Recipe

Mexican Short Ribs

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Photo by Kevin

This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Short Ribs
fiveandspice's Testing Notes: If it's cold and sleeting outside and one of you is longing for comfort food while the other is hoping to forget that it's winter with something spicy and south-of-the-border, then look no...
If it's cold and sleeting outside and one of you is longing for comfort food while the other is hoping to forget that it's winter with something spicy and south-of-the-border, then look no further than these ribs. The tender, falling apart meat is suffused with smokey and zesty flavors from the clever Mexican-style braise, and gives it a subtle warmth. With corn tortillas, a big squirt of lime and a sprinkling of cilantro, the ribs are almost fiesta worthy. Then all you have to do to switch it up is nestle them on a bed of creamy polenta and suddenly you'll have a hearty, sit by the fire and watch the snowflakes fall supper.

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Chef
Kevin's Notes: I developed this Mexican-inspired braise about two years ago using a chuck roast. When done, I shredded the meat and wrapped it in tortillas. It was delicious but I thought I could tweak it...
I developed this Mexican-inspired braise about two years ago using a chuck roast. When done, I shredded the meat and wrapped it in tortillas. It was delicious but I thought I could tweak it further and hit on the idea of adding some orange peel and some cocoa powder. However, I didn't have another chuck roast but I did have some short ribs so I used them. Much better than the chuck because the bones contribute to the sauce. You can still shred the meat and stuff it in tortillas, but I prefer serving them on polenta. Make this a day in advance if you can. The flavors deepen and it's easier to get rid of the excess fat after sitting in the fridge. - Kevin

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Serves 4

8 English-style short ribs Ask a question about this ingredient

2 tablespoons oil Ask a question about this ingredient

Salt and pepper Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 small yellow onion; chopped Ask a question about this ingredient

1/4 medium bell pepper (any color); chopped Ask a question about this ingredient

2 cloves garlic; chopped Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 cup beef broth Ask a question about this ingredient

1 cup canned tomato sauce Ask a question about this ingredient

3 strips orange peel without pith Ask a question about this ingredient

1 tablespoon ground cumin Ask a question about this ingredient

1 tablespoon cocoa powder Ask a question about this ingredient

2 teaspoons ground passilo chile Ask a question about this ingredient

1 teaspoon ground chipotles Ask a question about this ingredient

1 teaspoon ground New Mexico chile Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano Ask a question about this ingredient

Heat oven to 275 degrees.
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Season the ribs with salt and pepper and heat oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown ribs brown on all sides in batches of three. Set ribs aside.
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Reduce heat to medium and sauté onions and peppers until translucent using additional oil if needed. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Increase heat to medium-high, add beef stock and deglaze pan by scraping up browned bits.
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Stir in tomato sauce and then stir in remaining ingredients. Return ribs to pot and bring to a vigorous simmer.
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Cover pot and place in center of oven. Cook 1 hour, taste sauce and adjust seasonings. Turn ribs over roast and cook 1 hour longer. Turn and cook 1/2 hour more.
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At this point you can serve the ribs, but I prefer to refrigerate the pot overnight, then peel off the fat the next day and gently rewarm on the stove top.
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4 Comments on Mexican Short Ribs

MellyHBee added 5 months ago

Wonderful flavors. I cooked my in the crockpot for about three hours.

Kevin added about 1 year ago

English-style means each rib is separate. This is as opposed to Franken-style which contains several ribs (see the photo posted at the beginning of the contest page).