Beef Short Ribs with Chipotle Smashed Sweet Potatoes

My friend made this last week and reported that it turned out delicious, so I had to give it a try! The original recipe below serves 4, so I increased the meat to 3lbs boneless short ribs (6 pieces) and about 5lbs of sweet potatoes to get a couple extra meals out of this, and a lot more sweet potato mash. This recipe does call for using a Dutch oven, but I guarantee you can also make the recipe as-is, but when it's time to put the ribs in the oven, just throw them in the crockpot on low for 8 hours. I cannot give a fair assessment on the Chipotle Smashed Sweet Potatoes since I did not use the chipotle in adobo sauce or add ghee. I don't enjoy real spicy food and I didn't feel like I would be able to find a paleo option at the store. I did include a link below if you are up for making your own Paleo Chipotle Adobo Sauce though. Instead, I just added 1 tsp of smoked paprika (you can also used chipotle powder if you have that, which I did not). I left out the ghee because the ribs have enough fat for the meal itself, and you know sometimes less is more. I thought my version of the sweet potato mash turned out smoky and delicious despite leaving out those two ingredients. The ribs also turned out amazing and it was super easy to make everything. If you want to spice up your meal prep or dinner one week, I recommend giving this one a try!

​Beef Short Ribs with Chipotle Smashed Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients:
Beef Short Ribs

• 2lbs (4 pieces) boneless short ribs*
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp cumin
• ½ tsp cocoa powder (I used Cacao Powder)
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 2 cups bone broth or beef stock

Chipotle Smashed Sweet Potatoes

• 2lbs Sweet Potato, cut in to 4 large pieces
• 3 Tbsp grass-fed butter or ghee (I did not add this)
• 3-4 Tbsp coconut milk or cream 
• 2 Tbsp chipotle in adobo sauce, chopped (I just used 1 tsp of smoked paprika, but you can make your own Paleo Chipotle Adobo Sauce if you want, or try and find one at the store with the best ingredients)
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp sea salt

Optional Toppings

• Julienned Jicama
• Jalapeno
• Cilantro
• Lime

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 and heat a large enamel or cast iron Dutch oven on the stove to medium-high heat and add the olive oil.
2. Mix together the chili powder, cumin, cocoa powder, paprika, oregano, black pepper and salt in a bowl. Sprinkle the rub on the short ribs and rub it on to the meat.
3. Place the short ribs in the hot oil and sear for 2-3 minutes a side and then remove from the pan and place on a plate.
4. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and sauté for about 2 minutes and then add the broth.
5. Place the short ribs back in the dutch oven and put a lid on it and let it slow cook in the oven for 2.5-3 hours or until meat is tender and falling apart.
6. Heat a large pot of water to medium-high heat and add the sweet potatoes and let boil for 25-30 minutes or until they are softened. Drain the potatoes in to a colander and let cool slightly. Remove the peel and then put the sweet potatoes in to a large bowl.
7. Add the butter/ghee, coconut milk, cilantro, chipotles, garlic and salt and mash the mixture with a hand or stand mixer and mix until creamy.
8. Add some smashed sweet potatoes to a small cast iron skillet or server (optional) and top with the short rib, jicama, cilantro, jalapeno and lime.

*Note: You can also use bone-in short ribs but you may need closer to 3 pounds since the bone adds weight. Original recipe posted that they ordered their meat from Butcher Box, I bought it from Wegman's. 

Original recipe found here