Finger-Licking Braised Short Rib Tacos
about 3 lbs beef short ribs
4 red onions, quartered
4-6 cloves of garlic, smashed
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
4 tsp kosher (coarse) salt or 2 tsp table salt
1 tsp pepper
4 cups beef broth/stock
6-inch tortillas
sour cream
lime wedges
red onions
guacamole
cilantro
*Update: I made some improvements to this recipe that I highly recommend!! Add a tablespoon of brown sugar to the spice rub, sub a cup of red wine for one of the cups of beef broth, double the cayenne if you actually want a bit of heat, and SEAR the ribs first! It makes a HUGE difference!!*
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Pat the short ribs dry with a paper towel, combine the spices in a small bowl, and rub the spices all over the short ribs. Place them in a large oven-safe baking dish (or Dutch oven). Arrange quartered onions on top, sprinkle smashed garlic cloves in between and pour broth over the whole thing. Cover with a lid or foil and place in the oven. Cook for 3-4 hours, until the meat pulls apart easily with a fork.
When fully cooked and tender, remove the short ribs from the juices and broth. Skim the fat off of about 2 cups of the juices (or use a fat separator) and place the remaining juices in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower to a strong simmer to reduce for about 10 minutes.
While the juices are reducing, remove the meat from the bones and shred with a fork. When the juices are done reducing, add to the shredded meat and mix to combine.
Serve hot, warm tortillas, with sour cream, thinly sliced red onions (I quick-pickled mine), cilantro, guacamole, fresh lime, etc. Any of your favorite taco toppings would probably work, I highly recommend the guacamole, and the lime is essential!