Recipe by Monique Carter, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Austin student and member of G.R.I.T.S.
Ingredients
10 beef short ribs, about 8 ounces each
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup onions, diced
2/3 cup celery, diced
2/3 cup carrots, diced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
5 1/2 cups beef stock
1/4 cup tomato puree
1 bay leaf
2 cups hominy grits
8 cups chicken stock
2 cups white cheddar, shredded
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Pat the ribs dry so the meat will brown evenly. Tie a piece of kitchen twine around each rib to hold it together. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet until very hot. Brown the short ribs well on both sides. Transfer the browned short ribs to a braising pan or baking pan.
In the skillet, add the onion, celery and carrots to the fat and saute until lightly browned. Stir in flour to make a roux, and cook until roux is browned. Stir in the stock and tomato puree and simmer until the sauce thickens. Add the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper.
Pour the sauce over the short ribs. Cover and braise in the oven until tender, about 2 hours. Transfer short ribs to a large baking dish or hotel pan for service. Pour the remaining sauce in a glass measuring cup and let sit. Pour off the fat that rises to the top.
Taste the sauce and add any salt, pepper or stock to reach desired taste and consistency.
For grits, heat chicken stock in a saucepan and slowly stir in grits. Bring mixture to a boil while stirring. Simmer grits, stirring every 5-10 minutes until done, adding more stock if needed to control the thickness. Depending on the coarseness of the grits, this should take between 30 and 45 minutes. Add salt to taste and stir in cheese until melted.
