It certainly feels like we are in the “dog days of summer.” My Beagle pup Sally would agree. She’s normally my constant companion outside but is not happy about the heat and sneaks back to the house hoping to be let inside. Sunday, I took a cue from her and at 3:30 headed to the house too. I slow-cooked dinner while working on miscellaneous projects in the air-conditioning.

Braised Short Ribs
4 short ribs (about 3 to 3-1/2 lbs.)
1/2 cup flour for dusting
1 pinch each salt and pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil
5 carrots, chopped
4 celery ribs, chopped
2 onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 bay leaves
2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 c. red wine
28-oz can whole tomatoes
1 quart beef broth
salt and pepper to season vegetables

Coat the short ribs with flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large oven-safe pot. Sear each side of the ribs on high heat until brown. Remove ribs from pan, reduce heat to medium and sauté vegetables, seasoned with salt and pepper until onions turn translucent. Add herbs, wine and tomatoes. Stir all ingredients together, breaking up tomatoes and cook for about 15 minutes.

Add the ribs to the pot and pour enough beef broth to cover them. Reserve any extra broth to add to the pot later. Cover and cook in a 375-degree oven for 3 hours. Check every hour, making sure liquid still covers the ribs. Add leftover broth as needed.
When done, the meat fell off the bones, which I kept for my pup. Cube the larger pieces of meat and return to the pot. I skimmed about a half cup of grease off the top. Then I decided to thicken the mixture and added 2 Tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in a little water to the short ribs, heating on the stovetop until the mixture thickened to the consistency of gravy. The short ribs were rich and tasty served over garlic smashed potatoes.

Oh, remove the bay leaves before serving. I usually forget to mention that because I’ve always told my family that if you get a bay leaf on your plate, it’s good luck. However, it’s better luck if you don’t eat it. While bay leaves help season the dish, eating the leaf can be bitter.

I also made a simple side salad of cucumbers, melon and creamy herbed dressing.

Creamy Melon and Cucumber Salad
1 cantaloupe, cut into chunks
2 cucumbers, peeled and cut into chunks
1/3 c. yogurt
1/3 c. mayonnaise
1 tsp. honey
1 tsp. each chopped fresh dill, parsley and thyme
a pinch of salt and pepper

Mix yogurt, mayonnaise, honey and seasonings together. Pour over cantaloupe and cucumbers. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.