At first brush, the short rib can be intimidating, these bone-in cuts requiring a fair amount of time, but in fact little attention, to become fall-off-the-bone tender and mind-blowingly delicious. While short ribs are a favorite for the winter season when slow-roasts reign supreme, we are absolutely in love with the richness they add to tacos, one of our favorite summer meals. Perfect for a crowd, these short rib tacos are sure to knock the socks off of whoever is lucky enough to share them with you!
Serves Four to Six
- three lbs short ribs, grassfed beef recommended
- three tbs canola oil
- one large onion, thinly sliced
- five garlic cloves, minced
- one tbs cumin
- one tsp paprika - 1tsp
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (bonus points if you use Foxhollow Farm’s red pepper flakes!)
- ½ tsp dark chili powder
- two tbs worcestershire sauce
- one bay leaf
- one bunch of cilantro, tied together with kitchen twine
- two and ½ tsp kosher salt, divided
- one tsp pepper
- one bottle of red wine, malbec or cabernet recommended
- two cups arugula
- flour tortillas
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Pat the short ribs dry and season all four sides with kosher salt and black pepper. Warm the canola oil in a heavy bottomed, oven safe pot (one that has a lid) over medium-high heat until hot, but not smoking. Working in two batches, cook the short ribs on all four sides, searing for two to three minutes per side. Once browned, remove the short ribs to a plate and set aside.
Drop the heat to medium low and allow the pot to cool for one minute. Add the onion along with ½ tsp kosher salt and sauté in the pan drippings until softened, about five minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, approximately thirty seconds. Add the cumin, paprika, red pepper flakes, and chili powder and stir to combine with the onion and garlic. Next, add the bay leaf, worcestershire sauce, and one entire bottle of wine along with two tsps kosher salt and one tsp black pepper. Stir to combine well and turn the heat to medium high, bringing the sauce to a simmer.
Add the short ribs along with any drippings that have collected on the plate to the pot, ensuring they are submerged in the wine. Tie the stems of one bunch of cilantro together with kitchen twine and place on top of the short ribs. Cover the pot and transfer it to the oven. Cook for two and a half hours.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Discard the bunch of cilantro and transfer the short ribs to a plate. The bones will be very easy to remove from the meat. Using two forks, shred the meat, removing any large fatty pieces. Place the shredded beef back into the sauce. At this point the short ribs are ready to serve, however we recommend making them one day ahead of time and placing the pot of ribs in the fridge overnight. A layer of fat will develop on the surface of the sauce. Remove the layer of fat and rewarm the beef in a 325 degree oven for twenty to thirty minutes. Serve the tacos with toasted flour tortillas, *cilantro lime sour cream, *pickled vegetables, and fresh arugula.
Salud!