Ingredients
3 lb (1.5 kg) boneless Beef Simmering Short Ribs (thick cut, about 6)
Salt and fresh ground pepper
2 tbsp (30 mL) canola or sunflower oil
1 red onion, diced (about 8 oz/250 g)
1 can (28 oz/796 mL) diced tomatoes (with juice)
2½ cups (625 mL) reduced-sodium beef broth
3 slightly unripe alphonso mangoes (see Tip*), diced
3 tomatoes, diced
3 cups (750 mL) fresh baby spinach
Fish sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Trim fat from beef and cut into ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes. Pat dry with paper towel. Season all over with salt and pepper to your taste.
- Heat oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or large, heavy pot; brown beef, in batches, turning with tongs for about 10 minutes, until browned all over. Transfer beef to a bowl with a slotted spoon; set aside.
- Drain off all but 2 tbsp (30 mL) fat from the pan; discard excess. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and cook, stirring, for about 4 minutes until softened. Add canned tomatoes (with juice) and beef broth; bring to boil, stirring and scraping up brown bits from pot. Return beef and any accumulated juices to pot.
- Cover and cook in preheated to 325°F oven for about 1½ hours or until meat is fork-tender. Remove from oven; stir in diced mangoes, fresh tomatoes and spinach. Cover and set aside just until spinach is wilted.
- Ladle soup into bowls and serve with fish sauce to pass at the table, if desired.
Notes
Tip* Alphonso mangos are a bright yellow mango variety with smooth, dense flesh originating in India; when ripe, they are very sweet and richly flavoured. For this recipe, slightly unripe mangos (with green-yellow skin) add a pleasant sour-tart flavour to the soup.
Tip** If serving as a main course, use larger pieces of beef, about 2 inches (5 cm) each and increase the baking time to about 2 hours. This recipe makes 6 main-course servings.