Short Rib Tacos with Red Cabbage Slaw
Short Rib Tacos with Red Cabbage Slaw
short rib slow-cooked in Mexican chiles and avocado crema topped with a crunchy tart slaw.
Since working in the culinary industry, short rib has become one of my favorites. It’s on every single menu whether cooked with precision water cooking, sous vide, or braised and slow-cooked for my favorite- Raghu. in my home, we eat tacos just about every Tuesday. Whether is the typical ground beef, lettuce, and cheese or special nights like this week.
This recipe creates the most tender, savory beef with just the right amount of heat from ground Guajillo and Chili peppers. The ancho chilis in chipotle sauce, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste help the beef create a wonderful sauce while slow or pressure cooking. One thing about me is the doll loves a great slaw. For this recipe, I stuck to a classic red cabbage slaw with rice wine vinegar, honey, lime juice, and salt + pepper. Mix the slaw before preparing the meat- this will allow for the acids of the line and vinegar to wilt the cabbage. This will create a slight crunch- not too much. I’ve also included a simple recipe for Avocado Crema which is a great substitute for sour cream. The creaminess of the avocado and hints of cilantro and citrus brings the taco alive. You don’t want to forget this step.
What You Need:
1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
3 to 4 lbs Boneless Beef Short Rib
4 chipotles peppers in adobo sauce, you will need the sauce
1 White Onion, finely chopped
4 Garlic Cloves
1⁄4 cup Fresh Lime Juice
2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tbsp Mexican Oregano
1 tbsp Kosher Salt
2 cups of Beef Broth or Stock
4 oz of Tomato Paste
8 oz Diced Tomatoes in Chiles
2 tsp Ground Guajillo Pepper
2 tsp Ground Cumin
1 Bay Leaf
Corn Tortillas
Cilantro, finely chopped for garnish
Avocado Crema
2 Avocados, peeled and pitted
1⁄4 cup Cilantro
1⁄2 cup Sour Cream
1⁄2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
3 to 4 tbsp Fresh Lime Juice
1 clove of Garlic, optional
Purple Cabbage Slaw
3 cups Purple Cabbage, sliced sliced
1⁄2 cup Red Onion, thinly sliced
3 to 4 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
1 tbsp Honey
2 tsp Fresh Lime Juice
1 tsp Kosher Salt
What to Do:
In a medium bowl, combined the thinly-sliced cabbage, onion, and remaining slaw ingredients and mix to combine. Place to the side in a cool space or in the fridge until ready to assemble the tacos.
Rub the short ribs evenly with salt and pepper. Be sure to use a nice amount of salt to help the meat brown and set it aside.
Add oil to the inner bowl of the Instant Pot or a dutch oven and set to Saute function. Once the oil is hot, add the short ribs in batches and sear on all sides for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Add onions and garlic to the same pot and saute until they become translucent in color.
Once the onions have cooked for about 3 minutes, add in beef broth to deglaze the bottom of the instapot or dutch oven. Add in the remaining ingredients except for the corn tortillas, cilantro, and crema ingredients.
Be sure that the meat is covered but not completely submerged in liquid. Along with the broth, I usually add about a cup of water.
Set the instapot settings to pressure cook on high for 55 minutes. If you’re cooking the short ribs in the oven, I suggest using a dutch oven and cooking at 400F for 1.5 to 2 hours.
Avocado crema: Add all ingredients into a food processor or blender and pulse until the crema is nice and smooth. If it becomes too thick, thin out the crema by using lime juice or water as a last option. 1 to 2 teaspoons should be just enough.
Once the short ribs have finished cooking and are fork tender, shred the meat using two forks or your hands and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
Assemble tacos with crema on the corn tortillas, top with the short rib, red cabbage slaw, and garnish with queso fresco and cilantro.
