Recipe: Braised Moroccan-Style Garlicky Short Ribs

Words by Shelley Adams.

This comfy make-ahead dish from Whitewater Cooks: Together Again has a very easy preparation. You could serve these ribs right out of the pot with the veggies and garlic still in there—it’s equally as spectacular as plating them, but just a little more rustic.

Ingredients

2 tbsp vegetable oil 

5 lb bone-in short ribs, at least 1½ inches thick 

Kosher salt and pepper 

2 large whole heads of garlic, cut in half, skin left on 

1 medium onion, diced 

4 ribs celery, diced 

2 medium carrots, diced 

2 tbsp harissa paste 

1 tbsp tomato paste 

1 tsp cinnamon 

2 cups red or white wine 

2 cups beef stock 

4 sprigs thyme 

2 bay leaves 

1 cup parsley, chopped 

½ cup green onion, finely chopped 

1 tbsp finely grated orange zest

Make It

Preheat oven to 275°F. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. 

Season short ribs on all sides with salt and pepper. Sear on all sides, in batches, until deeply browned (about 8 minutes per batch). 

Transfer browned short ribs to a large plate. Pour off most fat, leaving 2 tbsp and the browned bits behind. Reduce heat to medium and add garlic, cut-side-down. Cook without moving for about 2 minutes. 

Add onion, celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Stir well and continue to cook until vegetables are soft but not browned (about 5 to 10 minutes). Add harissa and tomato pastes and cinnamon and stir to coat the vegetables. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. 

Add wine, scrape up the browned bits and let simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the beef stock, thyme and bay leaves. Place short ribs in pan, using tongs to immerse them bone-side-up. Pour in any juices from the plate they were resting on. Add more stock or water if needed to cover the ribs. 

Bring to a simmer, then cover and place in the oven. Cook undisturbed until meat is tender and almost falling off the bone (about 3½ to 4 hours). 

Remove ribs from pot using tongs, trying to keep the bones in place. Set on a large platter to rest. 

Strain the sauce into a bowl or large glass measuring cup and skim off some of the fat. Throw away the cooking vegetables and herbs, but save the garlic. 

Put ribs back in pot with the garlic and the strained sauce. Scatter the parsley, green onions and orange zest over the ribs. Serves 6.

Excerpted from Whitewater Cooks: Together Again by Shelley Adams. Copyright © 2021. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

 

Originally published March 1, 2022.