Soy Braised Short Ribs

With the chill of winter still in the air, we love a good braised Sunday supper.  This recipe is a variation on Chinese style red cooked pork, using boneless beef short ribs.  Slow cooking in the oven, this one-pot meal fills the apartment with the aroma of slow simmered beef, cinnamon, anise, and five spice.  Buy well marbled short ribs for the best flavor.  For a low carb option, omit the carrots and substitute diced pumpkin, red radishes, zucchini, or summer squash.  I’ll bet okra would be delicious too.

Soy Braised Short Ribs  adapted from Martin Yan’s China, Red Cooked Pork.

INGREDIENTS, for 4-6 servings

2 lbs.  boneless short ribs

marinade:

1/2 tsp. five spice powder
1/4 c.  soy sauce or tamari
2 Tbsp.  hoisin sauce

braise:

2 Tbsp. neutral oil
1 small onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed
6 slices ginger, each about the size of a quarter
1 to 2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
2 Tbsp. rice wine, dry sherry, or medium bodied red wine
2 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
1-1/2 cups chicken stock
1 thai chile or jalapeno, sliced in half lengthwise

garnish:

1-1/2 cup  carrot, large dice
1-1/2 cup  daikon radish or white turnips, dice
1 cup  pearl onions, peeled
1/4 cup scallions, sliced

PROCEDURE:

1.  Marinate the short ribs.  In a medium bowl, mix the five spice powder, soy sauce and hoisin sauce.  Coat the short ribs in the marinade, and leave covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours.

2.  To braise the short ribs, pre-heat oven to 350°F.  Heat oil in a dutch oven or deep oven proof saucepan over medium-high heat.  Pat the short ribs dry, reserving the marinade.  Place the short ribs in the pan and them brown on all sides.  Remove the short ribs from the pan and set aside.  Add the onion, garlic, and ginger to the pan and saute until the onions begin to soften and brown.  Add the brown sugar and wine or sherry, scraping up any brown bits from the pan with a wooden spoon.  Reduce the wine/sherry until there is just about a tablespoon left.

3.  Return the short ribs to the pan, and add the reserved marinade, the star anise, cinnamon stick, chicken stock and chile.  Bring the liquid to a boil, cover the pot and transfer to the oven on the middle rack.

4.  Cook until the short ribs are tender, about 1-1/2 to 2 hours.  When the short ribs are almost ready, add the carrot, daikon, and pearl onion to the pot.  Cover and cook 30 minutes more until the vegetables are cooked through.

5.  Garnish with freshly chopped scallions and serve.