Short Ribs & Cheese Grits

This is an amalgamation of two of my previous short rib recipes, namely Beef Short Ribs and Tomato Ragoût and Easy Crock Pot Short Ribs, paired with a simple cheese grits recipe that came together in an utterly sublime way.  Although I have previously renounced the need to brown the ribs in hot oil before beginning the braising process, I chose to go to the trouble of doing so on this occasion and will admit that it does impart a certain depth and richness to the dish, as does sautéing the onions until they begin to caramelize. I'll stand by my decision not to do so when I'm unwilling to go to the trouble and willing to give up that dimension of flavor in a perfectly acceptable way, but concede it will only yield acceptable, not stellar, results.

For those unaccustomed to making grits, there are basically three kinds:  Instant, Quick and then "regular,"original" or "old fashioned" and in the US, the grits market is virtually dominated by the Quaker brand.  Instant grits are fully cooked, then dehydrated.  They require less liquid and time to reconstitute, about a minute.  Quick grits have been par-cooked, or partially cooked.  They require more liquid and more time, but are still ready in about five minutes (seven minutes for high altitude cooking).  Regular grits are uncooked and take 20-25 minutes to fully cook.  I prefer the Quick variety, which to my palate are indistinguishable to regular grits and just make life a little easier.

This is a Crock Pot recipe, but you can make this dish in the oven or on the stove-top just as well.  Instructions are below.

Ingredients
For the Short Ribs
11-12 meaty beef short ribs
1 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes (like, Hunt's)
1 15 oz can tomato sauce (like, Hunt's)
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 tbsp garlic, minced
1 cup dry red wine
2 cups beef stock (like, Swanson's or Kitchen Basics)
1 tbsp dried leaf thyme
1 tbsp smoked salt (like, San Francisco Salt Company Cherry Wood)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
4 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Ingredients
For the Grits
1 cup "Quick" grits (like, Quaker)
4 cups beef stock (like, Swanson's or Kitchen Basics)
2/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt

The Recipes
Pre-heat the Crock Pot by filling with hot tap water, and turning the unit on high heat for 30 minutes to an hour.

Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot, soup pot or dutch oven over medium high heat.  Salt and pepper the ribs and in batches, brown them in the hot oil for 2-3 minutes on each side.  Remove the ribs to a platter.

Add the diced yellow onion to the hot oil and sauté until they begin to caramelize and turn slightly brown, about 10-12 minutes.

Add all the remaining ingredients but keep the ribs on their platter while you bring the liquid to a strong simmer.

Empty the water from the Crock Pot and stand the ribs on their ends around the perimeter of the cooking vessel, then carefully transfer the hot braising liquid into the Crock Pot.  Cover and cook on high for four hours, then reduce the heat to low for at least another three hours.

When the ribs are done, it's time to make the cheese grits.

Bring the four cups of beef stock to a simmer, then stir in the grits.  Continuously stir the grits until they thicken.  Fold in the shredded cheese and paprika and thoroughly blend everything together.

To serve, spoon some grits into a large pasta bowl, put a couple of ribs on top and ladle on lots of the delicious tomato gravy.  The bones will be easy to remove from the meat, a task I typically do before serving just to makes things easier at the dinner table.

If you prefer not to engage your Crock Pot (or if you don't have one), then you can simply return the ribs to the stockpot on the stove-top and keep them on a slow simmer, covered, for seven hours.  Similarly, if using a Dutch oven, you can put it in your kitchen's oven, covered, at 300 degrees for seven hours.  In both cases, check the liquid level about half way through and if needed, add more water or beef stock; an advantage to Crock Pot cooking is that you don't have to worry about that.