cast iron, bone in beef short ribs

For those that know me, I'm a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants girl.

I always have been. At least I think I have been, or maybe it started when our 6 boys started getting into their toddler years, at any given time, one of them would fall or get pushed down the stairs right before we were to be somewhere and end up with half their face missing, breaking a foot before going to a birthday party, getting the chicken pox for the 6th time, etc.

It was just really hard to make any sort of a commitment.

Cooking dinner is no exception.

If I'm not hungry, they don't get a hot meal. The family would get a giant bowl of cereal and a pile of toast, which they loved. Probably more than my cooking... 

I think we probably went through 1000 lbs of cereal over the years. In fact, I think Tom figured out that we changed roughly 18,000 diapers, drank about 5000 gallons of milk and a few other high number random facts I can't remember that he figured out.

My point being is that I made these chuck, beef short ribs at the last minute, frozen actually straight from the freezer. I did a quick defrost in the microwave- {gasp} it's fine if you watch the meat so it does not cook, than it turns {BAD}, like gross bad. This picture was taken right after I did the quick sear and tossed everything in the pot, and placed it in the oven with the lid on.

You could add fennel, leeks, or potatoes, dust the ribs in flour, or try your favorite seasonings to make it how you love it. 


beef short ribs

1-2 pounds chuck beef short ribs
1 jar Elki lingonberries
1 large yellow onion
4-5 cloves fresh garlic
fresh thyme
2-3 tablespoons tomato paste
4-5 carrots depending on how many your family will eat
1-2 tablespoons -as needed, bacon grease or olive oil
sea salt
freshly cracked pepper
1-2 anchovie fillets
garlic powder
1 cup of beef broth or 1 can of beef consume ( I actually love Campbells' beef consume for things like this) 
a few jiggers of red or white wine


Season the short ribs with a heavy dose of sea salt, fresh ground pepper and lots of garlic powder.

In a cast iron add the bacon grease or to the pan over med-to med high heat. You want a nice sizzle but you don't want the meat to burn and you don't want the pan too cool.

Sear the meat on each side, about 3 minutes on per side.

​Add the large chopped onion, fresh thyme, rough cut carrots, a few squirts of tomato paste, a couple of anchovies, 1/2 cup Elki Lingonberries and a jigger or two of red wine and about 1 cup of beef broth or 1 can of beef consume. 

Put the lid on the pot and put it in the oven on 350 degrees. Check it at the 2 hour mark and it should be ready to eat, nice and tender fall off the bone goodness.

Serve with steamed potatoes and a spoonful of Elki lingonberies.