in vegas. It was awesome! haha. I hope to make a prime rib for my birthday or christmas. It costs so much I feel like it's a special occasion meal. The short ribs satisfy that rich meatiness I crave but in a different way then the prime rib. I've come to find I love both! This meals seems hard when looking at it but each step is simple so please have faith in yourself readers that you can do this one!

Ingredients:
Short Ribs

olive oil
4 beef short ribs, trimmed/cut and make sure they look meaty
1 medium white onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and cut into half moons
5 ribs of celery, diced
5 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
4 tomatoes, diced or a 14 oz can of diced tomatoes
3 bay leaves
2 cups red wine
2 cups water or beef stock
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1 tsp. thyme
2 tsp. oregano

Potato Gratin
2 russet potatoes, peeled
1 cup cream
1/4 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper
butter
parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. preheat oven to 400. Get a sheet pan and line with foil.

2. Cover beef in olive oil and season with lots of salt and pepper.

3. Bake in oven for 15 minutes. This gives it a nice crust. Once finished, remove ribs and reduce oven temp to 300.

4. Cover bottom of a dutch oven or large oven proof pot with olive oil. Dice onions, tomatoes, celery, and carrots. Place into pot and saute over medium heat with a pinch of salt and pepper.

5. Cook until vegetables are softened. Add red wine, water or beef stock and bay leaves and dried herbs and cook until liquid is reduced by 1/3.

6. Place browned short ribs into vegetable pot once liquid has reduced. Add more wine or stock or water until short ribs are completely submerged in liquid. Place in 300 oven and cook for about 2 hours or until beef is tender.

7. While short ribs are in oven, it's time to make the potato gratin. Take peeled potatoes and slice into 1/8 inch thick slices. Try to make them as even as possible so they cook evenly.

8. Butter a casserole dish. Layer potatoes into an overlapping pattern that covers the bottom of the casserole in a single layer.

9. Season with a small pinch of salt and pepper. Sprinkle very small pats of butter on top. Cover with a 1/4 of a mix of the cream and chicken stock. Then cover with more grated parmesan cheese. Put a potato layer on top and continue building up the layers as above until ingredients run out.

10. Cover with foil and place into oven 30 minutes into short rib cooking.

11. Now it's a lot of time baking. About 2 hours for the ribs and 1 1/2 hours for the potato gratin. Keep turning and rotating both dishes in oven for more even cooking.

12. When ribs are fork tender remove them from the pot and place them on a plate and cover with foil. These need to rest for at least 15 minutes. During this time you can finish the meal.

12. Pull gratin out of oven once it has a golden brown top and allow to set for 5-10 minutes. Skim fat off the top of the pot liquids. Put liquids into a blender and puree. Pour back into pot and cook over high heat until it is the consistency you'd like.

13. To serve just place a rib, peel off bone, onto a plate. Spoon a little sauce over top. Cut a square of potato gratin and put on plate. Pour any extra cream on top. Serve rest of pan juices on side. Watch everyone's amazement at this meal when you serve!!