Seared Boneless Short Ribs with Salsa Criolla

INGREDIENTS

1½ pounds boneless short ribs, halved crosswise

1 poblano chile

½ large red bell pepper, finely chopped

½ small sweet onion, finely chopped

1 scallion, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, 1 finely grated, 1 whole

¼ cup Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

½ teaspoon dried oregano

Kosher salt

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil; plus more for bread

2 oil-packed anchovies (optional)

1 plum tomato, grated on the large holes of a box grater

½ teaspoon hot smoked Spanish paprika

⅛ teaspoon ground cumin

Freshly ground black pepper

½ baguette, halved lengthwise

Let meat sit at room temperature 1 hour before cooking.

Meanwhile, heat broiler. Broil chile on a rimmed baking sheet, turning occasionally, until blistered all over and blackened in spots, 5–7 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit 10 minutes.

Peel skin from chile and scrape out seeds; discard both. Coarsely chop chile flesh and place in a small bowl. Add bell pepper, onion, scallion, grated garlic, vinegar, sugar, and oregano and toss to combine; season chile mixture with salt. Let sit, tossing occasionally, until vegetables have softened slightly and flavors are melded, 10–15 minutes.

Heat ¼ cup oil in a small skillet over medium. If using, cook anchovies, smashing with a wooden spoon, until dissolved, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in tomato, paprika, and cumin. Stir into chile mixture. Taste salsa and season with more salt if needed. Let salsa sit at room temperature while you cook the short ribs.

Coat short ribs with 2 Tbsp. oil; season liberally with salt and black pepper. Heat a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over high. Cook ribs, turning every 3 minutes, until deep brown on all sides and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of meat registers 125° for medium-rare. Transfer ribs to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes before slicing against the grain.

While the short ribs are resting, turn on broiler again and drizzle cut sides of baguette with oil; broil until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and rub each half a few times with remaining garlic clove; season with salt. Cut each piece of bread in half.

Top sliced ribs with salsa and serve with toasted bread.