Moroccan-Style Short Ribs with Dried Apricots & Couscous

For the Short Ribs

3-4 lbs bone-in beef short ribs

2 T olive oil

1 large onion, roughly chopped

4 cloves garlic, smashed

1 cup dried apricots

1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes

1 cup beef or chicken stock

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp coriander

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp cayenne

1/2 tsp ginger

1 tsp smoked paprika

Salt and pepper

Fresh cilantro and toasted almonds for serving

For the Couscous

1 1/2 cups couscous

1 1/2 cups boiling water or stock

1 T butter

1/2 tsp salt

Zest of 1 lemon

Preparation

Short ribs are forgiving but they need time. Don't rush this one.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Season the ribs aggressively with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over high heat and sear the ribs on all sides until deeply brown — real color, not pale. Remove and set aside.

Drop the heat to medium, add the onion and garlic to the same pot. Cook until soft and golden, scraping up all the good stuff from the bottom. Add all the spices and stir for a minute until fragrant.

Add tomatoes, stock, and apricots. Nestle the ribs back in. The liquid should come about halfway up the ribs — add more stock if needed. Bring to a simmer, cover tightly, and transfer to the oven.

Braise for 2.5 to 3 hours until the meat is falling off the bone and the sauce has thickened and gone deeply orange and sweet. Taste and adjust seasoning.

For the couscous: Pour boiling liquid over couscous with butter and salt. Cover tightly and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and stir in lemon zest.

Serve the ribs over couscous with plenty of the braising sauce spooned over everything. Scatter cilantro and toasted almonds on top.