Cheese And Rinds Recipe

Prepare cheeses

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese and Duke's mayonnaise until smooth and homogenous using a whisk or electric mixer on low speed.

Add the shredded sharp cheddar to the bowl and fold gently with a spatula until incorporated. The mixture should be thick but spreadable.

Fold in the chopped roasted pimentos, sliced green onion, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, smoked paprika, lemon juice, and honey (if using).

Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust: add more mayo if too dry, more lemon or hot sauce to brighten. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let flavors meld (can be made up to 24 hours ahead).

Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Pat the short ribs dry and season all over with the listed kosher salt and black pepper.

Heat a heavy Dutch oven or oven-safe braiser over medium-high heat. Add vegetable oil. When shimmering, brown short ribs in batches (2–3 minutes per side) until deeply browned. Transfer browned ribs to a plate.

Reduce heat to medium. Add the chopped onion, carrot, and celery to the pot and cook, stirring, until softened and beginning to brown, about 6–8 minutes. Add smashed garlic and tomato paste; cook 1–2 minutes, stirring, until tomato paste darkens slightly.

Pour in the red wine to deglaze, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Let wine reduce by about half, 3–5 minutes.

Return short ribs to the pot. Add beef stock, fresh thyme sprigs, bay leaf, and brown sugar. The liquid should come about halfway up the sides of the ribs; add a bit more stock or water if necessary.

Bring to a gentle simmer on the stovetop, then cover and transfer to the preheated oven. Braise until the meat is fork-tender and falling from the bone, about 2 to 2½ hours.

Remove ribs from braising liquid and keep warm. Strain the cooking liquid into a saucepan, skim off excess fat, and simmer to reduce until slightly thickened (about 10–15 minutes). Taste and adjust seasoning. Shred or cut the short rib meat into bite-sized pieces, tossing with some of the reduced sauce to coat.

If pork rinds are very large, break into serving-sized pieces so each portion gets a bed of rinds (about 1–2 oz rinds per serving).

Spoon a generous mound (about 1/2 cup) of chilled pimento cheese onto each pile of hot pork rinds so the heat from the rinds slightly softens the cheese for a creamy bite.

Top the pimento cheese with warm shredded short rib (about 2–3 oz per serving). Drizzle a little of the reduced braising sauce over the meat for gloss and flavor.

Garnish with pickled jalapeño slices (if using), chopped chives or green onion, a crack of freshly ground black pepper, and microgreens or herb sprigs for brightness.

Serve immediately while pork rinds are crisp and short rib is warm. Provide small forks or toothpicks for easy sharing.