Pomegranate-Braised Beef Short Ribs with Prunes and Sesame
By Nicole KonstantinakosPublished on December 16, 2020
Time
5 hours
Yield
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
4 pounds bone-in English-style short ribs, trimmedSalt and pepper 4 cups unsweetened pomegranate juice 1 cup water 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 onion, chopped fine1 carrot, peeled and chopped fine2 tablespoons ras el hanout 4 garlic cloves ¾ cup prunes, halved1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Before You Begin
We prefer the less expensive and more readily available English-style ribs here. If using flanken-style ribs, flip the ribs halfway through roasting in step 1. We prefer to use our homemade Ras el Hanout, but you can use store-bought ras el hanout.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Pat ribs dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Arrange ribs, bone side down, in single layer in large roasting pan and roast until meat begins to brown, about 45 minutes.
- Discard any accumulated fat and juices in pan and continue to roast until meat is well browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer ribs to bowl and tent with aluminum foil; set aside. Stir pomegranate juice and water into now-empty pan, scraping up any browned bits; set aside.
- Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, carrot, and ¼ teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in ras el hanout and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in pomegranate mixture from roasting pan and half of prunes and bring to simmer. Nestle ribs, bone side up, into pot and return to simmer. Cover, transfer pot to oven, and cook until ribs are tender, about 2½ hours.
- Using pot holders, remove pot from oven. Being careful of hot pot handles, transfer ribs to bowl; discard any loose bones and tent with aluminum foil. Strain braising liquid through fine-mesh strainer into fat separator; transfer solids to blender. Let braising liquid settle for 5 minutes, then pour defatted liquid into blender with solids and process until smooth, about 1 minute.
- Transfer sauce to now-empty pot and stir in vinegar and remaining prunes. Return ribs and any accumulated juices to pot, bring to gentle simmer over medium heat, and cook, spooning sauce over ribs occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer ribs to serving platter, spoon 1 cup sauce over top, and sprinkle with sesame seeds and cilantro. Serve, passing remaining sauce separately.
Time
5 hoursYield
Serves 6 to 8Ingredients
4 pounds bone-in English-style short ribs, trimmed
Salt and pepper
4 cups unsweetened pomegranate juice
1 cup water
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
1 carrot, peeled and chopped fine
2 tablespoons ras el hanout
4 garlic cloves
¾ cup prunes, halved
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Ingredients
4 pounds bone-in English-style short ribs, trimmed
Salt and pepper
4 cups unsweetened pomegranate juice
1 cup water
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
1 carrot, peeled and chopped fine
2 tablespoons ras el hanout
4 garlic cloves
¾ cup prunes, halved
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Ingredients
4 pounds bone-in English-style short ribs, trimmed
Salt and pepper
4 cups unsweetened pomegranate juice
1 cup water
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
1 carrot, peeled and chopped fine
2 tablespoons ras el hanout
4 garlic cloves
¾ cup prunes, halved
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Why This Recipe Works
A good dose—2 tablespoons—of ras el hanout added a pleasing, piquant aroma; we bloomed it by sautéing it with our onions and carrots to bring out its warmth from the start. Rather than simply brown the ribs, we started by roasting them in the oven; this rendered a significant amount of fat that we could discard. After braising, we defatted the cooking liquid, then blended it with the vegetables and some of the prunes to create a velvety sauce. We added the remaining prunes to the sauce and garnished the dish with toasted sesame seeds and cilantro.
Before You Begin
We prefer the less expensive and more readily available English-style ribs here. If using flanken-style ribs, flip the ribs halfway through roasting in step 1. We prefer to use our homemade Ras el Hanout, but you can use store-bought ras el hanout.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Pat ribs dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Arrange ribs, bone side down, in single layer in large roasting pan and roast until meat begins to brown, about 45 minutes.
- Discard any accumulated fat and juices in pan and continue to roast until meat is well browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer ribs to bowl and tent with aluminum foil; set aside. Stir pomegranate juice and water into now-empty pan, scraping up any browned bits; set aside.
- Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, carrot, and ¼ teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in ras el hanout and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in pomegranate mixture from roasting pan and half of prunes and bring to simmer. Nestle ribs, bone side up, into pot and return to simmer. Cover, transfer pot to oven, and cook until ribs are tender, about 2½ hours.
- Using pot holders, remove pot from oven. Being careful of hot pot handles, transfer ribs to bowl; discard any loose bones and tent with aluminum foil. Strain braising liquid through fine-mesh strainer into fat separator; transfer solids to blender. Let braising liquid settle for 5 minutes, then pour defatted liquid into blender with solids and process until smooth, about 1 minute.
- Transfer sauce to now-empty pot and stir in vinegar and remaining prunes. Return ribs and any accumulated juices to pot, bring to gentle simmer over medium heat, and cook, spooning sauce over ribs occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer ribs to serving platter, spoon 1 cup sauce over top, and sprinkle with sesame seeds and cilantro. Serve, passing remaining sauce separately.
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