Beef Short Rib Tacos with Pickled Red Cabbage

• 1.2 kgbeef short ribs, bone-in
• 400 mlbeef stock
• salt and black pepper
• 2 tspsmoked paprika
• 2 tspground cumin
• 1 tspgarlic powder
• 1 tspdried oregano
• 1onion, roughly chopped
• 4garlic cloves, bashed
• 200 gred cabbage, finely shredded
• 3 tbspred wine vinegar
• 1 tbspcaster sugar
• 1 tspsea salt
• 12small corn tortillas, about 30g each
• ½ tspchilli flakes
• 150 mlsoured cream (optional)
• 1lime, cut into wedges (optional)
• 150 gguacamole (optional)
• 600 gmexican-style black beans (optional)
• 300 gfresh tomato salsa (optional)
• 15 gcoriander leaves (optional)

Method

1. 1Preheat the oven to 160°C fan. Mix the smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, and oregano in a small bowl. Pat the short ribs bone-dry, season all over with the spice mix and a generous pinch of salt and black pepper. Press it into the meat properly; this is your foundation layer of seasoning.
2. 2Heat a large cast-iron casserole over a high heat until it's properly smoking. Sear the ribs in two batches, 3–4 minutes per face, until each side is deeply mahogany. Don't crowd the pan; all at once and the heat drops, water comes out, and you've boiled the meat instead of browning it.
3. 3Lift the ribs out. Drop the heat to medium and add the onion to the same pan, stirring through the spice-stained fat for a minute so the ground spices toast in the heat. Add the bashed garlic and cook just until fragrant, 30 seconds, no more.
4. 4Return the ribs to the casserole, pour over the beef stock, and scrape up all the stuck bits from the base with a wooden spoon. Bring to a simmer, cover tightly with a lid (or foil and a lid), and braise in the oven for 3 to 3½ hours, until the meat is yielding and pulling away from the bone at the lightest nudge of a fork.
5. 5While the ribs braise, make the pickled cabbage. Massage the shredded cabbage with the sea salt for a full 2 minutes; it should soften, darken, and turn glossy. Add the red wine vinegar (the splash of vinegar is what cuts through the rich beef later) and the caster sugar, toss well, and leave to pickle for at least 30 minutes. It will turn vivid magenta.
6. 6Lift the ribs out and shred the meat off the bones with two forks, discarding any large knots of fat. Skim the fat from the braising liquid, then reduce over a medium-high heat for around 5 minutes until glossy and clinging to the back of a spoon. Taste the liquid and add salt or black pepper if needed. Tip the shredded beef back in and toss until every strand is glossed.
7. 7Warm the tortillas in a dry pan over a high heat; 20 seconds a side, until lightly charred and pliable. Wrap in a clean tea towel to keep them soft and steaming.
8. 8Divide the beef and pickled cabbage between the twelve warm tortillas, two per person. Scatter over the chilli flakes. Add any of the optional soured cream, coriander and lime wedges if using; guacamole, black beans and salsa are optional sides.

Per serving

kcal

657

protein

40.6g

fibre

6g

carbs

37.8g

fat

39.2g