Welcome to day 5 of 10 days of fall dinners!
If you’re ready to lean into the super cozy meals, today’s pomegranate braised short ribs with polenta are for you. This one has been a favorite in our household for years, a tried-and-true meal for Sunday dinners, family gatherings, or date nights. A recipe that makes you feel like a pro chef, but does most of the cooking on its own!
For our 10 days of fall dinners series, I gave the recipe an update so it’s better than ever and easy to follow. Plus, slow cooker instructions are included if you prefer it!
A recipe like short ribs can feel intimidating—they look like something straight out of a food magazine!! Which used to make me think I was cooking out of my league as a home chef. But short ribs are actually deceivingly easy!! They really don’t take a lot of technique to taste good. The key is to let the oven work it’s magic low and slow 💫
I like to keep my wellness routine simple but effective, which is why my recipes are plant-forward and nutrient-dense. To further support my gut health—which affects everything related to your digestive quality of life—I love including Seed’s DS-01® Daily Synbiotic in my routine.
DS-01® is a clinically validated 2-in-1 probiotic and prebiotic. Each capsule is formulated to target the root causes of daily digestive distress and has been shown to boost beneficial Lactobacillus bacteria by 17x—which, yes, is a lot of good bacteria on your team!! My favorite part is how easy it is: just two easy capsules daily, taken with or without food, with no supplement regimen needed to keep my digestion regular. The Seed team is doing the research and using the latest science to develop capsules that do that work.
You can try Seed’s DS-01® Daily Synbiotic for 25% off with my code JENNEATSGOOOD25 for a limited time. Your gut will thank you!
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
pomegranate braised short ribs
serves 6 | prep time: 20 minutes | cook time: 3 hours 20 minutes
gluten-free, dairy-free option
INGREDIENTS
For the short ribs
3 ½ pounds bone-in beef short ribs (about 6 large ribs)
kosher salt
ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
4 large carrots, diced (about 2 cups)
3 celery stalks, diced (about 1 ½ cups)
5 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons tapioca flour or arrowroot starch (can sub cornstarch)
4 cups low-sodium beef broth
3⁄4 cup pomegranate juice
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
pomegranate arils, for serving (optional)
For the polenta
2 cups milk of choice
1 cup stone-ground yellow-corn instant polenta
kosher salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Pat the short ribs dry with a paper towel and season generously on all sides with salt and ground black pepper. Set aside on a plate.
Heat the oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven or large, heavy ovenproof pot with a lid over medium heat until shimmering. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, carefully add the short ribs to the pan. (The ribs will steam rather than caramelize if you crowd the pan.) Cook until golden brown and crispy, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a large plate.
Carefully remove excess oil with a ladle, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery to the pot and cook, stirring often, until the onions are translucent and begin to caramelize, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and tapioca flour and cook until absorbed.
Add the broth and pomegranate juice and mix well. Season with a few generous pinches of salt.
Add the short ribs back to the pot, arrange the rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves on top of the meat. Transfer to the oven and bake until the meat is tender and falling off the bone, about 2 ½ hours.
After 2 ½ hours, remove the lid, and continue cooking for another 30 minutes.
Prepare the polenta: If your polenta provides different instructions or alternate timing, follow as instructed for best results. In a medium lidded saucepan, combine the milk and 1½ cups water and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Slowly whisk in the polenta until incorporated. Cook, whisking often, until the polenta thickens, 3 to 5 minutes. If the polenta is too thick to whisk, gradually add up to ½ cup water to thin it out. Cover, remove from the heat, and let steam until thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Salt to taste.
When the short ribs are done cooking, discard the rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves. Divide the polenta among 6 plates and top each with a short rib*, along with the sauce and vegetables. Top with a sprinkle of pomegranate arils (optional).
STORE IT: Refrigerate the short ribs and polenta separately in sealed containers or silicone molds for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
REHEAT IT: From refrigerated, assemble your plate and microwave until warm, about 2 minutes. Or place in saucepan, covered, over low heat, stirring occasionally until heated through, about 10 minutes. From frozen, thaw in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, then assemble your plate and microwave in 30-second increments until warm, or follow stovetop instructions.
recipe notes
*Serving: You can top each plate with a whole short rib, or remove the meat from the bones prior to serving. Discard the bones.
The key to melt-in-your-mouth short ribs is the low and slow cook. Give it the full time to get there! Removing the lid for the last 30 minutes gets a slight roasty-caramelization on the edges.
Discard the fat when chilled: When refrigerated, the fat will collect at the top of the short ribs and harden. Scoop out the hardened fat with a spoon and discard it before reheating.
