Braised Baby Back Ribs and Creamy Polenta with Brussels Sprouts and Pancetta

I’ve mentioned on here many times, I really stink at getting an entire meal on the table. I can usually handle making the main dish and then I just scramble to throw a salad together and call it a meal. So when Cooking Planit told me about their app, it was like they had made it with me in mind!

The app, available for the iPhone and iPad (android coming soon) can also be accessed online. Your usage is synced up through your login, so you can browse on your computer, iPhone, and iPad seamlessly. (The app is currently on sale for $0.99 for iPhone and $1.99 for iPad)

The overall goal of Cooking Planit is to get a meal, sides included, on the table at the same time. The app includes tons of recipes that come already packaged as meals, but you can also mix and match to suit your tastes.

Once you choose your recipes/meal, you can add it to “My Cookbook” to store for future use. When you’re ready to go food shopping, just add the meal to your grocery list. The app gives you the option of planning for 2, 4, or 6 servings which I absolutely love! The grocery list can be viewed as a list by aisle (produce, dairy & eggs, canned goods, etc.), images (in case you have no idea what a leek looks like), or by recipe so you can see what you need for which recipe. Once you find and purchase your ingredients, just check them off and remove them from the list.

When you’re ready to get cooking, just bring up the recipe and click get started. The app will walk you through the meal, step by step, so that all parts of the recipe will finish at or around the same time. The app even shows you which cooking equipment, kitchen supplies, and appliances you need to make your meal, almost foolproof! It also lets you know how long it will take to make from start to finish. I liked being able to browse the recipes online at work, get the grocery list up on my phone at the supermarket, and then use my laptop at home to view the directions while I cooked. Super easy! The iPhone/iPad app also has voice control, so if you’re elbow deep in cooking, you can give voice commands like “Move On” or “Go Back.”  When parts of the recipe need a timer, automatic timers show up at the top of the screen for you. The app will also tell you when to slow down so that all parts of the recipe finish at the same time.

So I decided to try it out and give the results below! I (of course) messed with the recipe slightly so my version is below. I chose “Sunday Supper”  but changed it to Baby Back Ribs instead of Short Ribs and used my slow cooker instead of the oven.

Ingredients (serves 2):

Braised Baby Back Ribs

• 1 carrot, large
• 1 celery stalk, large
• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 yellow onion, small
• 2 lbs baby back ribs
• 2 cups beef stock, low sodium
• 1.5 oz tomato paste
• pepper, to taste
• 5 black peppercorns
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1.5 tablespoons flour
• salt, to taste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 bottle Cabernet Sauvignon

Creamy Polenta

• 1 tablespoon green onions
• 2 teaspoons fresh parsley
• 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons butter, unsalted
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup polenta (yellow cornmeal)
• 2 cups chicken stock, low sodium
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste

Brussels Sprouts & Pancetta

• 3/4 lbs Brussels sprouts
• 1 small shallot
• 3 slices Pancetta
• 2 teaspoons butter, unsalted
• 2/3 cup chicken stock, low sodium
• pepper, to taste
• salt, to taste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

The app walks you through prepping the ingredients as well which is really helpful. There is an estimated finish time in the upper right hand corner so you can see when you’ll be eating your delicious meal. There are even tips on the side to help pick ingredients, optional kitchen tools, etc. I found it helpful to have quite a few prep bowls ready for this recipe.

Begin by prepping your ingredients. Take the baby back ribs out of the refrigerator so that they can come to room temperature.

Peel and roughly chop your carrots. Add to a mixing bowl. Roughly chop the celery into similarly-sized pieces as the carrots and add to the bowl with the carrots. Roughly chop the yellow onion into similarly-sized pieces as the carrots and celery and add to the bowl. Smash the garlic cloves to remove the peel. Roughly chop the garlic and add to the bowl.

Chop the green onions and add to a small bowl. Chop the parsley and add to a separate small bowl.

