Spiced and braised short ribs with creamy potatoes from Nothing Fancy: Unfussy Food for Having People Over (page 224) by Alison Roman

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Ingredients

Where’s the full recipe - why can I only see the ingredients?

Accompaniments: Celery and fennel with walnuts and blue cheese; Sticky roasted carrots with citrus and tahini

Always check the publication for a full list of ingredients. An Eat Your Books index lists the main ingredients and does not include 'store-cupboard ingredients' (salt, pepper, oil, flour, etc.) - unless called for in significant quantity.

Notes about this recipe

krista_72bovc on May 29, 2026

Great deep flavour - this was the first short rib recipie I tried and still my all-time favourite.
pastaplease on April 08, 2026

Very tasty, but rich. Made w/o potatoes (even though I love creamy potatoes ... who doesn't?). Next time I'll use less fennel and crush it, also peel the lemon and stick with a whole lemon even for 1/3 of the recipe. And when I'm not being so good, I'll add the potatoes ... they sound heavenly.
lauren_9zpa8d on February 17, 2026

Grinding the seeds would have been smart to do before! I also blended the sauce after roasting and reduced.
caroline_sw7nbo on February 02, 2026

The spices, lemon, and vinegar cut the richness of the short ribs and make this dish unbelievably delicious.
fprincess on December 19, 2024

It's a good recipe and quite easy. In addition to onions, garlic, and tomato paste, the braising iquid (which is broth - I used water + demi-glace - and white wine vinegar) contains a lot of spices which are an interesting departure from the mostly French or Italian short ribs recipes I have tried in the past (it's worth pointing out that it doesn't contain wine or beer, unlike the vast majority of short ribs recipes I have seen). Spices lean towards middle eastern. The flavors were actually quite intense due to the large amount of spices used, and the inclusion of chopped lemon (preserved lemons can also be used) both in the braise and as a garnish. The online recipe also includes fresh cilantro as a garnish which I thought was a good addition compared to the book version of the recipe. I also liked the potatoes in the dish, which makes it a true on-pot meal. The potatoes stay intact for the most part, and the little bit that sort of melts into the dish thickens the sauce.
pattyatbryce on February 26, 2024

A hit in our house. Very easy with lots of flavor.
CheesyKranskyLove on October 03, 2022

Alison has a video of this on Youtube but the recipe is pretty straight forward. I enjoyed it but it wasn't the most exciting thing in history. Potato was the best part.
AlineLorieri on May 16, 2021

We made this last night and it turned out incredibly delicious. So many layers of flavour coming through the entire meal. I love Alison's flavour combos!
Jviney on January 01, 2020

This recipe was finicky at the beginning - I felt I had to adjust the heat of the burners way down to avoid burning, I didn’t have enough fat in the pan to complete the process, the ribs weren’t submerged in the braising liquid. The house began to smell amazing, however, and when we sat down to dinner we loved it. My potatoes never crisped up, but the tenderness of the meat and the flavor were wonderful. I used water instead of broth and worked just fine.