Grilled Kiwi & Chili-Rubbed Beef Short Ribs – Labor Day Cooking Shouldn’t Be a Lot of Work

Labor Day weekend is always a bittersweet holiday. It’s supposed to honor America’s organized labor movement, but really what it mostly celebrates is the end of summer. 

Pretty soon our grills will be covered by huge snow drifts, and the season’s warm breezes will be a distant memory. Well, not for me, as I live in California, but you get the point.

This grilled kiwi and chili-rubbed beef short ribs recipe is specifically designed with that melancholy in mind. The prep is minimal, and the ultra short cooking time means that instead of being stuck in front of a grill, you can actually enjoy more of these last precious summer days.

We tied the world record here for fewest ingredients in a marinade, with one, but thanks to the kiwi’s enzymatic magic, that’s all we need. Unlike some tropical fruit marinades, kiwi doesn’t turn the meat into mush, and provides a nice, slightly sweet and acidic base for our Ancho chili rub. I loved how this came out, and while highly-seasoned, the beefy goodness of the short ribs really came through.

I want to wish all of you a happy and healthy Labor Day weekend. What better way to celebrate organized labor, than by doing the minimum amount of it at your cookout? I hope you give these super simple, but very delicious kiwi and chili-rubbed short ribs a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

2 pounds Korean-style (aka flanken style) beef short ribs

1 kiwi

For the chili rub:

1 tbsp ancho chili powder

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp kosher salt

2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp cayenne, or to taste

Next Up: Kiwi Rubbed Beef Short Ribs

I'm back in San Francisco, and will be posting a new video recipe tomorrow featuring a rather successful experiment involving Korean-style, beef short ribs. Also, my sincerest thanks to all those who sent their thoughts regarding my uncle Bill this week. They were very much appreciated. Stay tuned!

Pardon the Interuption

I'm back east for my uncle Billy's funeral, and will be away from the blog for a day or two. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who passed along their condolences, and to let you know how much I was touched by the response. Thanks again, and stay tuned!

The Old Empty Mayo Jar Dressing Trick – Scrap the Scrape!

They say when life gives you lemons, make lemonade; but what about when life gives you empty mayonnaise jars? Mayonade? No, of course not. We’re going to make salad dressing instead, and “scrape the scrape.”

I’ll often add a tablespoon or two of mayonnaise when I make a vinaigrette, to help emulsify things, as well as provide a little extra creaminess to the dressing. With that in mind, when I get down to the end of a jar, I don’t scrape, I shake.

I’m posting the ingredients I used below just in case you’re curious, but this post isn’t really about a recipe, but simply a tip for using up the last of that mayo without all that annoying butterknifing. Now, I just need to work on a recipe for using up the last of the dressing clinging to the inside of the jar. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 1 1/2 cups of dressing:

1 empty mayo jar, with at least 1 tbsp of mayo inside

1 clove minced garlic

1 tbsp chopped fresh herbs (I used parsley, thyme, and chives)

1/2 cup wine vinegar

1 cup olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

cayenne to taste

pinch of Herbes de Provence

View the complete recipe