Fully recognizing that this holiday weekend should feel awfully spring-like across most of the country I had to squeeze in this hearty braised beef short rib recipe before the end of the ‘hot comfort food season’.
(The forecasting savants are even forecasting sunny skies and temps near 70 – gasp – here in the Puget Sound lowlands for Easter; we’ll be grilling up an ancho chile marinated leg of lamb in the summer like weather…).
Friends and kin chasing blue wing olives and other various hatches this sunny weekend back home in Montana know damned well there will yet be snow to shovel before the first of May, hence this tip of the hat to to a meal fit to end a long, cold day on the water (or driveway).
Those who preach the gospel that meat next to the bone is often the sweetest and most flavorful must be thinking about beef short ribs every time they say it.
When you pull these flavor-packed ribs from the oven the meat will be fall off the bone tender and bathed in a rich sauce that whispers the smokey flavor of chipotle and the fruity note from the fresh Anaheims. Need more heat? The recipe handles doubling the chipotles (or better) if you’re so inclined.
These ribs scream for a big scoop of hot buttered grits or garlic-chive mashed potatoes alongside.
10 3-inch-long beef short ribs, nice and meaty
Rub
1 tbsp. salt
2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. cumin (ground)
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. granulated garlicFor the pot
2-3 tbsp. olive oil
2 generous cups chopped onion
5 large garlic cloves, minced
1 8-ounce can chopped green chiles
2 cups canned diced tomatoes, drained
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
3 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp. chopped canned chipotle chiles, more to taste4 large Anaheim chiles (fresh), stemmed, seeded and cut into 1/4 inch rings
Chopped fresh cilantro
Lime wedges
Rub a dub-dub. Mix the rub ingredients and coat all sides of the rinsed and patted dry (removes the bone dust) short ribs; cover and refrigerate for up to a day.
Make the magic. Preheat the oven to 325. Over medium-high heat pour half the oil into your trusty cast-iron or enameled braising pan, brown half the ribs on all sides (7-10 minutes), remove to a plate and repeat with the remaining ribs, adding oil as needed.
Reduce the heat a bit, add the onions and garlic and cook until soft (5 or 6 minutes, stirring occasionally). Add the broth and tomatoes then bring to a boil, scraping up the browned goodness in the pan. Add the tomatoes, canned green chiles, lime juice and chipotle chiles. Return the ribs to the pan, meaty side down, nestling them down in the braising liquid. Bring back to a boil, cover and place in the oven until tender – two hours or better (now and then we’ll cook at 300 for 3 or 4 hours on a chore day).
Make a sauce. Remove from the oven, uncover, and spoon off the fat. Place over medium low heat and simmer for 20-25 minute until the sauce thickens. Add the sliced fresh Anaheim chiles and simmer another 10 minutes or so until they’re just soft.
Serve. We love this ladled into a warm bowl along side a mound of hot, buttered grits or garlic-chive mashed potatoes (with butter of course).
Enjoy.
