Sopes are thick tostada that is only fried to cook the outsides while keeping the inside soft and delicious. Estate chef’s Chili-Braised Beef Shortrib Sope with radish, goat cheese, cilantro, and Chili Oil makes a fantastic appetizer and pairs wonderfully with our Proprietary Red Wine!

Ingredients:
For the short ribs
2 lbs beef short ribs
2 each carrots
2 ribs celery
1 each yellow onion
3 cups red wine
4 cups beef stock
4 each dried chili peppers
4 Tbsp Canola oil
salt and pepper, as needed

For the sope dough
3 cups masa flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 cups warm water
2 cups Canola oil

1 cup fresh goat cheese
5 each radishes, thinly sliced
1/4 cup Round Pond Estate Chili Infused Olive Oil
1/2 cup fresh salsa
1/4 bunch cilantro

Season the short ribs with salt and pepper and then sear them in a hot pan with the canola oil, making sure all sides are seared. Remove them from the pan and set them in a roasting pan. Add the carrots, celery, and onion to the pan that you seared in. Cook the vegetables until they start to get some color on them, then add the chilis and red wine, cooking until the wine is reduced by half. Then add the beef stock and bring to a quick boil, then pour the broth mixture over the short ribs, cover the roasting pan with a lid or aluminum foil, and place in a 250F oven for about 4 hours or until the meat is fork tender. Remove the short ribs from the roasting pan and let cool. Strain the liquid left in the pan, removing all chunks and then place the short ribs back into the liquid and cool completely. Once cool, dice the short ribs into 1-inch chunks and keep in the braising liquid. Set aside.

To make the sope dough, combine all ingredients in a bowl and form into a ball using your hands. Let the dough rest for about 10 minutes and then form into balls about half the size of a golf ball. Press your thumb into each ball, making an indentation. Fill a saute pan with about a 1 1/2″ of oil and turn on medium heat. Pan-fry the sopes on each side until the edges start to turn golden brown. Remove from the oil and place on a tray lined with paper towels.

To assemble, warm up the short ribs in the braising liquid. In the well of each sope, place a little piece of goat cheese, then top with a chunk of short rib. Put about a 1/4 tsp of salsa on top of the short rib, a slice of radish, a few drops of Chili Infused Olive Oil, and finally a leaf of cilantro to top it off.

Enjoy!

Makes 50 bite size portions