For the Short Ribs

1. Preheat oven to 350. If necessary, divide short ribs so each piece has only one bone. Salt the short ribs liberally and set aside.
2. In a cast iron pan/dutch oven, add your favorite fat and heat on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Once the fat is heated, sear the short ribs on each side, about 1 minute per side. If there’s lots of smoke, you’re doing it right. You might want to turn a fan on or open a window to prevent the smoke detector from going off. Add more fat if necessary. The aim is just to brown the outside of the meat without cooking through to seal in the flavor. When finished, remove from heat.
3. Add the onion and apple slices to your braising dish. If using a dutch oven, simply add the onions and apples to the short ribs. If using a baking dish (I used an 8x8), add the apples and onions to the bottom and arrange short ribs on top.
4. Pour apple cider into the dish/dutch oven. Cover with tinfoil or dutch oven lid and put into the oven. After 2 - 2½ hours, remove tinfoil and cook for another 30 minutes. When done, the short ribs should be fork tender and easily fall away from the bone.

For the Mashed Potatoes

1. After removing the tinfoil from the ribs, start preparing the mashed potatoes.
2. Fill a medium-sized pot 2/3 to the top with water and bring to a boil. Roughly chop potatoes and add to the pot. Boil for 5-10 minutes or until they slide easily off a fork when pierced. Drain water.
3. In the same pot, add garlic and coconut milk. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth and creamy. If you don't have an immersion blender, use a food processor!