Asian Style Short Ribs

From the familiar Asian aromatics to the fall-of-the-bone tenderness of a slow braising session, and the rich, spicy sauce, it’s a dish that eats as pretty as it looks, especially with the garnishes. 

Total Time: 3 hours    Total Servings: 4


 Cook this recipe with Chef Wayne 


Ingredients

  • 2.5 lbs Beef short ribs, bone-on - 6-8 pieces 
  • 2 TBSP Black pepper - ground 
  • 1 tsp Szechuan pepper - ground 
  • 1 tsp Chinese Five Spice 
  • 1 TBSP Kosher salt 
  • 2 TBSP Beef tallow 
Braising liquid 
  • 1 tsp fennel seed 
  • 1 tsp coriander seed 
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns 
  • 1/2 cup white onion - chopped 
  • 2 TBSP Ginger, fresh - sliced 
  • 4 cloves garlic - chopped 
  • 1/2 cup Soy sauce - low sodium 
  • 1 cup Water 
Asian glaze 
  • 1/2 cup Light brown sugar 
  • 1/4 cup Mirin 
  • 1 TBSP Ginger - grated 
  • 1/2 TBSP Lemongrass paste 
  • 2 tsp Sambal Olenek - or chili paste 
  • 1/2 cup Soy sauce - low sodium 
  • 1 TBSP Rice vinegar - unseasoned 
  • 1 tsp Fish sauce 
  • 1 tsp Corn starch - Make slurry with 2 tsp water 
Rice 
  • 1 cup Sushi rice - short grain 
  • 10 oz water 
  • 1 pinch salt 
  • 2 TBSP Mirin - for after cooking 
Pickled Garnish 
  • 1/2 cup Cucumber - diced 
  • 2 tsp red Fresno peppers - sliced rings 
  • 1/4 cup Rice vinegar 
  • 1/4 cup Water 
  • 1 tsp Sugar 
  • 1 pinch salt 
Finishing garnish 
  • 1/4 cup Green onion - chopped 
  • 2 TBSP Toasted sesame seeds - optional 
  • 1 pinch Gochutgaru chili flakes - optional


Cooking

  1. Preheat oven to 325F 
  2. Season beef well with spice mixture. 
  3. In a braising pot over MED/HIGH heat, add beef tallow until melted, sear each side of seasoned beef ribs. Remove and set aside. 
  4. Lower heat to LOW, add whole coriander, fennel and peppercorns to pan, toasting for one minute. Add oil and onion, and sauté 1 min. Add garlic for 30 seconds. Add a splash of water to deglaze pan. 
  5. Place beef on top of onion and spices, nestled into one even layer. Add soy. Add enough water to raise the liquid level to about halfway up the beef. Cover with parchment paper, then the lid forming a tight seal. 
  6. Place in oven for 2.5 hours. At 2.5 hours, remove lid and check for doneness. Meat should be jiggly and falling off the bone easily. You may need another 30 minutes here. If so, continued braising without cover and add a splash of water of it's looking too low. You don't want a dry pot!
Pressure cooker alternative 
  • If you have a stovetop pressure cooker (Fissler, etc): after placing beef and liquids inside, seal lid and bring to 2 bars for 45 minutes. 
Pickled garnish 
  • While beef is braising, prepare your pickled items. Place in a mason jar and refrigerate while beef cooks. 
Sauce 
  • In final 30 minutes, add all sauce items to medium pan except the cornstarch slurry. Bring to low simmer. Turn off heat until just before serving. At that time, turn heat to low, bring back to simmer, adding your slurry, stirring well. This should thicken the sauce within minutes and it's ready to serve. 
Sticky Rice (21 method) 
  • In the final 45 minutes of cooking, soak rice in bowl of room temp water 21 minutes. Drain and rinse. 
  • Add rice, water and salt to medium pot, covered. Over MED/HIGH bring to boil, 7 minutes. Turn heat to MED/LOW. Cook covered, another 7 minutes. Turn off heat, staying covered, allow to steam in pot another 7 minutes. 
  • Uncover, gently fluff (it's sticky!) and pour mirin evenly over top of rice. 
Serve 
  • Serve with rice, pouring sauce over beef ribs on plate. Garnish with pickled items and chopped green onion.


SAFE HANDLING TIPS: 

  • Wash hands with soap and water before cooking and always after touching raw meat. 
  • Separate raw meat from other foods. 
  • Wash all cutting boards, utensils, and dishes after touching raw meat. 
  • Do not reuse marinades used on raw foods. 
  • Wash all produce prior to use. 
  • Cook steaks and roasts until temperature reaches 145°F for medium rare, as measured by a meat thermometer, allowing to rest for three minutes. 
  • Cook Ground Beef to 160°F as measured by a meat thermometer. 
  • Refrigerate leftovers promptly. 

For more information on degrees of doneness and other cooking tips visit: https://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/cooking/determining-doneness 

For more information on safe food handling and beef safety, see: https://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/cooking/food-safety