So Kris and I just recently started buying our beef from a local cow farm and y’all the beef is AMAZING! If you’re an NC resident I highly recommend trying out Southern Meadows Farm! Check out their Facebook page in the link below!

Southern Meadows Farm

So we had purchased all this beef and I was waiting for a special occasion to cook up the short ribs! Well…this week my hubby graduated with his MBA!!! Hallelujah! He is DONE! So I had to make up something super special in the kitchen to celebrate this huge accomplishment!

Cheers to my husband for working his @*$ off the last six years!! Love this guy! Proud wifey right here! ☺️❤️

Anyways back to these short ribs!

 These braised short ribs are SO tender, juicy and flavorful!! Topped with gremolata (which is just a fancy Italian word for a herb, citrus and garlic condiment). Plus, served with a family favorite, farmers cheese pierogies! You do not get better comfort food than this my friends!!

Ingredients 

3 lbs  of bone in short ribs, cut crosswise

3-4 garlic minced cloves

6 large carrots cut into thirds

2 stalks celery

1 onion chopped

2 bay leaves

1 small can tomato paste

1/2 bottle dry red wine

2-4 sprigs of thyme, rosemary and oregano

2 cups beef broth

salt & pepper to taste

1 tbsp olive oil

1/3 cup flour

Yields: 2-3 servings

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Working in 2 batches, brown short ribs on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch.

2.Transfer short ribs to a plate. Leave drippings in dutch oven and add chopped onion, celery and mined garlic. Cook on high heat stirring often and until onions are browned.

3. Add flour and tomato paste, stirring constantly, until well combined and deep red about 3 minutes. Stir in wine, then add short ribs with any accumulated juice and bring to a boil.

4. Lower heat and simmer for about 25 minutes. Add all herbs to the pot along with the bay leaves. Stir in beef broth. Bring to a boil, cover, and transfer to oven.

5. Cook until short ribs are tender, 2.5 – 3 hours. Transfer short ribs to a platter. Strain sauce from pot into a measuring cup. Spoon fat from surface of sauce and discard.

6. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Plate and add a healthy pinch or three of gremolata!

Ingredients for Gremolata:

1-2 tbsp lemon zest

1 garlic clove finely graded

1/3 cup chopped parsley

Yields: 1-3 servings 

Directions:

1. Chop parsley and add to bowl.
2. Finely mince garlic and zest a lemon add to bowl.
3. Mix well and cover until needed.

 

These pierogies are a family recipes passed down from Kris’s side of the family!  My mother in law taught me the art of making pierogies, they take sometime in the kitchen but WOW so worth it! It is his mother’s tradition in his family to have pierogies for special occasions and I try to keep that tradition going! So there was no question I would include them in Kris’s celebratory MBA dinner!

Ingredients for Pierogies: 

3lbs block farmers cheese

1/4 large graded onion

2 beaten eggs

1 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

Yields: 40-50 balls 

Directions: 

1. Mix ingredients into large bowl with your hands

2. Form 1″ balls and set aside on a baking sheet

TIP: I use a small cookie dough scoop and this really speeds up this process!

Ingredients for Pierogi Dough: 

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 egg yolks

1 egg

2 tsp salt

1/4-1/2 cup water

Yields: 1 large ball of dough 

Ingredients for Boiling and Frying Pierogi:

2 cups water

tbsp of olive oil

1 bag yellow onions peeled and sliced

1/4 cup of vegetable oil

Directions: 

1. In a mixing bowl add all ingredients. In a medium to large sauce pan add 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Add olive oil. Then turn heat down to a light boil.

2. On slow speed mix with mixer and slowly add water in a little at a time

3. The dough should start to pull away from the sides of the bowl and when it does remove from bowl and place on a floured working space.

4. With a rolling-pin roll out the dough to about 1/8″ thick.

TIP: You do not want your dough to thick when your rolling it out! So get your roll on! If the dough is tacky you may add a little extra flour. Try to avoid adding to much you don’t want them to taste to floury.

5.  Using a large round cookie cutter cut dough into circles or you may use a large cup if you do not have a cookie cutter.

6.  Place a farmers cheese ball on each dough cut out and gently fold over. Use a fork to close the piergoi.

7. Try to work quickly you do not want your dough to dry out. Place 4-6 pierogies at a time into simmering water and they will float to the top when they are finished. Remove from water and place on a baking sheet.

TIP: If your piergoies are falling apart in the water turn your heat down it means your boil is to high, these little dumplings are fragile!

8. In a saute pan heat 1/4 cup of vegetable oil over medium heat. Add 1/3 of your sliced onions and place 1/3 of the pierogies on top. Salt and pepper to taste.Fry the pierogies on each side for 3-4 minutes and remove from pan.

9. Continue frying your onions and pierogies until finished. Plate with your short ribs and add a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle with gremolata.

This is a perfect meal for a special occasion or if you really want to impress your honey! The perfect combination of savory comfort food! I hope y’all enjoy this recipe as much and Kris and I did!

NC residents don’t forget to check out Southern Meadows Farm’s Facebook Page! The beef is AMAZING!!

Grow it. Pick it. Cook it. Eat it.

Chantelle