Short ribs have been on my bucket list of New Things to Cook for quite a while. I was finally able to check it off the list earlier this Fall. This is the time of year when we break out the Instant Pot and cook up a storm on the weekends. Short ribs are a great candidate for either slow cooking or pressure cooking. Taken from the short portion of the rib bone and cut into rectangular blocks (flanken cuts), the fat and connective tissue around the meat and the bone of the short ribs melt during cooking, resulting in tender and juicy beef.

For this version of a steak sandwich (pepito torta is Spanish for steak sandwich), after the ribs are cooked and the bone is removed, the meat is shredded then piled high on a roll and made into a sandwich. The short rib meat is topped with caramelized onions, Chihuahua cheese, pickled jalapenos, and salsa. Steak sandwiches are always popular with our family, this one included!

Short Rib Sandwiches

Short Rib Sandwich (a mash-up of recipes adapted from rickbayless.com and instantpoteats.com) Total Time Required: 2+ hours, Prep Time: 30 minutes, Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes, Pressure Release Time: 15 minutes, Makes: 6 sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 4 pounds (1-1/4 inches thick) flanken cut short ribs
• salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 5 large white onions, peeled, 2 roughly chopped, 3 sliced 1/4′ thick
• 3 large garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 3 cups beef broth
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 6 sub rolls
• 1-1/2 cups shredded Chihuahua cheese
• sliced pickled jalapenos & salsa for serving

Directions:

Trim off any excess fat from the tops of the short ribs, then pat them dry and generously salt them on all sides. Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté, Normal mode, and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Working in batches, add the short ribs and brown on all sides, about 2 – 3 minutes per side.

Brown the short ribs . . .

. . . on all sides in batches.

Add a little extra oil in between batches. Hold the finished ribs on a rimmed baking sheet until all the batches are done. Pour off most of the fat from the bottom of the pan and reserve it for later.

Transfer the browned ribs to a baking sheet when done.

While still on Sauté, add the chopped onions the the Instant Pot. Cook for about 4 – 5 minutes, stirring a few times, until the onions are browned slightly. Add the garlic cloves, sauté for 1 minute, then stir the onions and garlic. Press cancel to turn off sauté mode.

Cook the chopped onions and garlic in the Instant Pot.

Add the beef broth, Worcestershire, and soy sauce to the pot. Stir well, scraping the bottom of the pot. Return the browned short ribs to the Instant Pot liner. Cover the ribs with the onions and liquid. Secure and lock the lid. Set to Pressure Cook for 50 minutes on HIGH with a 15-minute natural release. Then use the quick release to let off the remaining pressure.

Add the broth, Worcestershire, and soy sauce to the Instant Pot along with the ribs.

While the beef cooks, slice the remaining 3 onions into 1/4-inch slices. Using the reserved pan drippings from browning the short ribs, add 1-1/2 tablespoons to a 12-inch skillet set over medium heat. Once hot, add the onions and stir to coat.

Slow cook the sliced onions.

Cover the pan and cook for 15 minutes until the onions have softened. Remove the cover and stir occasionally for about 30 more minutes until the onions have caramelized. Cool and refrigerate the onions until ready to assemble the tortas. Preheat the oven to 375º F.

Cool the caramelized onions.

Once the Instant Pot is finished and the remaining pressure has been released, open the lid. Carefully remove the short ribs to a rimmed baking sheet.

Remove the cooked ribs from the Instant Pot.

When they have cooled down enough to handle, discard the bones and shred the meat, removing any excess fat. Strain the juices that are left in the bottom of the pot and skim off any fat. Place the shredded meat and 3/4 cup of the strained juices in a 10-inch skillet. Place the skillet over medium heat and stir until the meat is heated through, about 4 minutes. Taste and season with additional salt, usually about 3/4 teaspoon.

Discard the bones and any remaining fat and shred the meat.

Slice the rolls lengthwise and place them on a rimmed baking sheet. Add a layer of meat to the bottom of each of the sandwiches, top the meat with the caramelized onions and the shredded cheese.

Construct the sandwiches, adding the meat to the rolls . . .

. . . the caramelized onions on top . . .

. . . and finally, the cheese.

Replace the tops and place the sandwiches in the oven for 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the tortas are warmed through.

Toast the sandwiches in the oven.

Remove the tortas to a platter, lift the tops off and add the pickled jalapenos and a drizzle of the salsa, if desired.

Top the sandwiches with pickled jalapeno slices.

Replace the tops and serve immediately.

Serve the sandwiches with some salsa and additional caramelized onions.

These steak sandwiches are made with a Latino twist!  ~Linda

Short Rib Sandwich (a mash-up of recipes adapted from rickbayless.com and instantpoteats.com) Makes: 6 sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 4 pounds (1-1/4 inches thick) flanken cut short ribs
• salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 5 large white onions, peeled, 2 roughly chopped, 3 sliced 1/4′ thick
• 3 large garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 3 cups beef broth
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 6 sub rolls
• 1-1/2 cups shredded Chihuahua cheese
• sliced pickled jalapenos & salsa for serving

Directions:

Trim off any excess fat from the tops of the short ribs, then pat them dry and generously salt them on all sides. Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté, Normal mode, and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Working in batches, add the short ribs and brown on all sides, about 2 – 3 minutes per side. Add a little extra oil in between batches. Hold the finished ribs on a rimmed baking sheet until all the batches are done. Pour off most of the fat from the bottom of the pan and reserve it for later.

While still on Sauté, add the chopped onions the the Instant Pot. Cook for about 4 – 5 minutes, stirring a few times, until the onions are browned slightly. Add the garlic cloves, sauté for 1 minute, then stir the onions and garlic. Press cancel to turn off sauté mode.

Add the beef broth, Worcestershire, and soy sauce to the pot. Stir well, scraping the bottom of the pot. Return the browned short ribs to the Instant Pot liner. Cover the ribs with the onions and liquid.

Secure and lock the lid. Set to Pressure Cook for 50 minutes on HIGH with a 15-minute natural release. Then use the quick release to let off the remaining pressure.

While the beef cooks, slice the remaining 3 onions into 1/4-inch slices. Using the reserved pan drippings from browning the short ribs, add 1-1/2 tablespoons to a 12-inch skillet set over medium heat. Once hot, add the onions and stir to coat. Cover the pan and cook for 15 minutes until the onions have softened. Remove the cover and stir occasionally for about 30 more minutes until the onions have caramelized. Cool and refrigerate the onions until ready to assemble the tortas. Preheat the oven to 375º F.

Once the Instant Pot is finished and the remaining pressure has been released, open the lid. Carefully remove the short ribs to a rimmed baking sheet. When they have cooled down enough to handle, discard the bones and shred the meat, removing any excess fat. Strain the juices that are left in the bottom of the pot and skim off any fat. Place the shredded meat and 3/4 cup of the strained juices in a 10-inch skillet. Place the skillet over medium heat and stir until the meat is heated through, about 4 minutes. Taste and season with additional salt, usually about 3/4 teaspoon.

Slice the rolls lengthwise and place them on a rimmed baking sheet. Add a layer of meat to the bottom of each of the sandwiches, top the meat with the caramelized onions and the shredded cheese. Replace the tops and place the sandwiches in the oven for 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the tortas are warmed through. Remove the tortas to a platter, lift the tops off and add the pickled jalapenos and a drizzle of the salsa, if desired. Replace the tops and serve immediately.