Chili Braised Short Ribs

2 dried ancho chilies stemmed & seeded

2 dried guajillo chilies stemmed & seeded

2 cups of boiling water

1 tablespoon of olive oil

5 pounds of bone-in beef short ribs

1 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper

1 medium of onion chopped

3 cloves of garlic minced

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce seeded and minced

1/3 cup of golden raisins

1 8 ounce can of pineapple chunks in juice drained

1 cup of low sodium beef broth

1 teaspoon of dried oregano

1 teaspoon of ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

6 slices of bacon

1. Combine the ancho and guajillo chilies in a bowl. Pour the boiling water over the chilies and let stand 20 minutes until softened
2. Preheat the oven to 350F
3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Season the short ribs with the salt and pepper. Brown the ribs, in batches if necessary, turning occasionally, about 8 minutes. Transfer the ribs to a 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Return the skillet to the stove over medium heat and add the onion, garlic and chipotle pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, 2 minutes. Stir in the raisins and cook 1 minute longer. Transfer mixture to a blender and add the softened chilies and their liquid, pineapple chunks, broth, oregano, cumin and cinnamon; puree
4. Wipe out the skillet and return to the stove over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until lightly browned but not crisp, about 5-6 minutes. Transfer to a plate covered with paper towel; drain. Carefully pour the chile puree into the skillet, it will spatter, and bring to a simmer, cook, stirring occasionally until slightly thtickend, about 6-7 minutes. Coarsely chop the bacon and stir into the chile mixture. Pour over ribs in baking pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil
5. Bake ribs until very tender, about 3 1/4-3 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven, skim fat from sauce and serve over ribs