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I was going to call this post The Dish That Got Me Through A Five Mile Race at an 8:40 Pace Plus an Extra 5 Miles Thrown In At the End Because I Am a Crazy Person.  (Because you can rest assured that it was the thought of being able to eat this fabulously marbled short rib without any trace of guilt at all whatsoever that got me through the cumulative ten miles.)

But (a).  That seemed little long.  Although now that I look at the title I did use.  Well. I’m not really known for my brevity, now am I.

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And (b).  What happens when you don’t read the instructions for a recipe before you make it (especially if it is a Michael Symon recipe) is that more often than not it actually takes three days to make rather than the two days you had planned.  (Word to the wise.  If you are cooking a Michael Symon recipe…always assume it takes at least two days.  And read ahead.  Do as I say, not as I do.)

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And so you just might get home after your ten mile run.  About a thousand calories in the red.

Set to cooking.  At 10 AM.  (Otherwise known as short rib time.  Kind of like high tea. Symon style.)

And think.  Hmm.  Maybe I should actually read the recipe before making it.

Read, read read.  Get to the point where Mr. Symon tells you to refrigerate the short ribs in their sauce overnight so that you can skim the fat off the top the next day.

Throw your copy of Live To Cook across the room.  Because, really?  This?  Coming from the man who lives off of pork belly?  Wants you to skim the fat?  What?  Where are we?  What century is it?  Huh?

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And then do what any normal person would do, which is have a large bowl of ice cream.  (After all, now that you find out that this short rib recipe actually is guilt free, you need to fill that 1,000 calorie void somehow.)

Savor every second of the dopamine high.  And then set to making the short ribs.  Ultimately deciding not to title your post “The Dish That Got Me Through The Day After A Five Mile Race at an 8:40 Pace Plus an Extra 5 Miles Thrown In At the End Because I Am a Crazy Person”.  Because really.  That would just be excessive.

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This was actually my first time both cooking and eating short ribs and let me tell you, these did not fail to please.  The short ribs themselves, due to the long braising time at low heat, basically melt in your mouth and the tang of the pickled green tomatoes does a good job of evening out the fattiness of the ribs.  I chose to serve these with polenta, topped with some swiss chard and blue cheese, because there are few things in life that go better with polenta than rich, slow-cooked meats.  And even fewer things in life that go better with a red wine-based sauce than blue cheese.

Pickled Green Tomatoes
Makes 2 quarts, adapted from Live To Cook

2 fresno chile peppers, halved lengthwise (I used jalapenos)
2 bay leaves
1/8 cup coriander seeds
1/8 cup cumin seeds
1 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp whole cloves
1 tsp ground mace (I used allspice)
2 tbsp black peppercorn
5 cloves garlic
4 cups cider vinegar
1/4 cup honey
2 tbsp kosher salt
2 lb green tomatoes

1. Combine the chiles, bay leaves, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, cloves, mace, black peppercorns, garlic, vinegar, honey, salt, and 1/2 cup water in a nonreactive saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Cook for 3 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat and let liquid cool slightly.

2. Cut the tomatoes into wedges.  Place them in two 1-quart jars, cover them with warm liquid, and screw on the lids.  Refrigerate for up to 1 month.

Braised Short Ribs with Pickled Green Tomatoes
Serves 6, adapted from Live To Cook

Note – I made two short ribs and all of the sauce.  I definitely had extra sauce but enough short ribs for two servings.  I’m going to provide the whole recipe, however.

6 lb meaty beef short ribs on the bone
kosher salt and black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1 carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped (I omitted these.  Can’t stand celery.)
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 fresno chile, halved (I used a jalapeno and I cut it into rings)
1/2 cup tomato paste
5 sprigs thyme
3 salt-packed anchovy fillets, rinsed
1 bay leaf
1 head of garlic cloves, cloves peeled
1 quart chicken stock
2 cups dry red wine
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
pickled green tomatoes

1. The day before cooking, season short ribs with salt and pepper and refrigerate.

2. Preheat the oven to 325.  Remove ribs from the fridge about a half hour before you want to cook them.

3. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pan (or a large enameled cast-iron Dutch oven if you have one.  I don’t.) over medium-high heat.  Add half of the short ribs to the pan and cook on all sides until browned, a few minutes for each side.  Transfer the ribs to a plate.  Repeat with remaining ribs, adding oil as necessary.

