Braised Short Ribs with Cilantro Slaw

My first introduction to Matty Matheson was this MUNCHIES video for Braised Short Ribs.

It was basically love at first sight.

First of all, I wish I loved anything as much as Matty Matheson loves food. I mean just look at the joy on his face! Second of all, he’s literally the most colorful man I’ve ever seen. He’s like a big, loveable, cuddly coloring book.

As a lover of Cholula hot sauce and basically any meat that’s cooked low and slow, I bookmarked this recipe and continued my deep dive into the rest of Matheson’s videos.

It wasn’t until the first frost hit Chicago a few weekends ago that I decided it was time to finally bust out this recipe. Full of amazing flavor and stick-to-your-ribs deliciousness, this Braised Short Ribs recipe is just as good as it looks. Serve it with the homemade slaw and some salt and vinegar chips for a hearty, rich meal that is certain to warm you, body and soul.

Braised Short Ribs with Cilantro Slaw

*Based on Braised Short Rib Sandwich Recipe, courtesy of MUNCHIES

Ingredients:

• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and roughly chopped
• 1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded, and roughly chopped
• 1 poblano, stemmed, seeded, and roughly chopped
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 1 rib celery, roughly chopped
• 3 sprigs cilantro
• 3 sprigs parsley
• 3 bay leaves, dried
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 4 (6-inch) long short ribs (about 3 pounds)
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 (5-ounce) bottle Cholula® Original Hot Sauce
• 1 (12-ounce) bottle beer (I used an IPA)
• 4 cups beef stock

For Slaw

• 1 head green cabbage, thinly sliced
• 1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
• 4 limes, zested and juiced
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Heat the oven to 325°F. Place garlic, bell pepper, jalapeño, poblano, carrot, onion, and celery in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Set aside.

Tie the cilantro and parsley sprigs together with string. Set aside. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Season the ribs all over with salt and pepper and cook, turning as needed, until brown all over, about 10 minutes. Set aside on a plate.

Add chopped vegetables to the saucepan and cook until soft and the liquid has evaporated, about 20 to 25 minutes (it’s gonna start smelling amazing in your kitchen). Stir in the tomato paste and cook 2 minutes more.

Add the Cholula® Original Hot Sauce (yup, the WHOLE thing) and cook 2 minutes longer.

Add the beer and beef stock and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Again, I used IPA, but a stout or porter would also be really good here.

Return the short ribs to the saucepan. Top with herb bundle and dried bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Cover, then place in the oven. Cook until the ribs are soft, about 3 hours.

For slaw, toss all of the ingredients together in a bowl about an hour before you’re ready to serve. Cover and refrigerate until ready to plate.

Remove the ribs from the oven and set aside (remove and discard the bones). Strain the liquid, discarding the solids. Place the liquid back into the pan and bring to a boil. Simmer until thick and reduced by half, about 15 minutes.

Roughly chop the rib meat and toss in the reduced sauce. Stuff into toasted buns and top each with the slaw. Serve immediately.

Every Monday is a “Reci-bee” post, where I share my favorite recipes, recipe collections, and cooking and baking hints and tips.