Sometimes we get very lucky and have the opportunity to host someone very important to us.  This past weekend it was our old college professor, George Ciscle.  Dan and I participated in many years worth of George’s signature program, the Exhibition Development Seminar.  It was in this class, in fact, where we met.  Actually, technically speaking, it was in this class where on the first day I spent the better half of the first hour admiring his forearms as George talked about how the course is incredibly difficult and everyone should leave, etc etc etc.  Then, on the break, I showed Dan my compass in line at MICA’s Cafe Doris.  That’s not a euphemism.  I really did show him my compass.  It was new.  And awesome.

Is it starting to add up why it took three years for us to actually start dating?  Anyhoo, we were lucky enough to host George and his husband Rick for dinner on Friday and it was, well, awesome.  We laughed and ate and caught up and told stories, it was a wonderful evening.  And in the background, along with a simple arugula salad and a pitcher of sangria that only I drank (it was delicious, by the way), were these short ribs.  Braised in red wine and served over cheesy, creamy, scrumptious grits.

Fall, to me, means a lot of things.  It means scarves and jackets and boots and pumpkin lattes, but it also means the beginning of serious meat season.  While we eat a fair amount of meat in the summer it’s always something light, refreshing.  Fall and winter is the time for stews and braises, foods that require your oven staying on for hours.  Food that you eat while wearing a sweater or with your fuzzy socks on.  Or is that just me?  Fuzzy socks, ftw!

Braised Short Ribs over Creamy Grits

Ribs:

8-10 beef short ribs

1 bottle red wine

4 cups vegetable or beef stock

1 tsp allspice berries

1 tsp peppercorns

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

1 tbsp fresh rosemary

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 bay leaf

1 tbsp salt

1 stick butter

Grits:

2 cups milk

1 cup vegetable or beef stock

1 cup yellow corn grits

1 lb cremini mushrooms

4 shallots

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp bacon fat

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 cup gruyere cheese, grated

1 cup extra sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

Salt & pepper

Juice of 1 lemon

Green onions

The night before you’d like to serve this, marinate your meat in 1/2 bottle wine and half of all the herbs/spices.  Refrigerate overnight.

4 hours before you’d like to serve this, take the meat out of the marinade and pat each side down.  Melt 1/2 stick butter in a medium size pot.  Salt & pepper ribs and brown them for about 30 seconds per side, in the butter.  When they’re all browned put them into the pot.  Cover with remaining wine, stock, butter, and the rest of the herbs.  Cover and cook at 375 for 3 1/2 hours.

To make the grits bring the milk and stock to a low boil.  Stir in grits.  Stir until thickened and remove from heat.  Stir in cheese and cream.

In a medium size pan melt your butter and bacon fat.  Slice your shallots and cook over low/medium heat until brown.  Set aside.  Slice mushrooms and add them to the pan (adding more butter if necessary).  Cook until brown.  Stir mushrooms and shallots into the grits, along with the lemon juice.

Arrange short ribs on top of the grits on the plate and top with green onion.