4. Pour off all but 2 or 3 tbsp of fat from the pan.  Add the celery (if using), carrot, onion, and chile to the pan along with a large pinch of salt, and cook over medium heat until softened, about 7 minutes.  Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until glossy, about two minutes.  Add the thyme sprigs, anchovies, bay leaf, and garlic and cook, stirring for 2 minutes.  Add the stock, wine, and vinegar and bring to a boil.

5. If using the aforementioned Dutch oven, return the short ribs to the pan, cover and braise in the oven for 1 hour.  If not, then pull out a casserole with a cover, put the short ribs and the liquid mixture into it, cover and braise in the oven for 1 hour.

6. Love the oven temperature to 225 (or to 300 if that’s as low as your oven will go…) and cook for 4 hours or until the meat is very tender (mine took 2 1/2 hours but that’s probably because my oven was too high).  Remove the ribs to a large bowl and strain the liquid into the bowl.  Discard the solids.  Refrigerate ovenight.

7. To serve, skim the congealed fat off the liquid and reheat the ribs in the liquid.  Remove the ribs to a serving platter and cover to keep warm while you simmer the liquid to reduce it by half.  Pour the sauce over the ribs and top them with the pickled tomatoes.

Polenta with Blue Cheese and Garlicky Swiss Chard
Serves 4, adapted from Real Simple

1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 bunches swiss chard, stems trimmed and leaves torn into strips
kosher salt and black pepper
1 cup polenta
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until lightly brown.  Add in the chard, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper.  Cook, tossing occasionally, until the chard is tender, about 5 minutes.

2. In the meantime, bring 4 cups water to a boil.  Add 1 tbsp salt.  Slowly pour the polenta into the boiling water, whisking it in as you go.  Keep whisking until it thickens.  If using instant, this should take 3-4 minutes. If not, then cook as per package instructions…usually you can bring it to the bubbling point and then stir it every so often for about an hour.

3. Divide the polenta among the bowls.  Top with chard and blue cheese.

I am submitting this to Symon Sundays, hosted by Ashlee at Veggie By Season and also to the Hearth and Soul BlogHop!

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You are reading this post on Eats Well With Others at https://joanne-eatswellwithothers.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author and or owner of Eats Well With Others. All rights reserved by Joanne Bruno.
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94 Responses to Braised Short Ribs with Pickled Green Tomatoes and Polenta with Blue Cheese and Garlicky Chard

  1. Pam says:

    You had me through all of your ups and downs of this story! The short ribs sounds amazing. I am so guilty of not reading the recipe through also!

  2. Katerina says:

    You made the right combinations here Joanne. I am sure this polenta with the blue cheese took the strong flavors it needed and these ribs i bet they were to die for.

  3. Oh my, great combo! I love that you served it with polenta – delicious! And that meat, spectacular. ?

  4. Polenta is another wonderful comfort food… I’ll have to show him the short ribs recipe and I’ll make the polenta and chard. We’ll be a happy couple (tends to happen when food is involved).

  5. You had me at “pickled green tomatoes”! I so well remember planning a roast for company (when first married). I didn’t read past the list of ingredients and the cooking time. Imagine my surprise when, a few hours before dinner, I read that I should put the roast in the marinade and marinate it for FOUR days!!

    This dish sounds super delicious!

    Best,
    Bonnie

  6. Simply Life says:

    wow, I’m impressed that you ran and then cooked – I would definitely say a 10 mile run deserves a good meal out!

  7. Mr. Symon strikes again. I think the wait time more than makes up in flavour…it is worth it!

  8. Vivienne says:

    what a beautiful slab of meatt!!!!! drools. never good to read your entries late at night when im hungry…esp you mentioned the meat melt in your mouth…grrrr. such a hearty meals 😀

  9. shirt ribs are my husban’ds favorite. polenta and chard are mine. and we both love blue cheese. so this sounds perfect for us!

