Who Needs Tallula, Anyway?

As much as we must applaud restaurants that update their menu to reflect seasonal ingredients or new experiments by the chef, it's always a disappointment when a favorite dish disappears. This happened to me at Tallula, a favorite brunch spot of mine. Sadly, they no longer serve their short ribs and cheesy grits on their brunch menu.

So when the meat guy at the Arlington Farmer's Market was offering, among other things, short ribs, I decided that the only accompaniment could be cheesy grits. Though my recipe doesn't precisely invoke Tallula's (it's less spicy, for one, and doesn't feature any green tomatoes), it has a rich, full-bodied flavor and provides the same kind of comfort that my former favorite brunch dish did.

Bourbon Spiked Short Ribs
6 short ribs (from Farmer's Market)
flour
salt
pepper
2 cloves garlic, crushed
some bourbon (a half cup or so)
oil
white pepper
beef stock (you need almost one of those refrigerator-sized cartons)
thyme
red wine (just a little)
handful of chopped carrots
2 red potatoes, chopped
handful of cherry tomatoes (from Farmer's Market)
some chopped parsley

Season short ribs with salt and pepper and dredge with flour. Brown in olive oil. Deglaze pan with bourbon. Add all ingredients except broth to a casserole. Pour broth over casserole just below submerging point. Braise for 2.5 hours.

Cheesy Grits
1 cup polenta
1 cup heavy cream
5 cups water
salt
dash of tabasco sauce
1 cup shredded aged cheddar (from Farmer's Market)

Combine water and polenta in pot. Bring to boil, then simmer for twenty minutes. Add a generous amount of salt. Stir in cream, cheese and tabasco. Heat through.

Serve ribs over grits. I added a side of steamed spinach.