Mole Braised Beef Short Ribs Recipe 435

Steps:

• PREHEAT oven to 350F. Stir flour with cocoa powder and 1/2 tsp salt in a large bowl. Coat ribs lightly, a few at a time, with flour mixture. Transfer ribs to a large plate. Discard any leftover flour. HEAT a large, wide oven-safe pot over medium-high. Add oil, then half of ribs. Cook, turning meat, until brown on all sides, about 4 min. If ribs start to burn, reduce heat to medium. Transfer browned ribs to a large plate. Repeat with remaining ribs. Pour off all but 1 tbsp fat from pan or add oil, if needed. ADD onion. Reduce heat to medium. Stir often, adding a splash of water if needed, 5 min. Stir in garlic, wine, water, tomato paste, cherries, chipotle, oregano, paprika, cumin and remain- ing 1 tsp salt. Stir, scraping up bits from pan bottom, until combined. Boil, then return ribs along with any juices to pan. Add cinnamon stick. Make sure ribs are submerged in sauce. Cover pan tightly. BRAISE, covered, in centre of oven, until meat is fork-tender, 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Remove ribs from sauce and set aside. Skim off fat from sauce. Transfer sauce to a blender and purée until smooth, in batches if necessary. Return to pot. Boil, stirring often, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until slightly reduced, 15 to 20 min. Return ribs to pot to warm through. Cover to keep warm until ready to serve.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Very generously season the ribs on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat a Dutch oven or large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the oil and heat for 1 minute. In a single layer, working in several batches if needed, brown the ribs well all over, 6 to 8 minutes a side. Transfer the ribs to a platter.
• Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook until browned, 5 minutes, stirring often. Return the ribs to the pot and add the bay leaf and water to cover. Bake, tightly covered, until very tender, about 3 hours.
• Meanwhile, prepare the mole. Tear open the chilies, removing and discarding the stems and seeds. Place the chilies in a bowl with 2 cups warm water and soak until softened, 15 minutes.
• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until translucent but not brown, stirring with a wooden spoon, about 3 minutes. Stir in the cumin and cook for 1 minute.
• Transfer the chilies to the pan, reserving the soaking liquid. Sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the soaking liquid and all remaining ingredients. Gently simmer until the plantains and raisins are soft, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the cinnamon stick. Puree the sauce in a blender until smooth, then return it to the saucepan.
• Add 1/2 to 1 cup of the rib cooking liquid until the sauce is thick but pourable. Adjust the seasoning, adding salt, sugar, or vinegar to taste - the mole should be highly seasoned and a little sweet with just a faint hint of tartness. (The mole can be prepared up to one day ahead and reheated.)
• To serve, turn on the broiler or heat the oven to 450 degrees. Spoon half of the mole over the bottom of a baking dish just large enough to hold the ribs. Remove the ribs from their braising liquid, drain well, and place on top. Spoon the remaining mole over the ribs. Broil or bake until the mole sizzles and browns, 2 to 4 minutes on each side under the broiler, or 8 to 12 minutes in the oven.