Photograph by Joshua Kissi, food styling by Roscoe Betsill, prop styling by Amy Wilson
This dish coaxes its flavor out of the piri-piri sauce, which is popular in South Africa and Portuguese-speaking Africa, in two different ways: first as a tenderizing marinade, which caramelizes in the skillet as it cooks, and then as a finishing sauce, where it adds a bright, acidic note. You may associate short ribs with slow-cooked preparations, but this recipe is a testament to how tender and flavorful they can be when cooked like a steak. If you can’t find boneless short ribs, a New York strip steak will work here as well.
This recipe was adapted from ‘The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food.’