Serves 6
6 pounds of meaty beef short ribs
salt and pepper
2 tsp. vegetable oil
one medium onion, peeled and quartered
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 tbsp. chopped chipotle in adobo
2 tsp. adobo sauce
2 tsp. tomato paste
1 tablespoon maple syrup, honey, or molasses
1 tablespoon lime juice
a pinch of salt
¾ C strong coffee
1 C red wine or port
1 to 3 C beef stock
2 tsp. cocoa powder
1. Preheat the oven to 325° F. Pour 2 C of boiling water over the dried ancho chiles, and let them reconstitute for 20 minutes, turning them occasionally.
2. Make a smooth paste of the second group of ingredients in a blender. If you are using a hand-held stick blender, use a deep container and be careful of splashing. It’s fun to cook with chiles, until someone loses an eye.
3. Season the ribs with salt and pepper. If you have lengths of meat with several bones in them, you might want to cut each in half, for easier handling. Heat oil almost to smoking in heavy Dutch oven, then working in batches, sear ribs for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Remove ribs and turn the heat down.
4. Pour the chile paste into the hot pan amd cook over medium-low heat, scraping it back and forth with a spatula or wooden spoon for about 4 minutes, or until the paste has noticeably deepened in colour. Be careful of the fumes.
5. Add the third group of ingredients, (using just 1 C of the beef stock) and bring to a boil.
6. Add the ribs to the Dutch oven, making sure that all of them are at least partially immersed in the sauce. Put the lid on the pot, and put the pot in the oven for 3½ hours.
7. After 1½ hours, carefully remove the lid and check to make sure the ribs are still at least half immersed in liquid. If they’re not, now is the time to add more broth.
8. After 3 ½ hours, remove the pot from the oven and the ribs from the pot.
9. Patiently spoon all the fat off the top of the sauce, and if necessary, reduce the sauce over high heat for a few minutes. Garnish and serve.
