Brine, Rub, Steam-Roast, and Sear the World’s Greatest Short Ribs

"I was going for a mix of pastrami and churrasco styles," Justin Smillie says. And you nod, but, honestly, you're pretty distracted by the peppercorn-encrusted, ludicrously juicy short ribs in question and don't immediately appreciate quite how bold that Jewish deli/Latin grill mash-up really is. The chef at swank new restaurant Upland in Manhattan and author of the forthcoming Slow Fires (Clarkson Potter, November 2015), Smillie is rightly famous for his way with this sinewy and complex cut. "They're the ultimate expression of beefiness," he says, as you're taking another bite and finding no reason to disagree. Here he offsets that dark intensity with the acidity of lemon and the peppery radiance of radishes for a balanced—and beautiful—dish we'd be happy to eat every day this year.