Beef
short ribs are known as ‘Jacob’s ladder’ ribs. The bourbon and apricots in the
sauce give it a Deep South feel, while the pickled onions give the rich sauce
what for, so don’t leave them out.
Makes 8
INGREDIENTS
FOR
THE BEEF FILLING:
5½lb (2.5kg) beef short ribs (also known
as “Jacob’s ladder”)
All-purpose (plain) flour, for dusting
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Vegetable oil, for frying
2 celery stalks, cut into a few lengths
1 large onion,
cut into wedges
2 carrots, cut
into a few lengths
5 garlic cloves, peeled
2 bay leaves
A small sprig of fresh thyme
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
(chili flakes)
A handful of dried apricots
Generous 1¼ cups (320ml) bourbon
3¾ cups (900ml) beef broth (stock)
FOR
THE QUICK PICKLED ONIONS:
2 tbsp superfine (caster) sugar
1 tbsp sea salt
Generous 1 cup (250ml) cider vinegar
2 red onions,
sliced
8 soft white rolls, to serve
Celery leaves, to garnish (optional)
To make the beef filling, dust the beef ribs all
over in flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Brown them in some hot vegetable
oil in a large saucepan or stockpot until browned on all sides. Remove to a
large plate and set aside. Next, brown the celery, onion, and carrot pieces in
a little more oil (about 2 tbsp), then add the rest of the filling ingredients,
scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the ribs back to the
pan, bone-side down. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat, and simmer
for 1 hour.
Carefully turn the ribs over, re-cover, and
simmer for a further hour, until very tender. Remove from the heat and let the
ribs cool in the pan until the fat can be removed from the top of the mixture
and discarded. Reserve the ribs and any juices left in the pan.
Meanwhile, as the ribs are cooking, make the
quick pickled onions. Whisk the sugar, salt, and vinegar together in a bowl
until the sugar and salt are completely dissolved. Add the red onion slices and
stir, then let sit for a couple of hours or so at room temperature.
Remove the warm meat from the ribs and cut it
into chunks, then mix with the reserved pan juices.
To serve, split the rolls, fill with the rib
meat and juices, then drain the pickled onions and spoon on top. Garnish with
celery leaves, if using.
