Serves: 4
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: About 3 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

Beef

– 3½ pounds bone-in beef short ribs
– 2 teaspoons kosher salt
– 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
– 2 tablespoons olive oil

Guava Braising Sauce

– 1 cup ripe guava purée
– 1½ cups beef broth
– ½ cup dry red wine
– ¼ cup soy sauce
– 2 tablespoons brown sugar
– 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
– 1 tablespoon tomato paste
– 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
– 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
– 4 cloves garlic, minced
– 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
– ½ teaspoon ground cumin
– 1 medium yellow onion, diced
– 2 carrots, peeled and diced
– 2 celery stalks, diced
– 2 bay leaves

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C).

2. Pat the short ribs completely dry with paper towels. Season all sides with the kosher salt and black pepper.

3. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

4. Working in batches if necessary, sear the short ribs for 3–4 minutes per side, until deeply browned. Transfer the ribs to a plate.

5. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion, carrots, and celery to the same pot. Cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. Add the garlic and ginger. Cook for 30 seconds.

7. Stir in the tomato paste and smoked paprika. Cook for 1 minute.

8. Add the red wine and scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

9. Add the guava purée, beef broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, cumin, and bay leaves. Stir well.

10. Return the short ribs to the pot. The liquid should come approximately halfway up the sides of the meat.

11. Cover the Dutch oven tightly with its lid and place it in the oven.

12. Braise for 2½–3 hours, turning the ribs once halfway through cooking. The beef should be extremely tender and nearly falling from the bone.

13. Remove the short ribs from the pot and loosely cover with foil.

14. Remove the bay leaves. Place the Dutch oven over medium heat and simmer the sauce uncovered for 10–15 minutes, or until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

15. Taste the sauce. Add an additional teaspoon or two of lime juice if you want more acidity.

16. Return the short ribs to the sauce and spoon the guava sauce over the meat.

17. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or creamy polenta.

Tip: Use fully ripe, fragrant guava for the purée. The natural sweetness of the guava balances the rich beef and creates a deeply flavored savory sauce.