Fiery Mexican Baked Beef Short Ribs Recipe Inspired By RecipeTin Is Fall-Off-the-Bone Tender by Donna John

This fiery Mexican beef short ribs recipe taught me to listen to my gut. The Recipetin recipe for baked beef ribs sounded amazing, but my husband is not big on spicy foods. But I had to make it! I decided to reduce the amount of chipotles in adobo sauce from 1/2 cup to 1/4 cup. While the baked short ribs still had a kick, the tweak did tame down the fire. These tender baked short ribs really do pack a flavor punch and fall off the bone.

You don't need a long list of ingredients and much prep time for this short ribs recipe. Here is your spicy shopping list for this gluten-free recipe: beef short ribs, a can of chipotles in adobo sauce, a can of crushed tomatoes, olive oil, fresh garlic, onion, ground cumin, bay leaves, dried oregano and oranges for juicing. 

Cooking Tips: I got all the juice out of my oranges by using an electric citrus juicer. They are inexpensive and worth it to get every last drop of juice from your fruit. And if you don't use the whole can of chipotles in adobo sauce, here's my tip on how to save them for later.

These saucy, succulent beef ribs are a delicious high-protein dinner. (Check out the health benefits of protein.) Serve the fall-off-the-bone ribs with your favorite side dishes. Slices of fresh avocado were the perfect garnish for me, as they complemented the spicy sauce and tamed it down.

Cuisine: Mexican / American / Tex-Mex
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours and 20 minutes
Total Time: 3 1/2 hours
Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup chipotles in adobo sauce (original recipe calls for 1/2 cup)
• 28 ounces (1 can) crushed tomatoes
• 4 - 6 beef short ribs
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 3 bay leaves
• 4 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 cup fresh orange juice (I juiced 3 oranges)

Here's how to make it: 

1. Put the chipotles in adobo sauce and can of tomatoes into a blender. (If you want a really spicy dish, add more. For less heat, add one or two chipotles from the can. You could also remove the seeds.)
   
2. Blend until smooth.
   
3. Season the beef ribs all over generously with salt and black pepper.
   
4. Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Brown the short ribs well on all sides. Remove to a plate. (You may have to do this in batches depending on how big your ribs are.)
   
5. Add the onion and garlic to the pot. Cook until onion softens, about 2 to 3 minutes.
   
6. Add the chipotle-tomato puree, cumin, bay leaves, dried oregano and orange juice to the pot. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Stir.
   
7. Add the ribs back to the pot. Cover with a lid (or use aluminum foil if your pot does not have a lid) and bake in a preheated 350-degree F oven for 1 1/2 hours.
   
8. After 1 1/2 hours, uncover the pot.
   
9. Cook 45 minutes to 1 hour longer, until the ribs are fall-apart tender and the sauce has thickened and reduced.
   
10. Let the ribs rest a few minutes before serving. Remove the bay leaves.
    
11. Serve. (Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired.) Store any leftover ribs in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat in the microwave. The ribs also freeze well for quick dinners later.
    

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