• 5lbs Grow & Behold English Short Ribs or Plate Flanken
  • Salt & pepper
  • 2-3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
  • 1 dried chipotle chile
  • 2 dried Ancho chiles
  • 1 dried Anaheim or other hot chile (optional)
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 5 teaspoons paprika
  • ½ teaspoon dried lemongrass
  • ¼ teaspoon EACH cinnamon, allspice, and ginger
  • 1/8 teaspoon dried cloves
  • 2 medium onions, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
  • 14 oz can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • ¼ cup golden raisins

 

For gremolata and garnish

  • 2 lemons
  • 1 jalapeno
  • ¼ chopped parsley

 

 

Sear the Meat

Bring short ribs to room temperature. Pat dry, then season on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat a few tablespoons of grapeseed oil in a large Dutch oven pan. Sear meat, 2-3 pieces at a time, on all sides and set aside.

 

Prepare Spices

Combine all dry spices except cocoa in a small bowl and set aside.  Remove seeds from chiles and soak in hot water for at least 30 minutes. Remove and chop fine.  Discard soaking liquid.

Add 1-2 tablespoons oil to the Dutch oven (don’t wash it out). Add chiles and dry spices (except cocoa). Cook, stirring occasionally, for about a minute to activate the spices.

 

Put it all together

Preheat oven to 300F.

Add onions and cook until soft, about 10-15 minutes. You may need to add a little more oil if the pan is very dry.

Add garlic and cocoa powder and cook for another minute.  Increase heat, add tomato paste, sauté 30-45 seconds until paste turns dark. Add 1 cup broth to deglaze plan, scrape up all brown bits, and lower the heat.

Return the meat to the pan. Add the tomatoes, raisins, and the rest of the broth.

 

Braise

Cover the pot, then transfer to the oven.  Braise for about 1.5 hours and check on the meat – it should be tender and pierce easily with a fork. If it’s still bouncy, return to the oven and continue cooking another 30-45 minutes or until tender (but before meat is completely falling off the bone).

Note: This dish is best made a day ahead. Transfer meat to a plate and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Carefully transfer the sauce to a bowl or container that can be refrigerated overnight.

 

To Serve

Before serving, skim off the hardened fat. Nestle meat in the sauce and reheat in a low oven, covered, for about 45 minutes, or on the stove top, until warmed through.

Make the gremolata: remove the peel and pith from the lemon, carefully cut into segments, then finely dice. Seed the jalapeno and dice. Combine lemon and jalapeno with a teaspoon of salt.

Garnish meat with chopped parsley and serve with gremolata.