Under Four Ingredients! Can It Get Any Better?
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a recipe that appears on one screen of my phone, that practically goes straight from the refrigerator to the oven, and that my family enjoys. This one will definitely be part of the weeknight dinner rotation!
Below are some links to more details, including photos:
My Story
Beef short ribs are often on sale at the nearby supermarket. Whenever I bought them, I would always use them to make soup (Galbitang). However, I wanted something different this time that my family would like more.
Inspiring Recipe
After searching online, I found Great British Chefs, a website that focuses on Britain’s food scene. On it was a guide, How to cook beef short ribs, which had a recipe for roasting beef short ribs.
First Try
Since I had already purchased the ribs that were on sale for $3.99/pound, I was ready to make the dish.
Ingredients to Use
Even though I bought more ribs than was noted on the recipe (4.26 instead of 2.25 pounds), I didn’t modify the other ingredients.
Steps to Prepare
When it came to the instructions, all I had to do was convert the oven temperature from 190°C/Gas mark 5 to 375°F.
Time to Eat
After three hours of roasting, the ribs were ready for tasting!
Recipe Rating
Below were the results of the recipe after the first try:
| Number of Ingredients | Effort (Low🤏, Medium🤏🤏, High🤏🤏🤏) | Cost per Serving (<$2💰, $2-5💰💰, >$5💰💰💰) | Taste (Not for me🤔, Trying Again🙂, Eating Regularly😋) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3️⃣ | 🤏 | 💰💰 | 😋 |
The short ribs were lightly salted, but the black pepper wasn’t noticeable. In regards to the texture, the pieces had a mixture of crispiness, fat, and tender meat.
From my perspective, the ribs were heavy from the oil and fat, so I was glad that I ate them with rice and Chinese mustard greens. However, my kids liked them, with the older one requesting more in the future.
Second Try
For the second batch, my goal was to increase the pepper flavor.
Ingredients to Use
This time around, I had slightly less beef short ribs at 4.22 pounds, but tried to add a little more black pepper.
Steps to Prepare
For the process, I kept everything the same as before.
Time to Eat
The plate of ribs from the second attempt looked pretty much like the first plate.
Recipe Rating
Below are the results of the recipe from the second attempt:
| Number of Ingredients | Effort (Low🤏, Medium🤏🤏, High🤏🤏🤏) | Cost per Serving (<$2💰, $2-5💰💰, >$5💰💰💰) | Taste (Not for me🤔, Trying Again🙂, Eating Regularly😋) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3️⃣ | 🤏 | 💰💰 | 😋 |
The short ribs had enough salt, but still not enough pepper flavor. In addition, these overly rich morsels were lacking in meat. Nonetheless, my family still enjoyed the dish.
When I try this recipe again, I will do the following to see if it makes a difference in the flavor:
Continuous Improvement
- Sprinkle black pepper three times over the ribs instead of two times.
The simple short ribs recipe emphasized the following, which I would like to share with my younger self:
Lesson for Dumber Self
- You don’t need a lot of ingredients to make a tasty dish!
What will you do now?
Next Step for You
- Try the recipe for roasting beef short ribs in the guide, How to cook beef short ribs, from Great British Chefs, a website focusing on Britain’s food scene?
- Share your favorite recipe with a maximum of three ingredients?
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