Spiced Beef Short Ribs

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Spiced Beef Short Ribs.jpg

Ingredients

Spice Mixture:

  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne

Ribs:

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 6 to 8 pieces short ribs, cut on the long bone
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

Braising Liquid:

  • 2 cups onions, chopped
  • 1 cup carrots, chopped
  • 1 cup celery, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
  • 1 cup canned tomatoes, pureed with their juices
  • 2 1/2 cups beef or chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme

Garnish:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup Jerusalem artichokes, diced
  • 1 cup zucchini, diced
  • 1 cup summer squash, diced
  • 1 cup red pepper, diced
  • 1 cup fresh fava beans, shelled
  • ¼ cup apricots, slivered
  • 1 tablespoon oregano, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon mint, chopped

Method

Preheat oven to 325 F. Combine cumin, ginger, coriander, paprika, cinnamon and cayenne. Reserve.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Season short ribs with salt and pepper and sear ribs in oil until well-browned on each side, about 2 minutes a side. Remove ribs from pot and set aside.

Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil, reduce heat to medium, add onions, carrot and celery and sauté for 5 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and reserved spice mixture and cook another minute. Pour in tomatoes, stock and thyme and bring to boil. Return ribs to pot, cover and bake for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until meat is tender. Uncover and bake another 30 minutes or until sauce is slightly reduced and meat is very tender.

Remove ribs from pot and pour sauce through a strainer, pressing down on solids to extract all the liquid and give the sauce a bit of body. Return ribs and sauce to pot and set aside while making garnish.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add Jerusalem artichokes, zucchini, summer squash and red pepper and sauté for 4 minutes or until tender-crisp. Stir in fava beans, apricots, oregano and mint, cover pan and cook 1 minute longer or until vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Divide ribs between serving plates, pour over sauce and scatter vegetable mixture around plate.