  10. That Girl says:

    I swear, I hear “braised short ribs” and think “ooohh someone’s got a lot of time on their hands” 😉 and I am NOTORIOUS for failing to read a recipe ahead of time and being completely unprepared for dinner

  11. Shannon says:

    oh no, what a disappointment to not have this after your 10 miles! but at least you still got to enjoy 🙂 sounds delicious… i still need to try polenta!

  12. Kristen says:

    I hate it when a recipe attacks with an overnight phrase. Your entire plate of food looks delightful. Well worth the 10 miles you ran to eat it.

  13. Dawn says:

    Amazing photos Joanne. Loving the garlicky chard!

  14. Big Dude says:

    Looks like your first short rib try was a huge success – the entire meal looks amazing.

  15. Holy good Lord & worth every mile I bet! Looks devine, even at 9 am!!

  16. Amy says:

    3 days…that’s about how long it takes me to get through a movie lately. I am so certain these would be worth the wait. I’ve only made braised short ribs a coupe of times and always in the slow cooker, but each time they were amazing. Making my mouth water just thinking about it.

    More importantly, you’re already back running 10 miles? Wowza. That didn’t take long to get your game back on, girl.

    Oh, and I’m justifying all that Halloween candy consumption on the excessive calorie burn I get from the Insanity workouts. But honestly, I think it set me back a month. Those mini Twix bars are evil.

  17. Stella says:

    This looks delicious, Joanne! Your plate is just gleaming with color and health. Oh, but what is a dopamine high (smile)?! I should probably try getting one of those every once in a while…;)

  18. I love short ribs but have never made them myself! This sounds like a wonderful recipe and I love the polenta and chard sides.

  19. That looks so delicious – and beautiful!

    Laura

  20. wow you are a heck of a chef, chica! LOVE pickled green tomatoes!!!! i think that is going to be my next project!

  21. Raina says:

    Congrats on finishing the race with excellent timing!

    I have a very bad habit of not reading the recipe ahead of time also and have messed up many recipes trying to improvise due to lack of timing. I have heard short ribs are great but have never tried them. Yours sound really good. I will have to give them a try soon. And your polenta with swiss chard sounds like the perfect accompaniment:)

  22. I am in a full polenta mood these day (just baked polenta rolls this morning!) and your polenta-blue cheese sounds like a perfect conforting dish. Sweet and creamy with a little kick from the cheese…yum!

  23. Swathi says:

    I too have a habit of misreading the recipes. This meal looks delicious. You are an amazing cook.

  24. elra says:

    Wonderful dish, I love short ribs, but the one intrigued me is really your pickle green tomatoes.

  25. looks nice, and beautifully presented dish..

  26. daphne says:

    polenta and blue cheese!! I would have not thought of it!!!

  27. Scrumptious platter! Esp love the polenta and swiss chard.

  28. This is a great make ahead meal! I agree that polenta goes so well with the decadent cuts. I love braised short ribs!

  29. Eliana says:

    I loooooove eating short ribs and the experience of slow cooked beef melting in your mouth. And yours, my dear, look and sound perfect.

  30. Ameena says:

    I never learn either – I rarely read through a recipe before I start making it. I’m not sure what my problem is but obviously I don’t learn from the error of my ways!

    This looks delicious, and I don’t even eat beef!!

  31. Faith says:

    Too funny, I love the idea of a short rib high tea! 🙂 That is a seriously gorgeous plate of food, Joanne!

  32. Beautiful pictures, and great pairing! I’ve made short ribs once (for Valentine’s Day) and they were to die for. And blue cheese–that’s good on everything.
    OK, maybe not on your breakfast cereal. But everything else!

  33. Kristin says:

    I have never had or cooked short ribs either. This looks fantastic though. Your polenta is so creamy looking.

  34. Deborah says:

    I was going to say that I’ve never had short ribs before, but it looks like I’m not alone! But being the meat lover that I am, I know I’d love this meal!