Cut the stem end off each Brussels sprout. Cut in half and remove any bruised or damaged outer leaves. Cut the larger sprouts into quarters if needed. (I cheated here and bought frozen Brussels sprouts so I just had to halve them.) Add to a bowl.

Thinly slice a shallot and add to another small bowl.

Slice the pancetta into 1/4 in wide strips.

At this point, apparently I was moving too quickly. It told me to enjoy a glass of wine or my favorite beverage haha. I used this time to take some of the prepped ingredients (pancetta, Brussels sprouts, green onions, and parsley) and put them back into the fridge. Keep the bowl with the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic out. I also cleaned up my work space a bit.

Dry the short ribs thoroughly and season with salt and pepper. Heat a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. (I have a Ninja Cooking System so I just did all of this in there). Add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the ribs (the oil should sizzle when you add the ribs). Seal for about 2-3 minutes on each side. You may need to work in batches so as not to overcrowd the pot. Once browned, transfer the ribs to a plate.

I once again got a little break here.

Using the same pot you used to cook the short ribs, bring the pot over medium heat. If there isn’t enough oil left in the pot, add a bit more. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook until well caramelized, stirring often (about 5-7 minutes).

Add the tomato paste and stir to combine. Add the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring continuously.

Add the wine, using a spoon to scrape up any bits on the bottom of the pot. Add the beef stock, bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, and black peppercorns. Bring to a boil.

Once the liquid is boiling, transfer to a slow cooker on high and add the ribs. (If you’re using a Ninja Cooking System, just switch the dial from stovetop to slowcooker HIGH). Cover and cook until the meat is tender and separates from the bone easily, 2-3 hours. (This step includes a timer which shows up in the app, very convenient).

Now I had a really long break. Because I used a slow cooker, I was able to leave the house during this time and run some errands (yay multi-tasking).

With about 30 minutes to go on the slow cooker, combine the heavy cream, butter, chicken stock, and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan. Add to high heat and bring to a boil.

Slowly whisk in the polenta/cornmeal. Stir until well combined and reduce heat to low. Cover tightly. Cook for 20 minutes, removing the lid to stir often. After 20 minutes, cook uncovered for another 15 minutes.

When the ribs are finished, transfer to a clean plate. Cover with foil to keep warm.

Strain the cooking liquid from the ribs through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl. Discard the solids. Put the liquid in the refrigerator and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. It will help the fat separate from the sauce (if you have a fat separator, pour the liquid into that).

Line a plate with paper towels. Set near the stove. Heat a medium saute pan over medium heat. When the pan is warm, add the pancetta and cook until fat is rendered and pancetta is almost crispy, about 4-5 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Transfer the pancetta to the plate lined with paper towels. Clean remaining fat out of the pan and add back to stove.

After the liquid has been in the fridge for a while, use a spoon to skim the fat off the top. Discard the fat.

Pour the skimmed liquid into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Let cook for at least 10 minutes to allow it to reduce slightly (I just kept it on until I was ready to serve it).

Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan you used to cook the pancetta. Add the sliced shallots and pancetta. Saute until the shallots are soft. Add the Brussels sprouts and saute for 2-3 minutes.

Add the chicken stock and season with salt and pepper. Cover pan and cook until sprouts are tender and stock has cooked out, 5-7 minutes.

Remove cover from the sprouts and add 2 teaspoons butter. Toss to coat and remove from heat.

When the polenta is finished, remove from heat and stir in the parsley, green onions, and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer the ribs evenly between two plates. Spoon the sauce over top of the ribs. Transfer the sprouts and the polenta to the plates. I’d suggest adding a little bit more sauce over the polenta.

Woo hoo! I did it! This meal is intricate but delicious! And its seriously easy with step by step instructions. Be sure to check out the app. It is amazing for those learning how to cook, or those trying to learn a new technique. With new recipes being added all the time, there are sure to be tons of meals that appeal to you.

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