Here’s a riff on the many versions of braised beef dishes found around the world. Wine, onion, garlic, Ancho chiles, coffee, and Mexican chile powder combine to create a rich, slightly spicy version of more traditional braised beef dishes like Pot Roast, Beef Bourguignon, Italian Ragu, or Flemish Carbonnade. Making a batch of Mexican Chile Powder and the Coffee-Chile Dry Rub ahead is well worth the effort. Both are exceptional spice mixes to add to your spice cabinet.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ½ -2 pounds boneless beef short ribs cut into 1 ½ inch pieces

• 6-8 ounces bacon ¼ inch chop

• 1 large or 2 medium onions chopped

• 2 cloves of garlic minced

• 1-2 large dried Ancho chiles (1= less spicy)

• 2 tablespoons coffee-chile dry rub (See Note)

• 4 ounces Cremini mushrooms sliced

• 1-2 Bay leaves

• 1 cup dry red wine

• 1 cup beef stock or chicken stock with a teaspoon of beef bullion

• ½ cup crushed tomatoes

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

• salt and pepper

Note: Coffee-Chile Dry Rub

• 2 tablespoons Mexican Chile Powder (highly recommended) or chile powder of your choice)

• 2 tablespoons finely ground coffee beans

• 5 teaspoons dark brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon hot smoked Spanish paprika

• 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano

• 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1 tablespoon kosher salt

Mix the ingredients in a small bowl. Store in a tightly closed glass jar in a cool dark place.

PREPARATION
Preheat the oven to 300F.

1. Soak the dried Ancho in the hot beef stock.

2. In a dutch oven over medium heat, fry the chopped bacon until crisp. Using a slotted spoon remove the bacon bits and set aside. Pour off all but a tablespoon of bacon fat.

3. While the bacon is cooking, coat the beef pieces with the coffee-chile dry rub. Brown the beef in batches until browned and crusty on both sides. Set aside in a covered dish.

4. Add the mushrooms to the pot and sauté for a minute or two. If the pot is too dry, add another tablespoon of reserved bacon fat.

5. Add the garlic and chopped onion to the pot and sauté until fragrant and translucent.

6. Add the tomato paste and stir around with the onions and garlic in the pot for a minute or two.

7. Add the cup of dry red wine and deglaze the pan; allow to reduce by ½.

8. While the wine is reducing, remove the Ancho from the beef stock and cut crosswise into 1-inch strips. Remove the seeds and using a mini-food processor, buzz the chile strips with a ¼ cup of stock until creamy.

9. Once the wine has reduced, add the beef and stir to coat. Add the bay leaves, crushed tomatoes, reserved stock, and chile mixture and stir. Cover and place the Dutch oven in the middle of the preheated oven for 2 ½ hours until the beef is very tender. Be careful when you open the Dutch oven, it will be very hot!

10. Optional: if you want the sauce to have a thicker consistency, mix two tablespoons of reserved bacon fat, melted butter, or olive oil with 2 teaspoons of flour until smooth. Add a small amount at a time to the simmering sauce while whisking until the sauce has thickened to your taste.

Serve with egg noodles, raspberry-glazed carrots, and peas, or yellow rice and black beans or your veggie of choice.

Wine choice: this rich, slightly spicy dish calls for a full-bodied red wine with some fruit to compliment the spice. Zinfandel is a good choice as is Malbec; Merlot, Carmenere, Shiraz, Tempranillo, and full-bodied Garnacha would also work.