Coffee Crusted 1855 Bone-in Beef Short Rib Recipe

Trim and dry

Pat the short ribs dry with paper towels. Trim any excessive silver skin but leave a thin fat cap for flavor.

Make the coffee rub

In a bowl combine coarsely ground coffee, brown sugar, kosher salt, cracked black pepper, smoked paprika, and garlic powder. Mix until uniform.

Oil and coat

Rub the short ribs all over with vegetable oil to help the rub adhere. Generously press the coffee rub onto all surfaces of the ribs, coating evenly. Let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes or refrigerate up to 2 hours.

Preheat smoker

Preheat your smoker to 225°F (107°C) using hardwoods like oak or hickory for 30 minutes. If you don't have a smoker, preheat oven to 275°F (135°C) and use a tray of soaked wood chips in a foil pouch for smoke.

Smoke the ribs

Place the rubbed short ribs bone-side down on the smoker grates. Smoke until the exterior forms a dark crust and an internal temp of about 135°F (57°C), approximately 2 to 3 hours. This step builds the coffee crust flavor.

Prepare braising liquid

While ribs smoke, combine beef stock, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, chopped onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf, and thyme in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and keep warm.

Sear and braise

Once smoked, heat a heavy ovenproof braising pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbs oil if needed and sear ribs briefly on all sides to reinforce crust, 1–2 minutes per side. Add the warm braising liquid to the pan to come about halfway up the ribs. Cover tightly with a lid or foil and transfer to the oven set to 300°F (149°C). Braise until meat is very tender and pulls away from the bone, about 3 to 3.5 hours. Check once at halfway and baste with braising liquid.

Rest and reduce sauce

Carefully remove ribs to a tray and tent with foil to rest. Strain braising liquid into a saucepan, skim fat, and simmer to reduce to a glossy sauce about 10–15 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt if necessary. Stir in 2 tbs unsalted butter off heat to finish the sauce for shine and richness.

Rehydrate chiles

Bring 0.5 cup water to a simmer in a small saucepan. Add stemmed and seeded guajillo chiles and simmer gently for 8–10 minutes until softened. Remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes.

Blend sauce

Transfer softened chiles (reserve soaking liquid), tomato paste, smoked red pepper powder, garlic clove, apple cider vinegar, honey, soy sauce, olive oil, and 2–3 tbs of the chile soaking liquid to a blender. Purée until smooth. If too thick, add more soaking liquid to reach a spoonable but slightly thick sauce consistency.

Cook and season

Pour puréed sauce into a small saucepan and simmer over medium-low for 6–8 minutes, stirring, to meld flavors and remove raw edge. Taste and add 0.5 tsp salt or more to taste. Keep warm until plating.

Quick-pickle turnips

In a heatproof jar or bowl, combine rice vinegar, 0.75 cup water, sugar, and 1 tsp kosher salt. Stir to dissolve. Add julienned turnips, press them into the brine, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (can be done several hours ahead). These are quick-pickles—store up to 3 days.

Char the radish

Half the radishes lengthwise. Heat a cast-iron skillet or grill pan over high heat until smoking. Brush radish cut sides lightly with neutral oil. Place cut-side down and cook without moving until deeply charred, about 2–3 minutes. Flip and char the other side briefly (30–45 seconds). Remove and toss with 1 tsp lemon juice and a pinch of salt.

Warm and glaze ribs

If ribs have cooled, rewarm them briefly in a 300°F (149°C) oven covered for 10–15 minutes. Spoon a few tablespoons of the reduced braising sauce over each rib to glaze. Brush a small amount of the smoked chili sauce over the top for a sweet-smoky-spicy accent, adjusting quantity to taste.

Plate components

Place one short rib per plate. Arrange a small mound of pickled turnips to the side and two charred radish halves alongside. Spoon additional smoked chili sauce in a small pool or streak on the plate and drizzle any remaining braising jus around the rib.

Garnish

Finish with a sprinkle of flake finishing salt, a few microgreens or chopped chives, and a small pat (½ tbs) of butter on the hot rib to melt for extra gloss. Serve immediately.