Tunisian Braised Short Ribs

Dried figs and a Mediterranean spice blend give these short ribs a North African twist. Serve them over a fluffy herbed couscous pile. Or customize your own braised short rib recipe with the Recipe Maker.

• 4-1/2 to 5 lb. English-style beef short ribs (8 to 12 ribs)
• 3 Tbs. vegetable oil
• Kosher salt
• Ground black pepper
• 1 cup medium-diced carrots
• 1 cup medium-diced onions
• 1 cup coarsely chopped dried figs
• 1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh ginger
• 1 Tbs. finely chopped garlic
• 2 to 3 whole star anise
• 2 whole cinnamon sticks
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup lower-salt chicken broth
• 1/4 cup lower-sodium soy sauce
• 1 to 2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
• 1 to 2 Tbs. thinly sliced fresh mint

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 325°F. In an 8-quart Dutch oven, heat 2 Tbs. of the oil over medium heat. Season the ribs with 2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper. Add half of the ribs to the pot (or as many as will fit without overlap), and cook, turning with tongs, until nicely browned on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the ribs to a platter and repeat with the remaining ribs. Pour off all but a thin layer of fat from the pan.


Add the remaining 1 Tbs. oil, carrots and onions to the pan. Season with 1/2 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan, until the aromatics are soft and lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Addthe chopped dried figs, ginger, garlic, star anise, and cinnamon sticks, and cook, stirring, until well distributed and fragrant, about 1 minute.


Pour 1/2 cup of the red wine into the pot and cook, stirring to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot, until the liquid is reduced to about 2 Tbs., about 1 minute.


Transfer all the ribs (and any juices that have accumulated) back into the pot. Pour the tomatoes, chicken broth, soy sauce, remaining 1/2 cup of red wine, and 1 cup water over the ribs and using tongs, arrange the ribs as evenly as possible and no more than two layers deep.


Bring the liquid to a simmer, cover, and put the pot in the oven. Cook, turning the ribs with tongs about every 40 minutes, until they are fork tender, about 2-3/4 hours. (The meat may fall off most of the bones about midway through cooking; this does not mean that the ribs are fully tender.)


Season to taste with salt and pepper.


Serve the ribs with the sauce spooned over, sprinkled with chopped parsley and chopped mint.

Tunisian Braised Short Ribs

Dried figs and a Mediterranean spice blend give these short ribs a North African twist. Serve them over a fluffy herbed couscous pile. Or customize your own braised short rib recipe with the Recipe Maker.

• 4-1/2 to 5 lb. English-style beef short ribs (8 to 12 ribs)
• 3 Tbs. vegetable oil
• Kosher salt
• Ground black pepper
• 1 cup medium-diced carrots
• 1 cup medium-diced onions
• 1 cup coarsely chopped dried figs
• 1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh ginger
• 1 Tbs. finely chopped garlic
• 2 to 3 whole star anise
• 2 whole cinnamon sticks
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup lower-salt chicken broth
• 1/4 cup lower-sodium soy sauce
• 1 to 2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
• 1 to 2 Tbs. thinly sliced fresh mint

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 325°F. In an 8-quart Dutch oven, heat 2 Tbs. of the oil over medium heat. Season the ribs with 2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper. Add half of the ribs to the pot (or as many as will fit without overlap), and cook, turning with tongs, until nicely browned on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the ribs to a platter and repeat with the remaining ribs. Pour off all but a thin layer of fat from the pan.


Add the remaining 1 Tbs. oil, carrots and onions to the pan. Season with 1/2 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan, until the aromatics are soft and lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Addthe chopped dried figs, ginger, garlic, star anise, and cinnamon sticks, and cook, stirring, until well distributed and fragrant, about 1 minute.


Pour 1/2 cup of the red wine into the pot and cook, stirring to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot, until the liquid is reduced to about 2 Tbs., about 1 minute.


Transfer all the ribs (and any juices that have accumulated) back into the pot. Pour the tomatoes, chicken broth, soy sauce, remaining 1/2 cup of red wine, and 1 cup water over the ribs and using tongs, arrange the ribs as evenly as possible and no more than two layers deep.


Bring the liquid to a simmer, cover, and put the pot in the oven. Cook, turning the ribs with tongs about every 40 minutes, until they are fork tender, about 2-3/4 hours. (The meat may fall off most of the bones about midway through cooking; this does not mean that the ribs are fully tender.)


Season to taste with salt and pepper.


Serve the ribs with the sauce spooned over, sprinkled with chopped parsley and chopped mint.

Lamb Stew with Parsnips, Prunes, and Chickpeas

North African in spirit, this hearty sweet and savory stew is perfect for the season. Serve it with couscous or good crusty bread.

For the Lamb

• 3 lb. boneless leg of lamb, cut into 1-inch cubes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 medium carrots, cut into 3-inch pieces
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and stuck with 1 whole clove
• 1 three-inch cinnamon stick
• 1 bay leaf

For the stew

• 2 Tbs. unsalted butter or olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, cut into small dice
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 medium cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 Tbs. paprika
• 2 tsp. cumin seed, toasted and ground
• 2 tsp. coriander seed, toasted and ground
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne
• 2 cups cooked chickpeas, rinsed if canned
• 18 pitted prunes, halved
• 1/2 cup tomato purée
• 1 lb. medium parsnips, peeled, cored, and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley

Prepare the lamb

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F.

Season the lamb with 2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. In a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven, combine the lamb, carrots, onion, cinnamon, bay leaf, and enough water to cover. Cover and braise in the oven until the meat is very tender, about 2-1/2 hours. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve over a large bowl. Discard the vegetables and spices. (The recipe may be prepared to this point up to 2 days ahead. Cool the lamb and broth, and refrigerate separately. Skim the fat from the broth before continuing.)

Make the stew

In a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven, heat the butter or oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, cumin, coriander, and cayenne and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant (don’t let the garlic burn), 1 to 2 minutes.

Stir in the chickpeas, prunes, tomato purée, and a pinch of salt. Add the reserved lamb and 4 cups of the broth and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes and then turn the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the parsnips and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve sprinkled with cilantro or parsley.