LAST EDITED ON 12-30-09 AT 01:09 PM (EST)

So I am delurking to both compliment the OTCC and to report on the short ribs.

First off, thank you all for doing this. I am a wannabe foodie that will never get anywhere near a "chef" status but am always interested and excited by new recipes (whether I watch them on t.v. or read them in magazines or cookbooks - my xmas gift to myself was JChilds classics).

So a little caveat - my experience with this recipe must be taken tongue in cheek. The mistakes are totally mine and are offered up to everyone as amusing. The end result of the recipe was amazing. The short ribs were tender and we cut them with butter knives. I would never have undertaken this recipe (or the others which I will endeavor within the next two weeks without the great photos).

Everything went swimmingly with the cuts of veg (mise en place?) and I know flouring the ribs might have been an easy description but the photo gave me a "duh" moment of why I never used my cookie sheets to do this (I used kitchen plates and always ended up with flour all over my kitchen counter and madly cleaning up).

Browning the ribs, likewise. I always stressed that I was putting too many piecces (of whatever) in the pot for browning (and I was). This pic helped me happily brown the twelve ribs with confidence!

Here comes my mistake written in red:
I don't have a Le Crueset dutch oven(yet). I have others (a beginning Caphalon set, a stainless steel set, and various other bits and pieces) so I chose the stainless steel oven proof that was deep but as Julia would say "Not sufficient for the ingredients." I had the veg and the ribs placed "just so," and added 2 cups of wine and only one cup of broth - and it was filled to the brim. Looking at the photos, I had a moment of uncertainty but thought it was good enough and proceeded on.

The pot simmered, smelled beyond believable and I put it in the oven to beome even greater for two hours. I opened a chardonnay, poured myself a glass and smiled.

An hour later, I realzied the stainless steel oven proof dutch oven was overflowing into the bottom of the oven. I caught it before the fire alarm went off, and siphoned off as much gravy as I could (I saved the gravy into a bowl) and kept up siphoning till the dish was done.

As I said, the dish was a huge success and I will save this recipe as a showstopper (with appropriate adjustments and no fireman ).

Big huge thanks (and leftovers - gads)

Kate

edit to clarify mistake made by moi