Best Recipe In The World

My mom has been making this recipe for as long as I can remember.  It was written on a recipe card when I asked for it when I moved out.  She didn't know where she had gotten the recipe.  She said probably in the newspaper.  Over the years she'd lose her card or I'd lose mine.  Between the two of us one of us will have it.  I've searched on the internet in desperate times and can't find it, which is pretty unusual.

A few years ago my dad cleaning out the office told my mom she had too many cookbooks and she had to get rid of them.  Well, you know us women and our cookbooks!  I know my mom too and her great love for books in general.  My dad can be quite the dictator.  It's best not to rock the boat some times.  I told her I'd take them home with me and she could look at them at my house.  Also that maybe one book at a time we'd get them back into the house.  Bwahahaha!

Anyhow I was organizing my craft closet where the books were and there was a cookbook called "Savory Stews."  It flipped opened to a dog eared page and low and behold there was "Deviled Short Ribs of Beef!"  I thought I better get it on the internet for all to enjoy and for the next time I lose my recipe card.  From the cookbook "Savory Stews" by Mary Savage.  Copyright 1969.

Deviled Short Ribs of Beef

4 pounds short ribs of beef
1 medium onion, sliced
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 heaping teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water
More water, if needed
Instant flour

Spread out short ribs in cold stewpot and set pot over moderately high heat. Brown ribs well on all sides and discard the fat. Cover pot and reduce heat to low and cook for an hour and 45 minutes. Pour off all grease again. Add onion and bay leaf and return to low heat. Mix ginger, brown sugar, salt and pepper together in small bowl, stir in lemon juice and then the soy sauce. Add to ribs. Mix ketchup and water together and add to pot. Cover and cook for at least half an hour, until meat is tender. Pour off cooking liquid to measure it and add water to make 2 cups if needed. Discard bay leaf and shake flour into the liquid to make a thin sauce. Return to pot and bring to a light boil, stirring well, and serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6

Lynne's note:  These are the short ribs with bones.  I've tried boneless just doesn't come out right even accounting for bones and using less meat.  Short ribs use to be really cheap and we had this probably once a month at my house when I was growing up.  Now I make it 2 or 3 times during the winter.  I don't use instant flour I use cornstarch to thicken the sauce.  I serve this with rice.  That's how we ate it when I was a kid and it's very good.  Recently, though my parents served this when we were visiting and my dad served it with mashed potatoes.  I didn't like it as well, but everyone else thought it was great.  I asked my dad when did he and mom switch to mashed potatoes from rice.  He said, "We've always served it with mashed potatoes...what are you talking about?!"  He thinks I'm crazy. I think he's senile.  hahaha