I love a cheaty recipe which I know is not everyone’s jam – but these Mexican-vibe short ribs are incredibly simple to make with easily accessed ingredients, and they taste bloody amazing. Pog heads of to Melbourne tomorrow, so I made these as a bit of a treat before he leaves, and he kindly stepped in as hand-model extraordinaire for me to shoot them. It has been such a privilege to have him living with me for the last few months and I’m going to miss him hugely – but I can’t wait to see how his new adventure progresses. You don’t have to make the red chilli sauce to serve with them if you can’t be faffed, Sriracha would do the trick, but if you fancy, it is a nice addition and is great served on any barbecued meat. Anyhoo – on with the show:
super simple braised short ribs
1.2 kilos beef short ribs (or you could use brisket, beef cheeks or stewing steak)
2 tablespoons olive oil
400 grams tomato passata
500 grams beef stock
1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder or 4 cloves crushed garlic
Red chilli sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 red chillis, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2/3 cup water
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
1 tablespoon caster sugar
finely grated zest of 1 lime
2/3 cup good quality egg mayonnaise
To serve:
tortillas
slaw (I made a quick dressing of mayo and pickle juice)
avocado
fresh coriander
toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds
red chilli sauce or Sriracha
Preheat the oven to 150°C fan bake. Cut the ribs to separate if this hasn’t already been done. Put the remaining ingredients in a roasting dish and whisk to combine. Heat the oil in a frying pan and sear the ribs, fat side down, over a high heat for 2 minutes then add to the roasting dish, fat side down, cover with foil and roast for 4 hours. Remove the foil and very gently turn the ribs fat side up, cover with foil again, and cook a further hour. Allow to cool on the bench for ½ an hour, then gently remove the ribs from the sauce and put ribs and sauce in separate containers then chill over night.
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan bake.
Use a spoon to lift the fat off the chilled sauce and discard it. Put the ribs, fat/flesh side up, back in a small oven proof dish and spoon the sauce on top in big blobs. Cover with tinfoil and cook 30 minutes, remove the foil and cook a further 15 minutes. Use two forks to pull the meat off the bones (discard) and stir through the sauce. Serve on warm tacos with slaw, avocado, coriander, toasted seeds and red chilli sauce.
Serves 4
red chilli sauce (if making)
Heat the oil in a small sauce pan. Add the chillis and salt and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a further 3-4 minutes then add the water and bring to a boil the reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes. Add the spices and lime zest and use a whiz stick to blend until smooth. Cool, then whiz in the mayo and keep in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week.