I had planned braised beef short ribs for dinner tonight, but after my sweaty walk this morning, I realized it's too damn hot outside for my fav short-rib feast, namely the silky ribs on polenta, polenta, and more polentaaaah. Or, more accurately, it's too hot for them together, you know? I'll save that dish for next month... So I improvised and decided to make a Mexican-inspired din from the ribs...still a long, slow braise, but with lots of chilies, onions, and garlic. And when they're done, I'll pull the fork-tender beef from the bones, stir in a bit of the spicy braising liquid, and serve it in warm corn tortillas with generous chopped raw onion, tomato, and cool, creamy avocaaahdo. Yeah, it's a rebound relationship, but it'll still RAWK, especially if washed down with an ice-cold beer...baby!

Well, that beef is so good and so rich, no avocado necessary, in fact, it would have been over-the-top (and not moderate!). So the final, final dish was spicy beef, lettuce, tomato, and onion in a warm corn tortilla. Verdict? KILL.