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Slow braised short rib tacos on charred corn tortillas topped with onion, cilantro, and cotija on a wooden board

Slow-Braised Short Rib Tacos: Melt-in-Your-Mouth Filling

Bone-in short ribs braise for 3 hours in a smoky, citrusy broth until shreddable, then get piled into warm corn tortillas.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 560
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Braise
  • 1.4 kg Bone-in beef short ribs (3 lbs)
  • 1.5 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1 tsp Black pepper
  • 2 tbsp Neutral oil for searing
  • 1 Yellow onion large; chopped
  • 6 cloves Garlic minced
  • 2 tbsp Tomato paste
  • 2 Chipotle peppers in adobo peppers; minced, plus 1 tbsp sauce
  • 1 tbsp Ground cumin
  • 1 tsp Smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp Dried oregano
  • 2 Bay leaves
  • 120 ml Orange juice (1/2 cup); fresh-squeezed preferred
  • 2 tbsp Lime juice
  • 480 ml Beef broth (2 cups)
For Serving
  • 12 Corn tortillas warmed
  • 1/2 cup White onion diced
  • 1/4 cup Cilantro chopped
  • 1/3 cup Cotija cheese crumbled, optional
  • 1 Lime wedges lime, cut into wedges

Method
 

Sear and Build the Braise
  1. Pat short ribs dry with paper towels and season all over with the salt and pepper.
  2. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear ribs 3 to 4 minutes per side until deeply browned, then remove and set aside.
  3. Add onion to the pot and cook 4 minutes until soft. Add garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
  4. Stir in tomato paste, chipotle, cumin, smoked paprika, and oregano. Cook 1 minute, stirring, until the paste darkens slightly.
  5. Pour in orange juice, lime juice, and broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Add bay leaves and return the ribs to the pot, liquid should come about two-thirds up the sides of the meat.
Braise Low and Slow
  1. Bring the liquid to a simmer on the stovetop, then cover and transfer the pot to an oven preheated to 150 C / 300 F.
  2. Braise for 3 hours, until the meat pulls apart easily with a fork and reaches an internal temperature of about 93 C / 200 F.
  3. Remove the ribs and let rest 10 minutes, then shred the meat off the bones, discarding bones and large fat chunks.
  4. Skim excess fat from the braising liquid, then simmer uncovered 8 to 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Return shredded meat to the pot and toss to coat.
Assemble the Tacos
  1. Warm tortillas in a dry skillet over medium heat, 20 to 30 seconds per side, until pliable and lightly charred at the edges.
  2. Fill each tortilla with shredded short rib, then top with diced onion, cilantro, and cotija.
  3. Finish with a squeeze of lime and serve immediately while the tortillas are still warm.

Notes

  • Sear ribs in batches to avoid crowding and steaming instead of browning.
  • Pull the meat once it shreds with light fork pressure, not before.
  • Skim fat from braising liquid before reducing for a cleaner sauce.
  • Warm tortillas just before serving so they stay pliable under the filling.