Sweet and Smoky Braised Short Rib Tacos

These meat-lovers' tacos are filled with fall-off-the-bone beef short ribs that have been slow cooked in a chipotle flavoured barbecue sauce.

6 Servings

3 Hours

Ingredients:

Pickled Onions:

1 red onion, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

3/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Short Rib:

2.5 lb bone-in beef short ribs

1 teaspoon each salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 white onion, chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup no salt added beef broth

1 cup barbecue sauce

1/2 cup honey

2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced

12 small corn tortillas

1 avocado, diced

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Lime wedges

Method:

Pickled Onions: Toss onion with salt and sugar; pour vinegar over top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

Short Ribs: Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Pat the ribs dry with paper towel; season all over with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Brown ribs, in batches, until golden brown all over. Transfer to a plate.

Add onion and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in beef broth, barbecue sauce, honey and chipotle peppers; bring to a boil. Return ribs to pan; submerge in sauce. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and place in the oven.

Bake for 2 hours 30 minutes or until meat pulls easily from the bone. Transfer ribs to a plate. Strain the fat from the sauce. Simmer the sauce until reduced by half. Pull meat from the bones. Toss with the reduced sauce.

Divide the shredded beef evenly among the tortillas. Top with Pickled Onions and avocado. Garnish with feta and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Chef's Notes:

Adjust the amount of chipotles in sauce to suite your taste. Use 1 for mild, 2 for medium and 3 for spicy. The shredded short rib mixture also makes a great topping for nachos. Substitute flour tortillas for corn tortillas, if desired.