Ingredients

Check off ingredients as you go

• 1.5kg (3.3 lbs) beef short ribs (boneless) or 2kg (4.4 lbs) with bones

For the marinade

• 2 level tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon water (no oil as the meat will release fat)
• 2 level tablespoons mustard (I use 1 tablespoon whole grain and 1 tablespoon regular)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 level tablespoons ketchup (or barbecue sauce)
• 1 level tablespoon rosemary
• 1 level tablespoon sweet paprika
• 1 level tablespoon garlic powder
• Salt, pepper

If you change the number of serving, consider adjusting cooking times!

1. Mix all marinade ingredients in a bowl. Place the short rib pieces in a baking dish and thoroughly coat all the meat with the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate for 1 hour (or at least 30 minutes if you’re in a hurry).

2. Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F). Remove the meat from the refrigerator, cover with parchment paper then aluminum foil to seal the dish hermetically. Bake for 3½ to 4 hours, turning occasionally.

Serve with braised vegetables (onions, sweet potatoes, carrots, potatoes for example) that you’ll have arranged around the meat - I usually add them after about an hour.

Here’s a version with potatoes, sweet potatoes, and heirloom carrots.

Variations

• You can use whatever spices you like, replace the honey with date honey.

Assado prepared this way can also be shredded to fill Chinese steamed buns, the famous gua bao.

To make the gua baos

For a barbecue-style assado version American ribs-style, it’s this way