Thick-cut (English-style) beef chuck short ribs with a spicy, smoky dry rub and no sugar, seared, then braised low and slow in a cast iron skillet until tender. The braising liquid becomes the sauce.

Ingredients

For about 1½ lb (4 ribs):

Rub

  • ¾ tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp coarse black pepper
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • ¼ tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp onion powder
  • ¼ tsp ancho chili powder
  • ¼ tsp chipotle powder
  • ¼ tsp ground cumin
  • A pinch of cayenne

“I used spice mixes, because I had them available.” This is what was in the jars:

  • 1½ tsp Penzeys Resist! (black pepper, salt, paprika, cayenne, white pepper, chipotle)
  • 1 tsp Moran’s grilling seasoning (salt, spices, garlic, onion)
  • ½ tsp Penzeys Arizona Dreaming (salt-free: ancho, chipotle, red pepper, jalapeño, onion, garlic, paprika, cumin, Mexican oregano, cilantro, lemon peel, cocoa)
  • ¼ tsp smoked Spanish paprika

The blends don’t publish their proportions, so the single-spice version is an estimate. Start with the salt on the light side.

Braising liquid

  • 2 cups warm water
  • 1 tsp Better Than Bouillon, roast beef
  • A dash of Worcestershire

Also: 1–2 Tbsp avocado oil for searing; optional pat of butter for the sauce.

Instructions

  1. Thaw if frozen: in sealed bags in cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes (about 30 minutes per pound).
  2. Rub: pat the ribs dry, coat every side evenly, and press the rub on. Rest uncovered in the fridge for an hour or more.
  3. Heat the oven to 275°F.
  4. Sear in a 12" cast iron skillet with the avocado oil over medium-high heat, 2–3 minutes per side plus the edges. Sear outside on the grill if you can; indoors the fat smokes up the kitchen.
  5. Braise: turn the ribs bone side down. Dissolve the bouillon in the warm water, add the Worcestershire, and pour it around the meat, not over it, about a third of the way up.
  6. Cover tightly: use 18" heavy-duty foil or two overlapped sheets, crimped all the way around and pinched closed at the handle. A loose seal lets the steam out and dries the meat.
  7. Cook 3½–4¼ hours, until a fork slides into the thickest part with almost no resistance and the meat has shrunk back from the bone.
  8. Lift the ribs out with a wide spatula (they’re tender) and rest them loosely tented while you make the sauce.

Pan sauce (jus)

The braising liquid already has the beef juice, rub and bouillon in it. It only needs the fat taken off; no flour or thickener needed.

  1. Pour the liquid into a heatproof measuring cup and let it settle for 5 minutes. Expect it to be about half fat.
  2. Spoon off the clear fat on top, or use a fat separator.
  3. Taste it. If it’s already strong, just warm it. If it’s mild, simmer it down by about half. It gets saltier as it reduces.
  4. Off the heat, swirl in a pat of butter if you like, and spoon it over the ribs.

Notes

From the first cook: “Tastes great; a little hot, a bit paprika.” Tender all the way through, with good seasoning, if a little too salty. The amounts above are already cut back from that cook (it used 1½ tsp Moran’s, ½ tsp smoked paprika, and more bouillon).

Leftovers keep 3–4 days in the fridge, stored in the jus. The fat sets on top and lifts right off. Reheat covered at 300°F for 20–25 minutes.

To mix the rub as a batch:

  • Resist, 3 parts
  • Moran’s, 2 parts
  • Arizona Dreaming, 1 part
  • Smoked paprika, ½ part
  • Shake the jar before each use, since the salt settles.

Why “Mangez-moi”? It’s a reduced braising jus, mounted with butter, made with bouillon from a jar and a Penzeys rub. Escoffier would be nodding on the outside and sneering on the inside. Mangez-moi: “Eat me!”