  35. Kim says:

    An extra 5 miles just because? Wow! You definitely earned your ice cream and your short ribs 🙂

    The short ribs you got look really, really good. When I buy them they are usually about 60-70% fat, 20% bone, and very little meat. Your entire dish looks fabulous, creamy, rich and very satisfying.

    I’m thinking that I might follow your lead by making all the sauce and just a couple short ribs. I’m also thinking about serving it with polenta (I haven’t made Symon’s yet).

  36. love the way you “cooked” green tomatoes and the blue cheese with polenta sounds so yummy to me
    bises from France
    Delphine

  37. Mo Diva says:

    LOL I just made pumpkin polenta with fontina and spinach!
    great minds!

    this looks awesome. i ADORE short ribs! Especially KOREAN short ribs

  38. This is a really delicious meal! I love the pickled green tomatoes and blue cheese here!

  39. You can’t go wrong with braised shortribs! Looks so yummy!

  40. Pam says:

    Okay, I will totally take up running if it means I can eat this meal guilt free! Beautiful!

  41. Hmmm…I have two plants full of green tomatoes that I’m sure won’t ripen before frost. They might just become pickled tomatoes to go with those short ribs. I’ll be sure to read through the recipe though- that is definitely a short-coming of mine. 🙂

  42. LimeCake says:

    beef ribs are one of my favourite cuts! they’re so flavourful! this looks amazing!

  43. RamblingTart says:

    Absolutely stunning!! Joanne, you never fail to inspire the dickens out of me with your ambitious and glorious meals. YUM!!

  44. tigerfish says:

    What a complete delicious meal! I have been seeing green tomatoes in some posts….looks like I must try this ingredient soon!

  45. sweetlife says:

    10 miles, wow you deserved this great meals and so much more…pickled tomtaoes, short ribs and polenta….wow I feel like running(to my kitchen)..lol
    sweetlife

  46. I just read the ingredients of a recipe and then move on and experiment with those flavors in the kitchen then.The platter looks yum with meat, greens, veggis and grains all on all plate

  47. Melynda says:

    What a powerhouse of flavor on that plate! Looks delicious.

  48. Victoria says:

    Truly a comfort dish! Short ribs are a favorite of mine, and I’ve actually never made them either! I think it’s the perfect time to try, and your recipe and accompaniments sound perfect 😉 I can almost taste it!

  49. Christy says:

    Joanne, what a delicious meal from the shortribs to the polenta – yum! I love shortribs I just rarely think to start them far enough in advance so we don’t eat them much! Thanks for sharing this with the Hearth and Soul Hop! and WHY would you run an extra 5 miles??

  50. Short ribs = YUM!! Time-consuming but worth every minute. I kick myself for not reading recipes ahead of time too but sometimes it’s unavoidable. Is it so bad to watch a batch of chocolate chip cookies NOW instead of four hours from now after they’ve chilled in the fridge? Ugh.. the hardships of eating like a fattie.

  51. Julie says:

    2 days! how could you possibly wait that long to eat something that looks that good! i mean i know it takes time but i couldn’t ever be halfway with a recipe and then have to wait! i’d prob have like 10 bowls of ice cream in between 😉

  52. Chris says:

    Dayum. With a recipe or set of recipes like this, why were you surprised it didn’t take less than 40 days and 40 nights for the flood of flavors it was bringing? Impressive, Joanne.

  53. LOL! I was so overcome with this post that I mistakenly left my comment on the kale recipe! So, one more time – FABULOUS short ribs adventure! 🙂

  54. Claudia says:

    Awesome, we just posted on the same thing – braised short ribs on polenta. I used Mario’s recipe, and he, of course doesn’t tell you to let it sit over night and take the fat off. Mr. Lardo, who offers that to guests. I will do it next time though, as it made an improvement on the left-overs.

  55. Nicole, RD says:

    2 days!? I’ll bet it is sooo good! It’s such a gorgeous meal, I don’t know that I could eat it 🙂

  56. Julie says:

    I have yet to make short ribs! This recipe looks so delicious.

  57. 1) You crack me up!!

