Beef Short Ribs
by Caren McSherry
Back in the day, short ribs were considered a lesser cut of meat and often prepared in a pressure cooker. They’re certainly seeing their 15-minutes of fame right now – they’re the darling of the kitchen, with chefs exploring flavours from every part of the globe. This is my take on short ribs, best served with mashed potatoes.
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ lbs. bone-in beef short ribs
- 1 ½ lbs. boneless beef short ribs
- Kosher salt
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 large shallots, diced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1” piece of fresh ginger, sliced
- 4 large garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup sake
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
- ¼ cup Mirin
- ¼ cup kejtap manis (kecap manis)
- 2 star anise, whole
- 3 whole cloves
- 2 large sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- Cilantro, finely chopped
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Pat the ribs dry, and lightly sprinkle each side with salt. Heat a large braising pan to medium-high. Add the oil and sear each side of the ribs until golden, about 5-6 minutes total, working in batches if needed to avoid crowding the pan. Transfer to a rimmed pan and set aside.
2. In the same braising pan, lower the heat to medium, add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the shallots, ginger, and garlic and soften - do not brown. Once soft, add the sake, beef stock, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, Mirin, ketjap manis, star anise, cloves, thyme, and bay leaf.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil, carefully slide in the ribs. Place a piece of parchment on top of the ribs, pressing down slightly, and then cover with the lid.
4. Place in oven 2 hours, turn the ribs over and cook for a further 1 hour with the lid and parchment on. The meat should be fork-tender – if not, continue to cook until it is.
5. Remove the short ribs from the pan and scatter over mashed potatoes. Garnish with finely chopped cilantro.
- Serves 4
2. In the same braising pan, lower the heat to medium, add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the shallots, ginger, and garlic and soften - do not brown. Once soft, add the sake, beef stock, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, Mirin, ketjap manis, star anise, cloves, thyme, and bay leaf.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil, carefully slide in the ribs. Place a piece of parchment on top of the ribs, pressing down slightly, and then cover with the lid.
4. Place in oven 2 hours, turn the ribs over and cook for a further 1 hour with the lid and parchment on. The meat should be fork-tender – if not, continue to cook until it is.
5. Remove the short ribs from the pan and scatter over mashed potatoes. Garnish with finely chopped cilantro.
- Serves 4
Copyright (c) Caren McSherry 08/2021
