Make Short Ribs with Mole Rojo This Holiday Season

November 12, 2024

The first time he hosted Thanksgiving on his own, Hrna Eatz swapped turkey for braised short ribs, creating a new holiday tradition. Because there really are no rules when it comes to celebrating: make the dishes you love, and the people you serve will feel it. These fall-off-the-bone short ribs melt into a rich mole rojo made from smoky guajillo, ancho, and árbol chiles, Mexican chocolate, and a blend of spices. Scoop it all up with homemade tortillas and share some with the people who mean most to you.

Short Rib Mole Rojo

Hrna Eatz

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Author

Hrna Eatz

Ingredients

For the Short Ribs

2 lbs beef short ribs
1 white onion, quartered
1 head of garlic, cut crosswise
1 cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
3 cups beef broth
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
1/8 cup vegetable oil

For the Mole Rojo

Vegetable oil
13 dried guajillo chiles, stems, veins, and seeds removed
4 dried ancho chiles, stems, veins, and seeds removed
4 dried chiles de árbol (use 2-3 if you like it less spicy), stems removed
2 Roma tomatoes, quartered
1 white onion, quartered
8 garlic cloves, peeled
3 bay leaves
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
¼ cup sliced almonds (or ⅓ cup whole almonds)
¼ cup sesame seeds
1 cinnamon stick
¼ tsp fennel seeds
8 cloves
8 peppercorns
½ tsp ground cumin
10 galletas María (María Mexican cookies)
2 cups beef broth
½ tablet of Mexican chocolate (Abuelita or Ibarra)
1 tbsp sugar

To Serve

Cilantro leaves, for garnish
Queso fresco, for garnish
Corn tortillas
Rice and beans

Directions

Prepare the Short Ribs

Preheat the oven to 350.
Season the short ribs with salt and pepper on all sides.
In a large Dutch oven, heat 1/8 cup oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the short ribs and sear on all sides, working in batches if necessary. Remove and set aside.
In the same pot, add the onion and cook until translucent.
Return the short ribs to the pot, along with the garlic, bay leaves, cinnamon, and beef broth.
Place in the oven and bake for 2-3 hours, until the meat is tender.

Prepare the Mole Rojo

Once the ribs are in the oven, start preparing the mole rojo. (You can also make it ahead and refrigerate — just add a bit more broth when re-warming.)
Heat a large nonstick pan over medium heat, and add ½ tbsp oil. Fry the guajillo, ancho, and árbol chiles until fragrant, being careful not to burn them. Once fried, transfer the chiles to a saucepan with the beef broth and bring to a simmer.
In the same nonstick pan, fry the tomatoes, onion, and garlic, adding more oil if needed. Once softened, add them to the saucepan with the chiles and broth.
Next, toast the bay leaves, cinnamon, fennel, cloves, peppercorns, pumpkin seeds, almonds, and sesame seeds, adding a bit more oil if needed. Once toasted, add them to the saucepan.
Fry the María cookies in the same pan until golden, then add them to the saucepan as well.
After about 10-15 minutes of simmering, transfer all the ingredients to the blender, along with the cumin, and blend until smooth. If necessary, blend in batches and strain to remove any large pieces.
In a pan, heat ½ tbsp oil over medium heat and cook the strained mole for a few minutes.
Stir in the chocolate until melted and fully combined. Add the sugar and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Lower the heat and cover.
When the short ribs are tender, place them in the mole sauce for 10-15 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld.
Garnish short ribs with cilantro and queso fresco. Serve with warm handmade corn tortillas and/or rice and beans. Enjoy!

All Comments

Hi Joseph! Yes, this recipe uses boneless short ribs.

Hi Mariah! Yes, you can totally skip the María cookies! To maintain the mole’s rich texture and slight sweetness, you can substitute the cookies with an equal amount of toasted pumpkin seeds, almonds, or sesame seeds.

Will it work without the cookies? I don’t eat grains other than organic corn (infrequently).

Are these boneless short ribs?

One of the big reasons I prefer homemade mole dishes over restaurant is that you can cook your turkey or chicken right in the mole rather than pouring mole sauce over a dry breast. This is the typical restaurant way of operating probably because it’s easier for them to prep and more cost-effective. The problem is that you don’t get that satisfying flavor fusion of mole-saturated chicken meat.

I’ve never had short rib mole. Short ribs are naturally more fatty and juicy than chicken. Would it be worth it to adjust your recipe to cook the shorts ribs in the mole (instead of just pouring like a topping at the end) to get the best of both?

I get that short ribs will be juicy regardless but if you’re going to all the trouble of making mole from scratch then why not also saturate the ribs in the mole by cooking the ribs in the sauce (after browning them)?

Lastly, if some of us wanted to try a more mole-infused short rib dish. How long and at what point do we cook the ribs in the mole for?

Make Short Ribs with Mole Rojo This Holiday Season

Make Short Ribs with Mole Rojo This Holiday Season

Short Rib Mole Rojo

Author

Ingredients

For the Short Ribs

For the Mole Rojo

To Serve

Directions

Prepare the Short Ribs

Prepare the Mole Rojo

All Comments

Leave a Comment

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