    2) Drool

    3) I really want some creamy polenta right now

    4) If I wasn’t so lazy I would go to the grocery store and buy ingredients, but instead I’ll make hubby take me to Olive Garden tomorrow night for chianti braised short ribs. We’re cool (lame) like that.

  58. Debinhawaii says:

    Few things are better than a plate of melt-in-your-mouth short ribs and the creamy polenta is the perfect accompaniment. Sheer bliss!

    BTW–I think you should have combined your two titles into one. 😉

  59. Kerstin says:

    What a gorgeous meal! And congrats on your 10 miler – yay!!

  60. OohLookBel says:

    Another fabulous recipe and combination of flavours. Certainly enough energy in it to help you finish a 10-mile race as well as throw a book across the room!

  61. Taylor says:

    I did the same thing when I made short ribs a few weeks ago… I ended up having to push my dinner plans back a day. Oh well, they were SO worth it!

  62. oooh anchovy fillets in the braise , i like that! you are right nothing is better with polenta than short ribs. definitely worth running like Forest Gump.
    Have a great week,
    Louise

  63. Monet says:

    I love reading all the comments people leave on your blog. They make me smile. People just love you…and I’m one of your many many fans. I agree with many of the above sentiments…but especially the agony of having to wait days to enjoy this meal. After seeing your photos, I want it RIGHT NOW. I don’t know if I could see the process through! Thanks for sharing sweet girl.

  64. Foodjunkie says:

    Short ribs are a great treat, albeit a highly calorific one. Not that you can’t handle the extra calories. Anyway, I was thinking of you on Sunday when we saw the Classic Athens Marathon. If you ever feel like participating, you are more than welcome to stay with us. I think it will be great fun.

  65. wow awesome meal and so proud of your running 🙂

  66. Toni says:

    IS it wrong that whole reading this I thought, “Ugh. I really need to start running” instead of “Damn that looks good?”
    Hm.
    This does look good though. I’d probably use kale instead of chard and would have to use something else other than blue cheese. I found a recipe for “tofu feta” and I’m equally intrigued and annoyed by it.
    Evidently I’m in a negative mood this morning. My bad.

  67. Catherine says:

    Mmmm, this looks fabulous Joanne! My daughter loves short ribs, I will have to try this for her!

  68. naomi says:

    Okay, I love the polenta and blue cheese. The short ribs looks awesome, Joanne.

  69. Maria says:

    I haven’t eaten red meat for a while, but my partner would really appreciate a meal like this! Sounds great!

  70. Well I know what I will be making this Sunday for dinner, thanks for jazzing up my roast.

  71. Julie says:

    Would it be okay to eat this even if I don’t run? Cause my podiatrist made me promise to never become a runner and I always listen to my doctor 😛

  72. Babe, im so happy ur running with or without this deliciousness here!!
    Ur combis ,always rock and inspire!!

  73. It is has been really long since I stopped by your blog. Thanks to my vacation. How have you been and I am guessing you must me ecstatic to run again. While I drool at your pickled tomatoes let me go and check out your other posts that I have been missing

  74. Bridgett says:

    Incredible short ribs paired with polenta is always a match made in heaven. Kudos on your run. I would make it to the end of the block then go back and taste test the short ribs.

  75. I’ve been so burned by not reading whole recipes in advance! And, I continue to make the mistake frequently. I have to say that polenta with blue cheese and garlicky greens is a favorite cool weather dish of mine. Looks fantastic!

  76. wow! i haven’t tried working with polenta before…and your delicious food…compared to this, my food sounds so stupid, eh? 😀

  77. Reeni says:

    I never cooked short ribs before either – but my family would be eternally indebted to me if I did! This looks amazing! And lucky you for finding green tomatoes at this time of the year! You’re awesome. You rocked the run.

