This Is Ina Garten's Go-To Side Dish Pairing For Short Ribs

A dinner is only as good as its side dishes. Meat — like short ribs — tends to garner the most attention as dinner's main course, but it's the side dishes that really pull a meal together. A carefully selected side dish can elevate a dinner party from good to delicious — a fact celebrity chef Ina Garten understands all too well. When cooking her red wine-braised short ribs, as seen on an episode of Food Network's "Barefoot Contessa: Cook Like a Pro," Garten singles out two potential side dishes to pair with her ribs: mashed potatoes and blue cheese grits.

These two dishes work well because of their textures, which complement the meaty, rich nature of braised ribs. Both blue cheese grits and mashed potatoes are soft and creamy, and provide the perfect vehicle for any and all short rib juices. Their textures likewise cut through the rich intensity of short ribs, so your next few bites will taste milder and softer in comparison. Meat — whether per Garten's recipes or on a restaurant menu — tends to come alongside mashed potatoes or sides of like textures, so Garten's suggestions are well-proven successes.

When making Ina Garten-inspired short ribs, choosing the meatiest ribs is only half the battle. You'll also need to settle on a side — a choice that comes down to your favorite flavors. In general, creamy garlic mashed potatoes are your safest bet, particularly if you're hosting picky eaters. Mashed potatoes tend to be a crowd-pleaser, and are relatively mild in taste while still delicious. 

For comparison, blue cheese grits up the ante on creamy, classic grits. Most people either love or hate blue cheese, however, so it's the funkier, more complex choice. Of course, you can always adjust the amount of blue cheese in your recipe if you want less potent grits. Garten's recipe, which she shared in her cookbook "Cook Like a Pro: Recipes & Tips for Home Cooks," via Parade, calls for 3 ounces of crumbled Roquefort cheese for every 1.5 cups of grits, so increase or decrease accordingly. She also uses half-and-half, butter, salt, and pepper, so the side dish doesn't skimp on the creaminess. 

Granted, if you can't choose between the two options, why not make them both? Sure, they're texturally similar, but blue cheese grits and creamy mashed potatoes offer different flavors entirely. With a little effort, your chosen side will perfectly complement your ribs ... or, perhaps, your ribs will perfectly complement your side.