Toronto got hit with the first snowfall last night, and the snow was around 15cm this morning!! I’m not ready for winter, and for some reason this is the time of the year when I slack off really hard on my 6am gym workouts and eat all the carbs instead. I just loooove putting on my PJs, turning on Netflix, and eating all the carbs. Just like this awesome braised short rib and mashed potato that I made!!

I’m actually salivating as I type this entry out, just thinking about the braised short rib that I cooked this past weekend, with fall off the bone, super tender meat, in a super delish sauce that has the perfect balance of tangy and umami flavours. The recipe, which I loosely adapted (eyeballed) from a Tastemade video that didn’t have measurements, featured Franklin BBQ owner, Aaron Franklin, sharing his grandmother’s legit looking pot roast recipe. Franklin BBQ is a reallllly big deal in Texas – it is THE place to get classic BBQ in Texas with a wait that could go up to 4-5 hours… and yep it’s on my list of places to eat before I die!!

I tested a bunch of recipes for pot roasts and braised short ribs in the past, ranging from really tomato based ones, to even some with red wine, and I can say this recipe in my top three for sure! It’s got simple flavours that truly complement each other and really lets the beef shine. Comfort food doesn’t need to be complicated!!! I once made Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon and was a bit disappointed at how the flavours overpowered the meat. My favourite ingredient here is the shiitake mushrooms, which I have never used in a stew before! I’ve only used cremini mushrooms, but I love the flavour this adds.

Make this dish ASAP. It’s the perfect comfort food this winter!! Super simple recipe, which you can set and forget aka leave in your oven for a few hours. I made this with buttery mashed potatoes and roasted garlic carrots and it was EXCELLENT!!!!!

Braised Short Rib

Adapted from Aaron Franklin

3 tablespoons olive oil
4 pounds beef short ribs (cut into 2-3 inch pieces)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, diced
1 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems chopped, caps sliced
3 cups (or more) low-sodium beef or chicken broth
2 tbsp Lea and Perrins
1-2 Tbsp tomato paste

**Preheat oven to 310 Degrees F
1. Marinate beef in salt, pepper. Place in refridgerator
2. Get a cast iron pot/large dutch oven and put 2 tbsp oil, sear the meat on all sides
3. Place meat aside
4. Deglaze the pan with stock, add onions, garlic and cook with more oil (so its black and crusty).
5. Add the mushrooms to the onions and fry
5. Put the beef back into the pot.
6. Add stock, tomato paste, Lea and Perrins sauce, then put in oven for 310 degrees for 3-4.5 hours (depending on how tender you want it)