well, braised meat is super satisfying on a cold evening… couple that with the intensity that comes with mexican spices and its a killer combo.
the gravy in this dish is earthy, spicy and mouth watering. it takes 20mins to prep and get into the oven, and then 2 hours to cook… its such a short period of hands on time for extraordinary flavour…
its hard not to overeat on this kind of dish, but believe me, the flavours develop overnight and its definitely worth saving some of the leftovers for lunch the next day!
if you dont have short ribs, beef cheeks are also amazing.
serves 2
preheat oven to 180deg
for the beef
3 big beef short ribs
2 cups beef stock (i used simon gault – dont use the watery stuff PLEASE, it does impact on the final product)
2 cups stout beer
3 dried birds eye chillis
6 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
2 tablespoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon ground allspice
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon oregano
1.5 tablespoons coconut sugar, or 2 teaspoons coconut nectar
2 tablespoons chipotle sauce
3 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
for the coleslaw
1.5 tablespoons chipotle sauce
1 tsp coconut nectar
2 tsp rice bran, canola or grapeseed oil
80 gm sour cream
2 tsp water
make your own coleslaw, or grab a supermarket pre-chopped one… my favourite is vital vegetables – its soooooooooo good! just make sure you toss that horrible sugar and preservative filled dressing that comes with it and make this one…………………..
for serving
2 cups, chopped coriander
other garnishes – i used cheese and chopped tomato, but you could use corn, and make a salsa, avocado would be awesome
4 wraps, or corn tortillas
for the beef
heat frypan to hot hot hot. season the beef short ribs liberally with salt (not pepper – it will burn!)
when searing hot, oil and add the beef. sear til super duper brown. thats where the flavour comes from!
add all the other ingredients into an oven proof dish.
when the beef is browned on all sides, add the beef to the dish and place in the oven for 1.5 hours.
for the coleslaw dressing
place all the dressing ingredients in a bowl. add the slaw and toss until well coated. reserve to the fridge until ready to serve.
for the beef
after 1.5 hours, check the beef. it should be falling (or have already fallen) off the bone. remove the beef, set aside the bones and chop the meat to smaller bite size portions. put the beef back into the gravy and place on the stove top and simmer until reduced to a thick gravy. it takes about 30 minutes so be patient!
for serving
when the beef is reduced to a point where the juice isnt going to run everywhere when it gets in your wrap, add the chopped coriander.
place the beef and your garnishes in serving bowls.
eat. enjoy. then complain about your sore tummy because you are too full.
