Short Rib Tacos with Pico de Gallo: What's on the Grill #302
I’m a sucker for any holiday which even remotely includes food…which, conveniently enough, is about every holiday on my calendar. While not really a Mexican holiday, but one started in America to pay tribute to the culture of Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is a holiday synonymous with food. For those who only celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a Corona, you are missing out.
I love a good taco, which is why they will be on my Cinco de Mayo menu. Now when I was growing up, my Mom’s tacos consisted of ground beef, a taco seasoning packet, and a box of taco shells. On one hand, I am thankful for her always making sure we had food on the table while Dad put in incredibly long hours at work. On the other hand, as soon as Dad retired, she handed the cooking over to him. My remaining siblings, still at home, were ecstatic. Mom loved us. She didn’t love to cook.
My point is this. Great tacos are really easy to make without resorting to a pound of ground beef and a chemically enhanced sachet of “taco flavoring.” Take away the marinade time and these tacos can go from fridge to table in 29 minutes. Fresh, fast, and easy. Now where’s my Negra Modela?
Short Rib Tacos with Pico de Gallo
By Another Pint Please
3 Flanken cut short ribs
6 ounces dark beer (About half a bottle. Drink some, cook with some. Porter, Dopplebock, or Stouts will work)
1 cup olive oil
2 t chipotle puree
2 stems of fresh cilantro, with leaves
1 cup sour cream
1 T chipotle puree
Pico de Gallo via Emeril
1 1/2 cup seeded and diced tomatoes
1/2 cup diced red onion
1 T diced jalapeños
1 T minced garlic
juice of 2 limes
2 T cilantro leaves
salt and pepper
small flour tortillas
queso cheese
limes
Flanken style short ribs are ribs cut across, versus parallel, to the bone. They are relatively cheap and with a marinade, wonderfully delicious.
Mix together the beer, olive oil, chipotle puree, and cilantro in a small bowl. Add in the short ribs and either refrigerate in a covered bowl, or add everything to a plastic bag. I opt for a third option, by using my vacuum sealer marinade bowl.
No matter the process chosen, allow the ribs to marinade in the refrigerator for a couple hours.
In a small bowl, mix together the sour cream and chipotle. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
For the Pico, mix together all of the ingredients. Also, go as fresh as possible. For the tomatoes, I use fresh, not canned. In order to remove their skin, drop the tomatoes into a pot of boiling water for about 30 seconds a piece. From there, plunge them directly into a bowl of ice water. Remove from the ice water and peel off the skin with your fingers. The rapid heating and cooling makes the skin removal really easy.
With the skin off, slice the tomatoes in half from stem to bottom and then, with your thumbs, scoop out the seeds. Rinse off the remaining tomato flesh and dice. A little more work than opening a can, but well worth the effort.
About 30 minutes before the marinade is done, fire up the grill for direct medium high heat.
Remove the meat from the marinade and pat dry. Any excessive marinade on the meat will immediately flare up over the hot coals.
We want the flavors in the meat. Not on it.
Grill the ribs over direct heat, about 2-3 minutes a side.
Shoot for medium rare, which by an instant read thermometer, is about 135 F.
Remove from the ribs from the grill and allow to rest for a few minutes.
In the interim, wrap some tortillas in aluminum foil and place on the grill over direct heat for approximately 15 seconds a side. It doesn’t take long to warm them up.
Thinly slice the rib meat and then build the tacos.
I like to take a warm tortilla and then top with the meat, chipotle sour cream, pico, and cheese. I finish off with a squeeze of lime.
Top them how you like. Nonetheless, they are deliciously simple. Happy Cinco de Mayo. Pardon me while I go call Mom.
I love a good taco, which is why they will be on my Cinco de Mayo menu. Now when I was growing up, my Mom’s tacos consisted of ground beef, a taco seasoning packet, and a box of taco shells. On one hand, I am thankful for her always making sure we had food on the table while Dad put in incredibly long hours at work. On the other hand, as soon as Dad retired, she handed the cooking over to him. My remaining siblings, still at home, were ecstatic. Mom loved us. She didn’t love to cook.
My point is this. Great tacos are really easy to make without resorting to a pound of ground beef and a chemically enhanced sachet of “taco flavoring.” Take away the marinade time and these tacos can go from fridge to table in 29 minutes. Fresh, fast, and easy. Now where’s my Negra Modela?
Short Rib Tacos with Pico de Gallo
By Another Pint Please
3 Flanken cut short ribs
6 ounces dark beer (About half a bottle. Drink some, cook with some. Porter, Dopplebock, or Stouts will work)
1 cup olive oil
2 t chipotle puree
2 stems of fresh cilantro, with leaves
1 cup sour cream
1 T chipotle puree
Pico de Gallo via Emeril
1 1/2 cup seeded and diced tomatoes
1/2 cup diced red onion
1 T diced jalapeños
1 T minced garlic
juice of 2 limes
2 T cilantro leaves
salt and pepper
small flour tortillas
queso cheese
limes
Flanken style short ribs are ribs cut across, versus parallel, to the bone. They are relatively cheap and with a marinade, wonderfully delicious.
Mix together the beer, olive oil, chipotle puree, and cilantro in a small bowl. Add in the short ribs and either refrigerate in a covered bowl, or add everything to a plastic bag. I opt for a third option, by using my vacuum sealer marinade bowl.
No matter the process chosen, allow the ribs to marinade in the refrigerator for a couple hours.
In a small bowl, mix together the sour cream and chipotle. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
For the Pico, mix together all of the ingredients. Also, go as fresh as possible. For the tomatoes, I use fresh, not canned. In order to remove their skin, drop the tomatoes into a pot of boiling water for about 30 seconds a piece. From there, plunge them directly into a bowl of ice water. Remove from the ice water and peel off the skin with your fingers. The rapid heating and cooling makes the skin removal really easy.
With the skin off, slice the tomatoes in half from stem to bottom and then, with your thumbs, scoop out the seeds. Rinse off the remaining tomato flesh and dice. A little more work than opening a can, but well worth the effort.
About 30 minutes before the marinade is done, fire up the grill for direct medium high heat.
Remove the meat from the marinade and pat dry. Any excessive marinade on the meat will immediately flare up over the hot coals.
We want the flavors in the meat. Not on it.
Grill the ribs over direct heat, about 2-3 minutes a side.
Shoot for medium rare, which by an instant read thermometer, is about 135 F.
Remove from the ribs from the grill and allow to rest for a few minutes.
In the interim, wrap some tortillas in aluminum foil and place on the grill over direct heat for approximately 15 seconds a side. It doesn’t take long to warm them up.
Thinly slice the rib meat and then build the tacos.
I like to take a warm tortilla and then top with the meat, chipotle sour cream, pico, and cheese. I finish off with a squeeze of lime.
Top them how you like. Nonetheless, they are deliciously simple. Happy Cinco de Mayo. Pardon me while I go call Mom.
Mike Lang
