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Rectangular plate with four red chili beef short rib tacos in two corn tortillas topped with carrots, limes and green and red salsa on a blue background with tortilla chips on the side.

Red Chili Beef Short Rib Tacos

tortilla chips and two salsas

STARS

This dish will make you wish every day was Taco Tuesday. Start by braising red chili short ribs to moist and flavorful perfection. Then, DIY your tacos with your favorite toppings and condiments: red onions tossed with fresh cilantro, pickled carrots for a hint of acidity, and crunchy blue corn tortilla chips. And why not go all-out with two kinds of homemade salsa: mild tomatillo and spicy roasted tomato?
difficultyDifficulty Level
AdvancedAdvancedAdvanced
difficulty
Total Time:  1 hour and 30 minutes
Active Time:  1 hour
Ingredients

Pickled Carrots & Onions

  • 1 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
  • 1 red onion, sliced thinly
  • 3 carrots, cut into matchsticks

Red Chili Adobo

  • 2 Guajillo chile, destemmed and deseeded
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper, to taste
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, to taste
  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 ancho chiles, destemmed and deseeded

Short Rib Rub

  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon sumac
  • ½ teaspoon ancho chile powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano

Braised Short Ribs

  • 4 (8-ounce) bone-in short ribs

Roasted Tomato Arbol Salsa

  • 8 Roma tomatoes
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 2 whole chiles de arbol
  • 1 tablespoon honey, to taste
  • 1/2 cup cilantro
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Tomatillo Salsa No. 5

  • 3 cups husked tomatillos, divided
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1-2 jalapeños, destemmed, to taste
  • 1 cup fresh cilantro
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon honey, to taste

Tacos

  • 12 blue or white corn tortillas
  • 2 limes, sliced into wedges
  • ½ red onion, diced
  • ½ cup chopped cilantro
  • Tortilla chipstai
Directions
1
To make the pickles, combine the vinegar, salt and oregano in a mixing bowl. Add the onion and carrots and more vinegar if necessary to fully submerge the vegetables. Let sit for 24 hours. 
2
To make the adobo, preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the whole chiles on an oven rack for 2 minutes, turning every 30 seconds, until toasted. 
3
Place the toasted chiles in a saucepan along with the remaining adobo ingredients and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and soak until the chiles are soft. Purée with an immersion blender or regular blender, adding water as necessary to thin out the sauce. 
4
Lower the oven to 275°F. 
5
Combine all of the short rib rub ingredients in a bowl and coat the short ribs in the rub. Place in a braising pot with a lid, along with the adobo sauce, cover and cook for about 90 minutes, until the meat is very tender. Remove the meat from the braising pan and cover to keep warm. 
6
Skim any fat off the surface of the braising liquid and season with apple cider vinegar and salt to taste. 
7
For the roasted salsa, preheat the oven to 500°F. Place the tomatoes, garlic and onions on a baking sheet and roast until lightly charred. Remove from the oven and cool. Reduce the oven to 450°F. Break open the chiles and toast for 15 seconds, until brown, but not black. Place the toasted chiles in a bowl of warm water and soak for 10 minutes. 
8
Combine the roasted vegetables, drained soaked chiles, honey, cilantro, salt, and pepper in a blender and blend until mostly smooth, with some chunks remaining. 
9
To make the tomatillo salsa, In a saucepan, combine ½ cup tomatillos, garlic, and enough water to just cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until soft. Remove from heat, drain, and cool.
10
Transfer the cooked tomatillos to a blender, along with the remaining tomatillos, cilantro, salt and honey. Blend, adding water as necessary to reach a smooth consistency. 
11
To assemble the tacos, fill the tortillas with braised short ribs, top with tomato arbol salsa, tomatillo salsa, pickled carrots and onions, cilantro, chopped purple onions, and serve with lime wedges and tortilla chips on the side.

Red Chili Beef Short Rib Tacos

tortilla chips and two salsas

STARS

This dish will make you wish every day was Taco Tuesday. Start by braising red chili short ribs to moist and flavorful perfection. Then, DIY your tacos with your favorite toppings and condiments: red onions tossed with fresh cilantro, pickled carrots for a hint of acidity, and crunchy blue corn tortilla chips. And why not go all-out with two kinds of homemade salsa: mild tomatillo and spicy roasted tomato?
difficultyDifficulty Level
AdvancedAdvancedAdvanced
difficulty
Total Time:  1 hour and 30 minutes
Active Time:  1 hour
Servings:  4

Ingredients

Pickled Carrots & Onions

  • 1 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
  • 1 red onion, sliced thinly
  • 3 carrots, cut into matchsticks

Red Chili Adobo

  • 2 Guajillo chile, destemmed and deseeded
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper, to taste
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, to taste
  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 ancho chiles, destemmed and deseeded

Short Rib Rub

  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon sumac
  • ½ teaspoon ancho chile powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano

Braised Short Ribs

  • 4 (8-ounce) bone-in short ribs

Roasted Tomato Arbol Salsa

  • 8 Roma tomatoes
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 2 whole chiles de arbol
  • 1 tablespoon honey, to taste
  • 1/2 cup cilantro
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Tomatillo Salsa No. 5

  • 3 cups husked tomatillos, divided
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1-2 jalapeños, destemmed, to taste
  • 1 cup fresh cilantro
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon honey, to taste

Tacos

  • 12 blue or white corn tortillas
  • 2 limes, sliced into wedges
  • ½ red onion, diced
  • ½ cup chopped cilantro
  • Tortilla chipstai

Directions

1
To make the pickles, combine the vinegar, salt and oregano in a mixing bowl. Add the onion and carrots and more vinegar if necessary to fully submerge the vegetables. Let sit for 24 hours. 
2
To make the adobo, preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the whole chiles on an oven rack for 2 minutes, turning every 30 seconds, until toasted. 
3
Place the toasted chiles in a saucepan along with the remaining adobo ingredients and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and soak until the chiles are soft. Purée with an immersion blender or regular blender, adding water as necessary to thin out the sauce. 
4
Lower the oven to 275°F. 
5
Combine all of the short rib rub ingredients in a bowl and coat the short ribs in the rub. Place in a braising pot with a lid, along with the adobo sauce, cover and cook for about 90 minutes, until the meat is very tender. Remove the meat from the braising pan and cover to keep warm. 
6
Skim any fat off the surface of the braising liquid and season with apple cider vinegar and salt to taste. 
7
For the roasted salsa, preheat the oven to 500°F. Place the tomatoes, garlic and onions on a baking sheet and roast until lightly charred. Remove from the oven and cool. Reduce the oven to 450°F. Break open the chiles and toast for 15 seconds, until brown, but not black. Place the toasted chiles in a bowl of warm water and soak for 10 minutes. 
8
Combine the roasted vegetables, drained soaked chiles, honey, cilantro, salt, and pepper in a blender and blend until mostly smooth, with some chunks remaining. 
9
To make the tomatillo salsa, In a saucepan, combine ½ cup tomatillos, garlic, and enough water to just cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until soft. Remove from heat, drain, and cool.
10
Transfer the cooked tomatillos to a blender, along with the remaining tomatillos, cilantro, salt and honey. Blend, adding water as necessary to reach a smooth consistency. 
11
To assemble the tacos, fill the tortillas with braised short ribs, top with tomato arbol salsa, tomatillo salsa, pickled carrots and onions, cilantro, chopped purple onions, and serve with lime wedges and tortilla chips on the side.