Quick-Seared Short Ribs With Charred Scallion Salsa

By Alison Roman

Published July 16, 2019

  • Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott for The New York Times. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(291)
Comments
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Typically used for long braises, short ribs are insanely flavorful and have excellent marbling, which means you can and should cook them as you would a more expensive cut: seared on all sides until medium-rare. To serve, thinly slice the meat and top it generously with a mixture of fresh and charred scallions and tomatillos. Set it out with warmed tortillas and hot sauce for a D.I.Y. taco experience, though it’s also great over a bed of peppery greens or crunchy romaine.

Featured in: Short Ribs for Summer, Doused With Salsa

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 1 ¼ to 1 ½ pounds boneless short ribs, at least 1-inch thick

  • Kosher salt and ground pepper

  • 1 large bunch scallions or spring onions (either red or green spring onions work)

  • 4 ounces tomatillos (6 to 8 tomatillos)

  • ¼ cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes), plus 1 lime, quartered

  • 2 tablespoons canola oil

  • 2 teaspoons cumin seed or ½ teaspoon ground cumin

  • ¼ cup olive oil

  • 1 cup cilantro, leaves and tender stems

  • Tortillas, for serving

  • Hot sauce, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

11 grams carbs; 114 milligrams cholesterol; 605 calories; 29 grams monosaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 51 grams fat; 2 grams trans fat; 3 grams fiber; 664 milligrams sodium; 29 grams protein; 3 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Season short ribs with salt and pepper.

  2. Step 2

    Thinly slice half the scallions and half the tomatillos and combine in a medium bowl along with lime juice. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. Leave the remaining scallions and tomatillos whole.

  3. Step 3

    Heat oil in a large skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat.

  4. Step 4

    Sear short ribs until deeply golden brown on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board or platter to rest.

  5. Step 5

    Without wiping out the skillet, add remaining whole scallions and tomatillos to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook, turning occasionally, until totally tender and lightly charred in spots, 4 to 6 minutes. Add cumin and toss to coat, lightly toasting the seeds. Remove from heat and, using tongs, transfer the vegetables to a cutting board.

  6. Step 6

    Coarsely chop the scallions and tomatillos and place in a small bowl; add olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

  7. Step 7

    Thinly slice short ribs crosswise and place on a large serving platter or plate. Spoon charred scallion sauce over the meat. Serve with remaining fresh scallion mixture, cilantro, tortillas, hot sauce and lime wedges for squeezing over the top.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
291 user ratings
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Comments

mike

It’s delicious but there’s a reason the short rib is typically braised and not just quickly seared. This would do very well with a rib eye or sirloin or other more tender cut. A quick sear leaves this short rib far too tough if you’re simply slicing it across the grain. You end up chewing these tacos substantially.

mjan

1-1/4 to 1-1/2 lbs of short ribs

SOMA home

Not a fan of this recipe. After making this recipe I’m convinced that short ribs need to be slow roasted. After following the recipe we debated just throwing it out. We were hungry and it was late so we ate it, and you know wasting food, bad, etc. The tomatillos cut this way and not marinated were cumbersome on the tongue and challenging to the throat. The charred tomatillo and onion was tasty, of course, but I don’t recommend this recipe in this form.

Jess

4 minutes each side isn't enough, probably about 5 each plus time to sear the smaller sides added jalapeno to salsa, good decision. used yellow onion instead of green onion (forgot to buy it), was still good would probably do a bit of both next time.

Sydney reader

Delicious. Being in Australia, I used green tomatoes instead of the tomatillos: worked great. That mix of charred veg with fresh is a delight. And on pile of greens, perfect for my persnickety diet as a prediabetic. Rapt to have something so good to add to the rotation. Also, short rib not chewy at all - it does not need slow cooking, as any japchae devotee can attest. Maybe those finding it chewy didn't slice it thinly enough?

Puppie96

I’m going to try sous vide-ing them carefully. I don’t want that fall apart texture that sometimes happens with sous vide, and I want to keep it rare to medium rare. I’ve grilled short ribs before and they are delicious, but tenderizing them is a problem. I’m trying a very short (for short ribs) sous vide, 24 hours, and I’m keeping the temp under 140 (maybe 135.). We’ll see.

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