Tender Berbere Braised Short Ribs

Ethiopian berbere spices make for the most flavorful short ribs. Slowly braised in the oven, these ribs are melt-in-your-mouth tender!

This recipe has plenty of friends in my cookbook, AfriCali: Recipes From My Jikoni.

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Makes: 4 to 6 portions

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 2hrs 30 mins

2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 pounds boneless short rib or chuck, cut into 2" chunks

2 medium red onions, small dice

3 tablespoons ghee or butter

4 garlic cloves, sliced

1 inch piece ginger, minced

1 1/2 tablespoon berbere spice

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 cups beef stock

Kosher salt, to taste

Black pepper, to taste

Garnish:

1/4 cup pomegranate seeds

a handful of cilantro leaves

1/4 of a red onion, sliced

1. Season beef generously with salt and pepper on all sides.

2. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear the beef on all sides. Set browned beef on a plate to rest.

3. Lower the heat to medium. To the same pan, add the red onions, cooking until soft and dark brown. This will take 15-20 minutes, be sure to stir occasionally to prevent onions from burning.

4. Add in the ghee, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, and berbere spice. Cook for 2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant.

5. Stir in the beef stock. Bring the sauce to a simmer and return the beef to the pan. Reduce the heat to a medium-low and partially cover with a lid. Cook until beef is tender and can easily break apart with two forks, about 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally to keep sauce from burning. Serve with the pomegranate seeds, cilantro leaves, and red onion slices to garnish.