Although we call them pancakes, these savory cornmeal medallions are nothing like their sweet breakfast counterparts. The hearty spiced short rib topping puts maple syrup to shame.
Ingredients
For Short Ribs
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1½ pounds (about 4) beef short ribs
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
- 1 (14.9-ounce) can beer, preferably a stout such as Guinness
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- For Pancakes
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornmeal
- ½ tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 0.125 cup whole milk
- 1 cup fresh corn kernels (from about 2 ears)
- Olive oil, for cooking
- 1 Granny Smith apple, diced
How to Make It
- Preheat oven to 300°F. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy bottomed, ovenproof saucepan over medium-high heat. Add ribs and sear for 5 to 7 minutes, turning every 45 seconds or so, until evenly browned on all sides. Transfer to a plate.
- Reduce heat to medium and add onions and jalapeños to saucepan; cook for about 5 minutes, or until softened. Add beer and broth and cook for 1 minute, scraping any brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Stir in brown sugar, tomato paste, honey, cinnamon, cumin, salt, and pepper. Return ribs to pan and bring mixture to a simmer; cover, place pan in the oven, and bake for 2½ hours, turning ribs once halfway through cooking time, until meat is tender and shrinking off the bone.
- Transfer ribs to a plate until cool enough to handle, then shred meat, discarding bones. Transfer liquid from the pan to a wide, shallow bowl. Place bowl in an ice bath or the refrigerator until completely cool and fat solidifies on top (this can be done up to 1 day ahead of time). Skim off and discard as much fat as possible.
- Return liquid to saucepan; simmer over medium heat until thickened and reduced by about one-third, 15 to 18 minutes. Add shredded meat and stir until evenly coated with sauce and heated through.
- To prepare pancakes, preheat oven to 200°F; place a baking sheet in oven. Whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in egg and milk until dry ingredients are evenly moistened. Fold in corn kernels.
- Heat a splash of olive oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Drop batter by the tablespoonful into skillet, spreading it into 3-inch rounds. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Transfer to oven to keep warm and repeat with remaining batter. To serve, top each pancake with a spoonful of short rib mixture and a bit of apple.
