Chef notes

It's a great fall dish that is hearty and satisfying that I love to cook for my family. I learned to braise short ribs from one of the first chefs I worked for, and they're always a great go-to for a warming fall meal.

Technique tip: Toast the quinoa before adding it to the water, this will give it a nuttier flavor.

Swap option: You can use beef chuck, brisket or oxtail instead of short ribs. Swap vegetable stock for beef or chicken stock. Also, you can add red wine or stout instead of Guinness.

Ingredients

Short ribs

3-5 pounds short ribs, preferably bone-in
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Canola oil
1 large carrot, roughly chopped
3 ribs celery, roughly chopped
2 white onions, roughly chopped
1 whole head garlic, sliced in half

3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 bottles Guinness or stout beer
2 quarts beef or chicken stock
4-6 strips orange peel
6 cloves star anise
2 sticks cinnamon
2 tablespoons fennel seed

Almond quinoa

1 shallot, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups quinoa
4 cups water

1 bunch red grapes, sliced in half
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1 bunch parsley, chopped

Red cabbage and apple slaw

1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon, allspice or star anise
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
1 cup water

2 cups white vinegar
2 green apples, diced
1 head red cabbage, very thinly sliced

Preparation

For the short ribs:

Preheat oven to 300°F.

Season short ribs aggressively with salt and pepper.

Heat a pan with a light coating of canola oil over high heat and sear the short ribs until well browned on all sides. Take short ribs out of pan and reserve. Add the carrots, onions and garlic, and cook until slightly softened. Add tomato paste and cook for about 2 minutes. Pour in the Guinness, beef stock and soy sauce. Add the orange peels and spices and short ribs back to the liquid. Place short ribs and braising liquid in a Dutch oven and cook for 4-6 hours.

For the almond quinoa:

Heat a pot with a few teaspoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook until translucent. Add quinoa and reduce heat to medium heat and toast for 1 minute. Add the water, bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to a simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and let steam for 5 more minutes.

Transfer the quinoa to a bowl and fluff with a fork. Stir in the grapes, almonds, parsley and olive oil.

For the red cabbage and apple slaw:

Combine the sugar, cinnamon, mustard, water and vinegar in a pot and bring to a boil. Pour hot liquid over vegetables, submerge and refrigerate until ready to serve.

To serve:

Plate the short ribs with the almond quinoa and serve with a side of the red cabbage and apple slaw.