Asian-inspired Beef Short Rib.
Rich, slow-braised beef short ribs infused with East Asian aromatics and seasonings. The beef is cooked until meltingly tender, then finished in a rich, glossy sauce with plenty of savoury depth and warming spice. An absolute show-stopper of a main.
Serves 8
Tips & Tricks:
Choosing your beef: Ask your butcher for thick, meaty, bone-in short ribs, cut in half through the bone to create eight shorter pieces. Keeping the bones in adds flavour and richness to the braising liquid
Take your time browning: A deep, even crust on the ribs adds considerable flavour to the finished sauce. Brown in batches to avoid overcrowding.
Making a cartouche: Watch this video if you’re not sure!
Don't overdo the salt: Season the beef lightly before browning, but don't add any further salt during cooking. The miso and soy sauce will help to season at the end.
Make ahead: Like most braised dishes, this is even better made a day in advance. They also freeze well, so you can make well in advance if needed.
To serve: I like to serve this with mashed potato infused with white miso, a little pickled cucumber salad, and plenty of Asian-inspired garnishes, like spring onions, sesame seeds, chillies, coriander etc, but feel free to make it your own!
Ingredients.
8 bone-in beef short rib portions, approximately 2kg / 4.4lb in total
Salt & Pepper
30g (¼ cup) plain flour, for lightly dredging
2 tbsp neutral oil
4 shallots, peeled and halved
1 medium carrot, roughly chopped
2 fennel bulbs, roughly chopped
2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
2-4 red chillies, split down the middle
1 tsp tomato purée/paste
120g (4¼oz) fresh ginger, roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 bottle red wine
100ml (scant ½ cup) Shaoxing wine
Up to 1.5 litres (6⅓ cups) good-quality beef stock, enough to cover the ribs
4–5 whole star anise
3 small cinnamon sticks
3–4 whole cloves
3–4 dried Chinese chillies
1–1½ tsp Sichuan peppercorns, lightly crushed
6–8 wide strips orange peel, avoiding as much white pith as possible
To finish the sauce:
3 tbsp light soy sauce
1½ tbsp white miso paste
1 tbsp chinkiang black vinegar, or rice vinegar
1–2 tsp soft brown sugar, optional
Equipment.
1 very large casserole, or 2 smaller ones
baking paper for the cartouche
sieve
saucepan
Method.
Brown the short ribs. Preheat the oven to 140°C / 285°F. Pat the ribs thoroughly dry and season lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Dredge them lightly in the flour, shaking off any excess. Heat the oil in a large, heavy ovenproof casserole over a medium-high heat. Brown the ribs deeply on all sides, working in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding. Remove and set aside.
Meanwhile, reduce the red wine. Pour the red wine into a large saucepan and bring to a steady simmer. Reduce by approximately half, until concentrated and slightly syrupy.
Build the braise. Add all the vegetables and chillies to the casserole dish and sauté until they’re softened and beginning to brown. Stir in the tomato purée and cook for around 2 minutes, stirring to prevent them catching. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for a further minute until fragrant.
Deglaze and braise. Pour in the reduced red wine and Shaoxing wine, scraping the base of the casserole thoroughly to release all the caramelised bits. Return the short ribs to the pan along with any resting juices. Pour in enough beef stock to just cover the ribs, then add the star anise, cinnamon, cloves, dried chillies, Sichuan peppercorns and orange peel. Bring everything just up to a gentle simmer. Cover the surface with a cartouche, then cover the casserole with its lid. Transfer to the oven and braise for 4 hours, until the meat is extremely tender and yields easily when pierced.
Rest and strain. Remove the casserole from the oven and leave the ribs to cool in the braising liquid for 30–45 minutes. This bit is really important to ensure your ribs stay intact! Carefully lift out the ribs and set them aside. Strain the braising liquid through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan, pressing very lightly on the vegetables before discarding them. If you are making this the day before, you can stop at this point and refrigerate everything.
Finishing the sauce. Skim off any excess fat from the braising liquid, and bring it to a steady simmer in a saucepan. Reduce until glossy, concentrated and beginning to thicken. The quantities listed for the ‘finishing the sauce’ ingredients above are estimates only - it will depend a lot on the stock you’ve used, how heavily you seasoned the beef, the miso & soy sauce brands, the wine variety etc. Add the miso, soy sauce, vinegar and sugar gradually, tasting as you go, until you’re happy with the balance. You could also add further aromatics here, to intensify the Asian flavours if needed. Continue reducing if necessary until the sauce is thick enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon.
Glaze the ribs. When you’re ready to serve, add the short ribs to a large pan (the cleaned casserole dish works well here) along with a ladlefull or two of the sauce. Put the lid on and reheat either over the hob or in the oven (140°C / 285°F again) for around 5-10mins (longer if they’ve been refrigerated) until they are hot throughout and nicely glazed. Check to ensure the sauce isn’t burning and add more if needed. Serve immediately on mashed potato, with plenty of sauce spooned over.
