Fall-Off-The-Bone Short Ribs with Cashew “Couscous”

Fall-Off-The-Bone Short Ribs with Cashew “Couscous”

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Serves 6
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Prep Time

20 minutes
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Cook Time

2 hours and 15 minutes to 2 hours and 45 minutes

The name of this recipe says it all: tender, slow-cooked ribs cooked with warm spices like cardamom and cloves are nestled alongside a nutty millet­-based take on couscous. For such an impressive dish this is surprisingly easy!

I love serving it for special occasions when I have a crowd to feed. Always opt for pasture­-raised ribs to make sure you’re eating clean, nutrient­ dense meat.

Ingredients

Short Ribs

  • 2 dried bay leaves 4 whole cloves
  • 6 cardamom pods
  • 1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
  • 4 pounds bone‑in pasture‑raised short ribs
  • 1¼ teaspoons sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
  • 1 whole head of garlic, minced
  • 1 (3‑inch) piece fresh ginger, micro‑grated
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2½ cups low‑sodium vegetable stock
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/8  teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 tomato, diced

Cashew “Couscous”

  • ½ cup raw cashews
  • 1 teaspoons avocado oil
  • 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
  • 1 small fennel bulb, finely diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup millet
  • 2 cups low‑sodium vegetable stock or filtered water
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ cup loosely packed fresh flat‑leaf parsley, whole leaves

Preparation

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
  2. Make a spice sachet by combining the bay leaves, whole cloves, cardamom pods, and coriander seeds and placing them into a tea bag or a coffee filter. Tie the bag with kitchen twine and set aside.
  3. Dry the short ribs using a paper towel and sprinkle each side with 1 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper. In a large Dutch oven or any oven­ safe heavy­ bottomed pot, warm the avocado oil over medium­ high heat. Once the oil is hot, place the short ribs in the pot and brown on all sides, about 45 seconds per side. Do not overcrowd the meat; sear ribs in batches.
  4. Once all the ribs are nicely seared and have a good crust to them, set aside on a plate. Drain most of the oil, leaving about 2 teaspoons in the pot. Add the onion and cook over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes.
  5. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds. Add the apple cider vinegar and  cook  for  another 30 seconds until fragrant and reduced. Then add the wine and deglaze the pan using a spatula or wooden spoon, scraping the bottom well. Add the spice sachet, bring to a boil, and cook for 5 minutes until the liquid is reduced by half. Stir in the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, tomato paste, vegetable stock, paprika, ground cumin, and diced tomato.
  6. Transfer the ribs and any excess liquid back to the pot, cover, and transfer to the oven. Cook until the meat is fork­ tender and falling off the bone, approximately 2 to 2½ hours, making sure to flip the meat after 1 hour. Once the meat is soft and falling off the bone, remove from the oven and allow to rest for 20 minutes with the lid on before serving.
  7. After cooking the ribs for 1½ hours, prepare the cous­cous: Dry roast the cashews on a baking sheet in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.
  8. Add the avocado oil for the couscous to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and fennel, cook for 5 minutes until translu­cent, then add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the millet and stir for 1 minute, then add the vegetable stock or filtered water, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil over medium­ high heat. Cover, reduce the heat  to as low as possible, and simmer for 20 minutes until the liquid is absorbed. When ready, remove from the heat and set aside, covered.
  9. Roughly chop the roasted cashews and sprinkle on top of the millet with the parsley. Serve the couscous warm alongside the ribs.

Nutritional Analysis Per Serving: Calories: 587, Fat: 31 g, Saturated Fat: 11 g, Cholesterol: 80 mg, Fiber: 7 g, Protein: 27 g, Carbohydrates: 42 g, Sodium: 817 mg