Chipotle BBQ Short Ribs

Part of my annual summertime obsession with all things Southern includes an unending appetite for barbecue. Distinctions such as Memphis-style vs. St. Louis-style ribs or moist vs. lean brisket mean little to me, and I’m happy to douse my pulled pork in a vinegar sauce, tomato sauce, mustard sauce or with no sauce (that’s how you know I’m a Yankee). But if it’s meat that’s been cooked slowly over some sort of grill, me. want. now. (apparently barbecue brings out my inner caveman), especially if said meat comes with a heaping side of charred corn and a crisp, snappy slaw*.

Given that I live in New York City, with no smoker, no grill, no charcoal and no desire to get friendly with the fire department, it works out nicely that I’m not very traditional about my barbecue. I’m perfectly happy to stick some meat in the oven and roast it low and slow for hours, then brush on some sauce and broil. That method worked very successfully on spareribs, and when contemplating a menu for Father’s Day, I thought I’d try it on short ribs.

BBQ short ribs are most common in Texas, where beef, not pork,  is barbecue king. Tomato-based sauces are their go-to, and I of course had to up the chipotle to add a smoky, spicy undertone to the otherwise sweet, faintly vinegary sauce. Making the sauce is dead simple — just let the ingredients simmer until they reduce — and it is so much better than anything I’ve ever eaten out of a jar or squeeze bottle. I’ve become inspired to make more of my own BBQ sauces, especially this little number (ignoring the recipe’s creator, though I’m a little shocked that Goop eats ketchup like the rest of us plebs).

While there’s a lot of ingredients and a good number of steps, the recipe is very easy if you plan ahead: make the sauce and rub the ribs (ha.) the night before (the sauce can be made up to two days ahead of time), and then all you have to do on “game day” is stick the short ribs in the oven. Sides-wise, I served the ribs with esquites, a salad of charred corn, cilantro, cotija cheese and spices that’s a common Mexican street food (I used sour cream instead of mayo, which worked fabulously), and Mark Bittman’s spicy no-mayo coleslaw, which was equally stunning. Both are now in my summer rotation, so you’ll be seeing them soon.

My uncle, for whom I was cooking Father’s Day dinner since my own dad is too far away, called it the best meal I’ve ever made, and I call it fortuitous that Father’s Day and the Fourth of July are in such close proximity. Now you too can enjoy deliciously spicy-sweet slow-roasted BBQ short ribs, so good that they’re even worth eating with your hands.

*I’m actually very picky about my cole slaw — my hatred of mayo prevents me from eating a lot of them (see also: potato salad, chicken salad). But vinegar- or mustard-based slaws, with a spicy-sour punch? They are awesome and I’d eat them every day in the summertime if that wasn’t weird.

Chipotle BBQ Short Ribs
Adapted from Chowhound
Serves 4-6

The original recipe calls for flanken-cut short ribs, which are cut across the rib (so you have multiple bones in each piece). Whole Foods only had the traditional English-cut ribs, in which the ribs are cut individually (so there’s only one bone per piece). Either works for this recipe.

– 5 pounds (2- to 2-1/2-inches thick) flanken-cut beef short ribs (see above)

For the rib rub:

– 1/4 cup paprika (if you have pimentón, or Spanish smoked paprika, that works really nicely here)

– 1 tablespoon chili powder

– 1 tablespoon ground cumin

– 1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar

– 1 tablespoon kosher salt

– 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

– 1 teaspoon garlic powder

– 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1) Rinse the ribs well and pat them dry. Combine all of the rub ingredients in a medium bowl and combine well.

2) Place the ribs in an even layer in a 13-x-9-inch baking dish. Rub the spice mixture on all sides of the ribs and cover with aluminum foil. (At this point, you can roast the ribs immediately, but for teh best flavor and texture, refrigerate for up to 24 hours.)

3) Preheat the oven to 350F. If the ribs are coming from the refrigerator, bring them to room temperature while the oven is preheating. Place the ribs in the oven and roast until fork-tender, about 2 hours. (Mine took closer to 2.5 hours — the above picture is what they should look like when they’re done [I had already transferred them to a baking sheet for broiling, but this is pre-broil])

For the BBQ sauce:

– 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

– 1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion

– 3 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped

– 1-1/2 cups ketchup

– 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

– 1/2 cup water

– 3 tablespoons cider vinegar

– 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

– 3 chipotles in adobo sauce, finely chopped + 3 tablespoons adobo sauce

– 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1) Heat the oil in a large saucepan on medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, stirring occasionally.

2) Add the remaining ingredients, whisking to combine, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and continue to simmer, whisking occasionally, until the flavors have melded and the sauce has reduced, 45-50 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside until ready to grill the ribs. (You can make this up to 2 days in advance.)

Finish the ribs:

1) Once the ribs are tender, uncover and remove them from the baking dish. Place them on a lined baking sheet and brush them liberally with the BBQ sauce.

2) Set the oven to broil (if your broiler has a low setting, use that). Broil for 5 minutes, then brush with more sauce, turn the ribs and broil for another 5 minutes. Brush again with sauce, turn the ribs and broil for an additional 5 minutes.

3) Turn the broiler off and let the ribs rest for a few minutes. Transfer the remaining sauce to a bowl and serve alongside the ribs.