Anthony, my new blogger friend very kindly offered to write a guest post for my blog, I hope you enjoy this post because I surely did!

So, we’re still here. Today is December 22, 2012 and not only am I still here, but there still exist plenty of people to read what I’m typing. Our world has undergone no obvious natural cataclysm or tumult. The hour of the dreaded Mayan apocalypse prophecy that has caused December 21, 2012 to dominate so many imaginations for so long has come and gone with neither a celestial horseman nor a cosmic collision to show for it. This could seem to reinforce the plausibility of another widely-held belief, that the destined December 21^st event was intended to reflect less of final curtains than of new beginnings and, as some believe, beneficial change in the collective spirit and consciousness of all humankind. I suppose we’ll see. Either way, it seems my opportunity to learn how the final season ofFringe will conclude is not lost, so color me elated.

Now let’s eat.

The most recent widely-publicized prediction of some sort of major planetary upheaval happened in May 2011, and I marked the occasion on FlavorfulWorld.com with a multiple-course Doomsday menu.  The recipe I am pleased and honored to share here today (Thanks again for having me, Shrimoyee!) is better described as a celebratory “We’re Still Here” dish, because the best kind of global catastrophe is the kind that never came.  In celebration of that truth, here’s my recipe for Cabernet-Pomegranate Braised Beef Short Ribs so tender the meat fell right off the bone when I prepared them just last night.

Ingredients

2 1/2− 3 lbs beef short ribs

1 bottle (750 ml) cabernet sauvignon

1  1/2  cups pomegranate juice

3 cups beef stock

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp black pepper

2 tsp salt

1/2 cup diced carrots

1/2 cup diced sweet yellow onion

1/3 cup finely chopped green onion

1/2 tsp coriander seeds, lightly toasted and crushed

1/2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped

Vegetable oil (just enough to cover the bottom of a large frying pan or dutch oven)

Directions:

1. Trim any especially thick exterior fat from short ribs before preparing. Into a container deep enough for wine to completely cover short ribs, place short ribs in a single layer and pour entire bottle of cabernet sauvignon. Cover, refrigerate, and let marinate overnight (or minimum four hours).

2. Cover the bottom of a frying pan or dutch oven with vegetable oil on stovetop over medium-high heat.

3. Combine flour, salt, and black pepper in a bowl and mix until thoroughly blended. Remove short ribs from marinade.  Set marinade aside.

4. Dredge marinated short ribs through seasoned flour. When oil is hot, add flour-coated short ribs 3 or 4 at a time, turning them every minute or two to sear all sides until brown.

5. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

6. Set seared short ribs aside. When all ribs are brown, add sweet onion, green onion, and carrots to pan. Cook over medium heat for five minutes or until vegetables soften. If necessary, add another tbsp or two of oil to prevent vegetables from sticking or burning.

7. Pour in beef stock 1/2 cup at a time, using a wooden spoon to loosen any cooked-on bits of meat or skin from cooking surface. Add coriander seeds, thyme, 1 1/2 cups wine marinade, 1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice, and adjust heat to bring to a boil. Discard remaining marinade. Let liquid boil for 8-10 minutes, then remove from heat.

8. In oven-safe cooking dish with lid, arrange short ribs in single layer and cover with liquid. Place covered dish in 200-degree oven and cook for 4 1/2 to 5 hours.

Optional: For a thicker sauce, after dish is finished in the oven, remove short ribs from liquid and boil liquid on stovetop to reduce it to desired consistency.

For more recipes, as well as product/restaurant reviews, interviews, and more, please visit Anthony Beal at Flavorful World food and drink blog.