Slow cooker: Follow the same instructions through Step 4 in a large, deep skillet or dutch oven. Then transfer to a 6-quart slow cooker, cover, and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 5 hours, until the meat is tender and falls off the bone. Separate the meat from the bone once cooked. If you want to save time, you can skip the sear and add everything to the slow cooker.
swaps and subs
Pomegranate juice: Swap for 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup and 3 tablespoons coconut aminos.
Polenta: Swap for mashed potatoes.
Dairy-free: Use your favorite unsweetened, unflavored non-dairy milk.
need another swap?
for those of you who aren’t ready to let go of summer…
Today’s sweet treat is a recipe straight from Maria Koutsogiannis’s (@foodbymaria) brand new cookbook, Greek Out, which is officially out this Tuesday!! Pair it with today’s recipe for a special weekend dinner, or dinner party. You can order Greek Out wherever books are sold for more Mediterranean recipes and get it on your doorstep Tuesday! Here’s a little more about the recipe from Maria:
Olive oil is to chocolate what sea salt is to tomatoes-they just make sense together, taking something that is already amazing to the next level. Add to that the fact that this decadent, unctuous, silky ice cream can be made without an ice cream maker and in a loaf pan? You have dessert gold.
chocolate olive oil ice cream with raspberry swirl
serves 6 to 8
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
¾ cup chopped Greek milk chocolate or milk chocolate chips
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Extra-virgin olive oil
¾ teaspoon espresso powder
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla paste
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
¾ cup raspberry jam
Flaky sea salt, for serving
Fresh raspberries, for serving Shavings of good chocolate, optional
Chocolate Sauce (recipe follows), optional
INSTRUCTIONS:
Line the bottom and sides of a standard loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Whip the cream and melt the chocolate: In a large bowl with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream to medium-stiff peaks, 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside.
In a medium microwave-safe bowl, microwave the chocolate in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until melted, about 2 minutes total. You could also do this in a small pot over low heat. Set aside to cool slightly.
Make the ice cream base: In a medium bowl, stir together the melted chocolate, condensed milk, cocoa, 2 tablespoons olive oil, espresso powder, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth. Fold in 1 cup of the whipped cream and gently combine. Add the remaining whipped cream and gently fold together. Don’t overmix.
Assemble and freeze: Spread about a quarter of the ice cream base evenly over the bottom of the loaf pan. Dollop 3 or 4 rounded tablespoons of jam on the top, then repeat that layering of ice cream base and jam three more times. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 8 hours.
Serve: Top scoops of the ice cream with another drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of flaky salt, and fresh raspberries. If desired, use a vegetable peeler to create chocolate shavings over the top or douse the whole mess in chocolate sauce.
Chocolate sauce: In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring ½ cup heavy cream to a simmer. Add ½ cup (4 ounces) chopped milk, bittersweet, or dark chocolate or chocolate chips, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract and stir until the chocolate has melted. Drizzle as desired. The cooled sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
prepping
Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Protein Scones: Like your favorite breakfast sandwich wrapped into a crispy scone! If you’re following the September Meal Prep Plan, these are part of our prep this week. One of my absolute faves!
Turkey, Sweet Potato, and Black Bean Chili: A little sneak peek of what’s to come in the 10 days of fall dinners next week! This chili is the ultimate fall weekend din, just in time for football season, plus it freezes like a dream for a fall stock up. Recipe coming soon!
loving
Banana bread protein bars: I’m a sucker for a good protein bar, but also picky when it comes to texture and flavor. This new (I think? new to me!) banana bread flavor from Aloha tastes just like banana bread—perfect travel snack for on-the-go! Overall Aloha makes some of my favorite protein bars, so I highly recommend!!
Patchwork sweater: I got this sweater for Brian for early fall, but already know I will be stealing it. Kind of love the denim-but-not look right now and he’s been upping his style game lately, so I’m here for it! Currently on sale 😇
recommending
iPad stand: Having an iPad stand in the kitchen has truly been a game changer when I’m not cooking from a cookbook (love my book stand for cookbooks). If you’re following one of our dinner plans, I highly recommend for the prep day plan.
Yesteryear: The whole eat goood team has read or listened to Yesteryear (we’re a little behind the summer book clubs I guess), and all found it a true page-turner. I know there were some strong opinions on this one, did you read it? What’d you think?
Can’t wait for you to make our next fall dinner, don’t forget to send your pics in our chat! We’re back Wednesday with another fall recipe.
Short ribs were like, $40 where I’m at, soooooo we switched to pork shoulder. It was much more affordable for like, $15. Regardless, I’m excited to try this (even though I know the beef would’ve been delectable!)
Made this tonight, sooo good!! - we had boneless short ribs at Costco ($60 for 3.5 pounds) + $4 pomegranate juice is about $11 per serving for a restaurant quality meal at home! We live in San Diego - can’t get a burrito for under $15.
The sauce is amazing. This will be a repeat in our home date night meals.