These fall-off-the-bone-tender beef short ribs are the kind of old-fashioned comfort food that chilly winter days were made for. It’s really a rather simple recipe to accomplish and a wonderful dish for serving guests of up to eight.
16 all-natural beef short ribs cut English style
Approximately 4 x 2 inches
Fresh ground salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium yellow onions, peeled and diced
2 – 15 ounce cans of diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons chipotle chilies in adobo sauce,
Puree until smooth
1 – 9 ounce can of tomato paste
1 cup American bourbon whiskey
1 cup dark molasses
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon dried thyme
- Preheat oven to 325 F. Pat short ribs dry and season liberally with salt and pepper. Heat a large and deep sauté pan over medium-high heat until hot. Lightly coat with oil. When oil is hot, brown short ribs in batches on all sides. Remove and transfer to a large, deep baking dish to bake for 30 minutes while preparing the sauce.
- Add remaining oil and diced onion to the pan and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in tomatoes, chipotle chilies, tomato paste, bourbon, molasses, vinegar and thyme. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Remove any fat that has accumulated in the pan. Pour sauce over short ribs, cover and bake until fork-tender, 2 -3 hours. If necessary, add water so there is at least 1 inch of sauce in the pan. I like to remove the cover for the last hour of baking so as to thicken the sauce.
- Remove pan from oven and skim away any fat from the surface. If you desire a thicker sauce, simply pour it off into a saucepan and simmer on the stovetop for up to 30 minutes. Pour the sauce back over the short ribs and serve with warm polenta and a nice cabernet.
