In this recipe, Chef Cris takes a classic mole (Mexican chocolate) sauce and turns mundane beef ribs into a gourmet Mexican BBQ dish. My son Reese has seen Cris work miracles using simple and fresh ingredients to cater business lunches for the R Bank (owned by the Ryan family) or the Round Rock Express (the AAA minor-league affiliate of the Rangers owned by Ryan-Saunders Baseball).
SERVES 8
PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES
COOKING TIME: 1 HOUR 45 MINUTES
8 racks beef short ribs
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
4 bay leaves
8 cups (2 quarts) water
1 (16-ounce) jar mole sauce
1 Fill a large stockpot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and add the ribs, onion, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, and bay leaves. Cook until the ribs are fall-off-the-bone tender, about 90 minutes.
2 Preheat the oven to 350°F.
3 Transfer the ribs to a large roasting pan and cover with foil to keep warm.
4 Empty out the stockpot and add the water and mole sauce. Cook over high heat until blended to a smooth consistency. Remove from the heat and set aside.
5 Cover the ribs with the mole sauce, cover with foil, and bake for 15 minutes.
Nolan’s Serving Tip: Serve the ribs with Garlic Mashed Potatoes (here) for a nice balance of flavor and texture.
REESE: “Cris is such a talented chef—I can ask him to cater a lunch or dinner for a large group of bankers or baseball execs, and he will produce a world-class menu of dishes that reflect the unique approach to Tex-Mex cuisine on display in this cookbook.”