Chipotle Beef Short Ribs
Smokey and delicious chipotle beef
short ribs.
- Serves: 6 |
- Difficulty: moderate
- Prep Time : 60 mins |
- Cook Time : 1:30 hours
Issue 42
Ingredients
Moo Moo Rib Rub:
1 Tbsp (15 ml) brown sugar
1 Tbsp (15 ml) salt
1 Tbsp (15 ml) chilli powder
1 Tbsp (15 ml) cumin
1 Tbsp (15 ml) dried thyme
2 tsp (10 ml) cayenne pepper
1 tsp (5 ml) mustard powder
1 tsp (5 ml) ground garlic powder
1 tsp (5 ml) ground black pepper
2 kg beef short ribs (order from your
local butcher if you can’t find them)
Chipotle BBQ Sauce:
¼ C (60 ml) onion, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 ½ C (375 ml) tomato sauce
½ C (125 ml) lager (Windhoek)
½ C (125 ml) brown sugar
4 Tbsp (60 ml) Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbsp (45 ml) apple cider vinegar
2 chipotle chillies in adobo sauce,
finely chopped (add more if you like it
hot and extra smokey)
1 tsp (5 ml) ground black pepper
1 tsp (5 ml) paprika
To serve:
4 limes cut in half
Method
The Ribs:
Bang all the spices together in a plastic tub, put the lid on and give it a good shake to combine. Spice the ribs generously on all sides and arrange in a baking dish. Cover the dish with foil and you’re ready to roast. If you’ve got time, you can let the ribs marinate in the spice overnight to really amp up the flavour.
If you marinated overnight, pull your ribs out the fridge and allow them to reach room temperature. Heat the oven to 170°C and stick the baking dish in on the middle rack. Roast for about 1 ½ hours, then check to see if the ribs are fork tender, if not give them another 10 minutes.
Cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of the ribs. Be careful not to overcook them, no one likes a dry rib. While the ribs are sizzling away it’s time to get onto the sauce.
The Sauce:
Heat oil in a medium-sized pot over a medium heat, and fry onion until golden brown. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
Add in the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine. Reduce to a low heat, simmer and stir occasionally to combine the flavours. Continue to simmer for about 35 minutes until the sauce has reduced to nice consistency (not too thick). Remove from the heat and put aside for braaing.
The Braai:
Get your ribs out the oven, grab a beer and head outside. Burn the fire down until you have a nice bed of medium-heat coals. You don’t want them to be too hot – there’s a lot of sugar in the sauce and you want it to caramelise all lekker and not burn.
Give your ribs a coating of sauce and get them on the grid. Braai for a couple of minutes, then flip, baste and continue braaing. Repeat this until you’ve got an awesome sticky glaze on the ribs – don’t be afraid of a little charring. When you’re happy, take them off and let them rest for a couple of minutes. Serve with the remaining sauce for dipping, and lime wedges for added zing.