Description
Chef Nancy Oakes shares her stick-to-the-ribs taco recipe with tender beef and flavorful toppings. Prepared in an All-Clad Dutch Oven.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 lbs. beef chuck short ribs, boneless
- 6 dried New Mexico chiles
- 12 roma tomatoes, halved
- 1 7 oz can of chipotle pepper in salsa adobo
- 2 yellow onions quartered
- 6 cloves of garlic
- 2 T. dried oregano
- 2 t. cumin seed, toasted
- 2 T. coriander seed, toasted
- 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
- 1 bunch cilantro, sprigs picked from the stems and stems reserved
- 1/4 c. oil
- 1 btl. Repanso Tequila
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Cabbage Lime Slaw
- 1/2 head green cabbage, sliced very thinly
- 1/2 head napa cabbage, sliced very thinly
- 1 small onion, halved and sliced very thinly
- 2 julienned jalapenos, seed removed
- Pickled cilantro leaves
- 1–2 ea. Juice of limes
- 1–2 t. salt
- 2 T. sugar
To Serve
- Corn tortillas, queso fresco, diced avocado seasoned with lime and salt
Instructions
Tomato-Chili Sauce
- Wipe clean the dried chilies and remove the stems, seed and veins.
- Toast the chilies in a medium hot oven for a minute or two until they just start to change color, remove stems and seeds.
- Soak the toasted chilies in water for at least 30 minutes, drain and reserve the soaking water.
- In a spice grinder, add the toasted cumin and coriander seeds. Grind into a fine powder.
- In a blender, add the soaked chilies, tomatoes, onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, coriander, cinnamon and cilantro stems.
- Add about 1 cup of the reserved soaking liquid and blend, add more liquid if necessary to obtain a very smooth & thick consistency.
- Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
Drunken Beef
- Blot the short ribs dry with a paper towel and season well with salt.
- Heat the dutch oven over medium high heat, add the oil and wait until it shimmers.
- Add the short ribs and brown on all sides, be patient, this will take a few minutes per side.
- Once the beef is browned, remove and set aside.
- Remove all but 4T. of oil from the pot and return to medium heat, add the reserved tomato-chili sauce, bring to a simmer and stir frequently, about 3–4 minutes.
- Stir in the tequila, and then return short ribs to pot.
- Cover and place in 325°F oven.
- Cook for 2 hours, turning the short ribs over every once in a while.
- At 2 hours remove the lid, return to the oven to cook for 1/2 hour.
- This will reduce the sauce and deepen the color.
- Check for doneness by piercing the roast with a thin knife or fork.
- Once there is no resistance in the center, remove from the oven.
- Let cool in sauce.
- Degrease the sauce by ladling off any excess oil at the top.
- Adjust seasoning.
- To server remove the beef from the sauce, gently pull the warm beef apart with two forks, pour the warm tomato-chili sauce over the pulled beef.
Cabbage Lime Slaw
- Toss everything together and serve immediately or drain before serving if made ahead. Adjust seasoning.
To Serve
- Place a generous spoonful of meal and sauce on a warm corn tortilla. Sprinkle with warm queso fresco and diced avocado, top with a pinch of slaw.
- Serve to friends with more tequila.
- Category: Main
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex