Beef short rib birria tacos

Serves 8

Preparation time: 20 minutes   
Cooking time:
4 hours

Ingredients
2kg beef short ribs
1 packet of 8 tortilla
8 tbsps sour cream
Salt
Pepper
Oil

Ingredients for the sauce
500g soffritto (diced celery, carrots and onion)
4 garlic cloves finely chopped
4 tbsps tomato puree
1 tbsp vinegar
70ml tomato sauce
130g brown sugar
1 tbsp adobe sauce
4 chipotle chillies
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tbsp dried oregano
450ml full fat coke

Ingredients for the pico de gallo
2 tbsps olive oilJuice of 1 lime
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 green jalapeno chilli, very finely chopped
8 medium red vine tomatoes, chopped
5g parsley, chopped very small
½ tsp sugar

Method
Preheat the oven to 180c.

Season the ribs with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large heavy based pan over a high heat and cook in batches, searing each side of the until dark golden.  Put them to one side and repeat until all of the ribs are browned, adding oil as you need.

If needed, add another tbsp of oil and turn the heat down to medium and add the soffritto and garlic and cook for 5-7 minutes until soft and transluscent.  Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and bring to a boil. 

If your ribs will fit into the pan, add them, otherwise put both the ribs and sauce into an oven proof dish.  Your ribs need to be covered in liquid so if there is not enough liquid to fully immerse them, add some additional coke and stir through properly.  Either put on the lid or tightly fitting foil and put into the oven for at least 3 hours but maybe 4.  You need to cook them until they are soft enough for the bone to slide out.  Turn off your oven.

Once the meat is cooked, pour the sauce into a saucepan, disregard the cinnamon and cook over a highish heat to reduce, stirring to stop it sticking.  If it starts to spit too much,  put a lid over ¾ of the pan, enough to stop the sauce spitting on you and burning you but off enough to stop the steam putting the liquid back in.  This sauce should be thick enough to coat the meat nicely.

While the sauce reduces, start on your pico de gallo.  Put the lime and olive oil into a dish and whisk together with some seasoning.  Add the onions and jalapeño, stir and leave for 10 minutes.

Warm your tortilla wraps through by putting them into the hot oven (which is still off).

While your sauce is reducing and your onions marinating, slice your beef ribs into thickish slices.

Finish off your pico de gallo by adding the rest of the ingredients, stirring and checking the seasoning.

Pour your thickened sauce over your meat.

Take your warmed tortilla, put a tbsp of sour cream over the bottom, a few slices of meat and a tbsp of the pico de gallo.