Braised Chile Short Rib Tacos

This recipe is adapted from a Bobby Flay recipe.  I know short ribs aren’t technically considered a health food because of their high fat content, but with this way of preparing them, you can remove a lot of excess fat before shredding the meat.  Also, unlike in most rib recipes that I have come across, they are not laden with sugar.

Braised Chile Short Rib Tacos

• Ingredients

• 3 pounds bone-in beef short ribs, fat trimmed
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 2 dried ancho chile peppers, stemmed and seeded
• 2 dried New Mexico chile peppers, stemmed and seeded
• 4 dried cascabel chile peppers, stemmed and seeded
• (full disclosure – i can’t find all these types of dried chiles kosher, so just use the ancho and new mexico chiles)
• 1 large Spanish onion, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1/2 cup port (i don’t have port, so i just use an additional 1/2 cup red wine)
• 12 sprigs thyme
• 16 soft corn or flour tortillas
• Cilantro and pickled red onions for topping (recipe follows)

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Pat the short ribs dry and season all over with salt and pepper.
• Heat the canola oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
• Working in batches, brown the short ribs on both sides, about 8 minutes total. Remove to a plate.
• Meanwhile, combine the stock and dried chiles in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer.
• Remove from the heat and let steep, 15 minutes.
• Discard all but 3 tablespoons oil from the Dutch oven.
• Add the onion and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes; add the garlic and cook 1 minute.
• Pour in the red wine and port and simmer, stirring, until almost completely reduced, about 12 minutes.
• Add the thyme and chile-stock mixture; bring to a simmer and return the short ribs to the pot.
• Cover, transfer to the oven and cook until the meat is tender, about 2 hours, 30 minutes.
• Remove the short ribs to a bowl, remove any excess fat and shred the meat from the bone.
• Fill the tortillas with the shredded meat and top with cilantro and pickled onions.

Pickled Onions

• Bring 3/4 cup lime juice, 1/4 cup each red wine vinegar and sugar, and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil in a saucepan.
• Remove from the heat and let cool, 5 minutes.
• Toss with 1 thinly sliced red onion in a bowl; cover and chill at least 4 hours, stirring occasionally.