Barbecue Short Ribs

A labor of love... worth every minute after the first bite! From The Joy of Cooking (c) 1997.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pat dry: 3 pounds beef short ribs, excess fat trimmed. Season with salt, black pepper, dried oregano.

Heat 2 tbl vegetable oil in a dutch oven. Add the ribs in batches and brown on all sides. When finished, drain all but 2 tbl of fat. Add the following and cook, stirring, over medium heat for 10 minutes:

• 2 c chopped onions
• 1/2 c chopped celery
• 1/2 c chopped carrots
• 1/2 c chopped shallots
• 3 tbl chopped garlic
• 1 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Pinch of oregano

Add 1 1/2 c beef stock. Bring to a boil and add the ribs back to the dutch oven. Add 2 bay leaves. Bake, covered, until ribs are tender, about 2 hours.

Meanwhile, make barbecue sauce. Combine in a medium saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until the sauce comes to a simmer:

• 1 1/2 c ketchup
• 1 c cider vinegar
• 1/4 c Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 c soy sauce
• 1 c packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tbl dry mustard
• 4 tbl chili powder
• 1 tbl fresh grated, peeled ginger (or 1 tsp ground dried)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbl vegetable oil

Simmer for 5 minutes.

Once short ribs are perfectly tender, remove and increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Place the cooked ribs on a roasting rack in a shallow pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Brush with barbecue sauce. Bake until the surface is browned and edges are crispy, 10 to 12 minutes.

Serve with additional barbecue sauce for dipping. And some steamy wet napkins when you're done!