Airline menu planners take note: passengers–including this one–love comfort food. My short ribs with a twice baked potato on a recent American Airlines flight in first class was hardly gourmet or elegant, but tasted excellent.
Taste Test: Short Rib + Twice Baked Potato In American Airlines First Class
I was flying from Chicago (ORD) to Los Angeles (LAX) on a late-evening flight and had a choice between salmon (always a safe bet), chicken (also not bad), a fruit and cheese plate (stupid, since fruit and cheese plate is a dessert option for everyone), or beef short ribs. I ordered the short rib – it’s usually a good bet on AA (unlike filet mignon).
Short Rib with Steakhouse Sauce
twice baked potato and grilled onion
Dinner began with a choice of beverage and warmed mixed nuts…another “comfort food” I quite enjoy, especially because the AA mix includes pecans and pistachios. To drink I had club soda, which is no longer provided by Canada Dry (the new brand is Q Club Soda, which has a touch of Himalayan sea salt).
The main course wasn’t pretty (it had splattered all over the casserole dish), but it was delicious…not a high-quality cut of meat by any means, but extremely tender and the “steakhouse” BBQ sauce was a nice mix of tangy and sweet. The twice baked potato was a great addition and even the grilled onions paired well and were not too strong.
As for the sides, I thought the sauce over the shrimp appetizer was far too sweet, but the green salad was fresh and I appreciated the simple olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
This dish is a winner…it’s filling and delicious.
So filling, in fact, that I could not find the room to eat the cheese plate served for dessert.
(well, I did eat my “first” dinner in the Admirals Club prior to the flight in case the short rib turned out bad…)
Well done, AA!
Each week, my Meal of the Week feature examines an airline meal from my travels over the years. This may be a meal from earlier in the week or it may be a meal served over two decades ago.
Yup. I’ve developed a more productive food regimen over the past few years. But it is nice to cheat when I am up front on American – the short rib is fatty enough to survive the indignity of the convection oven. Too bad they did not serve the mac and cheese with it.
It is true that short ribs are a naturally fatty cut of meat, known for their generous marbling of intramuscular fat and connective tissue. The knowledgeable chefs trim the meat to the perfect amount of fat, ensuring it’s rich and melt-in-your-mouth, yet not too fatty.
Cool. Thanks, chef!
You’re welcome!
What a feast!
Can’t argue with ‘scrumptious’!
It really puts United catering to shame.
Scrumptious… Definitely the word of the day!
What is your backstory, Güntürk?
The lalf alter ego? I like it. They cannot always be there for us.
With its crisp and clean taste, Q Club Soda is among the best on the market.
so… what are your other usernames? You’re clearly not an aviation nerd from Turkey.
short rib dishes are crushing it lately. I had the short rib in Delta F a few days ago and it was AMAZING.
I’ll go with “delectable”
Delta short ribs are reliably excellent. Had the Korean beef short ribs on United and found the sauce disgusting.
Why couldn’t AA have put that appetizer sauce on the side ( especially with pax widely differing preferences ), similar to salad dressing ? I’m a little surprised at the only dessert offering was a meager cheese & fruit plate ( 3 grapes, lol ), considering American general preferences. And I would hope, Matthew, that you used at least some of that bread to mop up the extraneous BBQ sauce !
Bread is not part of my diet right now (unless I’m in Germany!). The other dessert choice was a nasty little container of red sorbet.
So you opted not to cleanse your palate by not indulging in the sorbet, eh ? lol… Good choice in deferring the bread ( & extra sauce ) consumption …. 95% of American baked items are of disgusting quality and all (dis)taste the same anyways.
One of the distinct pleasures in traveling to Europe is indulging in their quality baked goods. But, then, almost all the food tastes better over there ( maybe due to our more expansive geography or my ‘rose colored glasses” ! )
The raspberry sorbet was unfortunately sugar + water. No thank you!
Greetings to the magnificent Talenti Roman Raspberry Sorbetto!
My oldest son loves short ribs. They are a forgiving entree to prepare. Braising at a low temp for hours makes them ideal for catering and making at home as you can simply put them in the oven and not touch them for hours. Matthew is correct that comfort food is often the best. Also the melted collagen is hydrating and an excellent choice for countering dry cabin air… Win Win
You’re a lucky man. I flew AA in J (and in 1A transPacific) two weeks ago. All options BNE-DFW-home were lousy. Where was my caviar and 100th anniversary meal? How ’bout the bbq?
Delta main courses are routinely better. But aside from Delta One domestic transcon flights ,in First Class they never offer nuts with drinks, or a a choice between cheese or desert separately. There are also no appetizers. Lately, some of the meals were missing a salad.
Yes, so weird they seem to be in cost-cutting mode seeing what they can get away with cutting. First the salad, which is back, and now the bread.
I’m on AA right now, and I’ve had my first taste of Q Club Soda. I don’t think it’s as good. It hasn’t got that characteristic crispness of Canada Dry that makes you want to Drink Canada Dry, in both senses. Hopefully they’ll go back.
I thought it was fine, but don’t know why they didn’t leave well-enough alone!
It seems to me that over the last few years, everyone in the United States has suddenly started drinking sparkling water. Folks who once would have just ordered still are now ordering sparkling and the budget for it has gone up quite a lot, so AA is trying to find a way to save a few bucks. Of all the cuts, this one is fairly logical.
Is it a cut or an improvement, though? I thought this was bougie sparkling water that costs more?
In any case, these cans are much smaller, but when I fly economy class I am routinely offered two, so I bet two of those costs more than one can of Canada Dry.
Maybe AA is trying to curry (pun intended0 with our King for future dispensation ( merger w/ B6 perhaps ? .. ) ..
By eliminating any reference to ‘Canada’ which has become a political flashpoint, as we know… LOL… That’s AA’s way of cheaping out on its lobbying ‘baksheesh .. !
Lol!
I think a baked potato is a nice side!
Q is better with a mixed drink. Canada Dry is better on its own.
“Q is better with a mixed drink. Canada Dry is better on its own.” → Well said.
What’s the best airline for a nonstop from Syr to MCO (about a 3 hour flight) would serve this type of meal in first class…
For a direct flight, choosing JetBlue might be a suitable option for you.
Wild that you got bread. Did MIA-JFK but apparently the FA said “we don’t do the anymore hun”.
Did you ever have the shortrib Mac and cheese on AA? Amazing
I did – it was excellent!
https://liveandletsfly.com/short-ribs-american-airlines/