I picked up a few pounds of short ribs at the grocer the other day for a steal, but it took me a couple of days to decide how to prepare them. I have this method of slow smoking then grilling short ribs and slathering them with barbacoa sauce all through the process. They really are fantastic but it was likely to rain and I knew firing up the smoker was out of the question. Coincidently, I had been planning on picking up a veal shank and braising it but had I never made it to the meat market. I was just about to freeze the ribs and order a pizza when I got this idea. I combined the technique and approach of the shank recipe with the ingredients of the grilled ribs with barbacoa. Eureka

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 lbs beef short ribs, trimmed of most fat and cut individually
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed
• 3 dries arbol chiles, stemmed
• 1 onion, sliced thin
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
• 4 cups beef broth
• 1 beef bullion cube, crushed to powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup tomato paste
• 2 large tomatoes, diced
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 lbs red potatoes, cut into1 inch pieces
• more kosher salt to taste
• more fresh ground black pepper to taste

PREPARATION:

1. Place the fried peppers in a medium pot and add a quart or so of water then bring to a boil. When it boils, remove the pot from the heat and allow the peppers to rest in the hot water for about 30 minutes to an hour.

2. Mix the salt, granulated garlic, pepper and cinnamon together then season the ribs with the mixture.

3. Heat the oil in a large pot over high heat and brown the ribs on all sides, working in batches if necessary. Transfer the ribs to a platter and lower the heat to medium. Add about a 1/4 cup of the beef broth to deglaze the bottom of the pot, then add the onion and garlic and cook until tender or about 5 minutes. Then add the chiles, remaining beef broth, bullion, oregano, cumin, tomato paste, bay leaf and vinegar and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the temperature to low and return the ribs to the pot meat side down and simmer for one hour. Taste the mixture and add salt and pepper is necessary.

4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Take about 1/2 cup of the liquid in the mixture and coat the potatoes with it. Pour the potatoes and liquid into a roasting pan. Next transfer the beef ribs from the pot to the roaster then pour the remaining mixture from the pot into the roaster. Finally add the diced tomatoes and cover with foil. Roast for 1 hour or until done, basting half way through. The meat should be falling off the bone and the potatoes fully cooked.

Serves 4 – 6

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