  78. Martha (MM) says:

    Hi Joanne!
    Just popping over to catch up on all I’ve missed here lately. Of course I’ve bookmarked almost ever single thing, but that’s nothing new, and I’ve tried my best to read between the recipes for your awesome humor too, hopefully I didn’t miss much – you’re the best 🙂

  79. Nirmala says:

    I don’t eat meat, and I want to eat this. I really love the polenta and chard too. Congrats on running 10 miles at a great pace! You must be recovering from your injury? I’m thinking about training for a half marathon but it’s in conflict with my goal to gain weight so I’m in a bit of a conundrum. Can’t wait to read your next recipe. Seriously, how do you do it all? Med school, marathoner, regular blogger, cook, etc.

  80. Jessie says:

    Ooh, baby, what a beautiful balance of flavors – moist tender rib, creamy polenta (fav!), Swiss chard, and tangy blue cheese and wine! Even if it did take you several days to assemble such a picture perfect plate. Besides, you get ice cream anyway – it’s all worth it, right? All I can say is, you have have a very lucky roommate who gets to taste your creations 😉

    BTW, congrats on your awesome running time, and kudos on being crazy enough to double your run! I like the actual title of your recipe, but I think the run-on sentence had more character 🙂

  81. Beth says:

    I’m sorry you didn’t go with your original title. I love evocative titles! I’m so guilty of not reading the recipe through before I make it, and it’s oddly reassuring to hear that an expert like you doesn’t either.

  82. Mmm I love creamy polenta with flavorful greens. What a great meal, Joanne!

  83. Ruth Daniels says:

    That is some serious heaven on a plate!!!!

  84. Jo jo my love, you are ABSO-stinkin-LUTELY hilarious! If you weren’t going to be such a great doctor, I would tell you you need to apply for erma bombecks job! What a lovely read and that recipe, seriously-shortribs and polenta? girl? are you trying to make me dive into my computer!? I laughed at your skim the fat bit–you KNOW he only wrote it to be politically correct! lmao, his editor probably told him to do it! Big hugs and thanks for sharing on the hearth and soul hop-drop me an email when you hit that LUL and we can hook up! Yah! Alex@amoderatelife

  85. Ok you little temptress, it’s not often that a “meaty” recipe gets me excited – a veggie post of just about any description, a chicken post, a fish or seafood post, even a sausage post, yes to all of those – but meat, not so much. But this has got me hooked – I want this! Looks and sounds wonderful. I’ve never either cooked or eaten short ribs either, but I definitely have to try.
    Sue 🙂

  86. girlichef says:

    Now this is some serious eats!! I want a big plate full to warm my soul! No seriously. I want a big plate full. Right. Now.

  87. Nutmeg Nanny says:

    My oh my oh my! What an amazing looking comfort meal. I love short ribs! They’re perfectly fatty and little chewy….oh yeah!

  88. Great meal, Joanne! Beef short rib, yummsss

  89. Marisa says:

    Dang, I don’t normally find pics of raw meat all that appealing, but I’m actually drooling a little bit right now looking at that last pic. Or perhaps it’s just your description of the tender falling of the bones meat?

    Either way, I want some now.

  90. David says:

    I like your recipes. Great work

  91. Jacqueline says:

    Question, you mention reheating the ribs the next day. What method do you recommend and for how long before a dinner party I’m having? Should I stick it in the oven again at 225 degrees for a few hours?

    I’ve never reheated a meal for a party before, only in the microwave for lunch the day after.

  92. Joanne says:

    Jacqueline – I reheated the ribs in a large saucepan on the stove. This made it easier to reduce the sauce once the ribs were heated again. I hope you like it and be sure to let me know how it turns out!

  93. Jacqueline says:

    Well, I did it. I made the recipe and it turned out perfectly. I reheated it on the stove on low for about 3 hours because I didn’t know how long to reheat it for and I basted the meat regularly. The meat was very tender and the sauce was very flavorful. I’m sure I didn’t need to start reheating it so early before the party but I didn’t know how long I would need to get the meat warm enough.

    How long did it take you to reheat it? This way I will know how much time it really will need if I make this recipe again.

    Thanks for the recipe.

  94. Joanne says:

    Hi Jacqueline! I only reheated it for maybe ten or fifteen minutes…just until it was heated through. I’m so glad you liked the recipe!

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