Soy & Garlic Braised Short Ribs

This recipe is going to sound harder than it is. I promise it’s not!

Braising is a fancy term for browning a meat on all four sides and stewing it slowly in a closed container. A mirepoix is basically The holy trinity (carrots, celery and onions) chopped and cooked in a fat. It’s used as a flavor base for stews, soups, and well basically anything else you like.

Now how did I take a classic like french braised short ribs and add this Asian inspired fusion? Living in New York you always stumble upon interesting food combos and this bad boy is inspired by a pork belly banh mi I’ve had. The marinade is simple but it packs a punch. It also cuts through the meaty short ribs nicely and imparts lots of flavor.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil

8-10 Bone in beef short ribs (salt and pepper liberally)

4 carrots, cleaned and chopped

4 celery stalks, cleaned and chopped

2 large shallots

8 Roasted garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 quart chicken or beef stock

2 cups red wine

1 cup Dark soy sauce

Juice of half a lime

1/2 cup Brown sugar

1 cup Sherry cooking wine

1/2 cup Tarragon vinegar (rice wine vinegar will work)

2 tsp crushed Aleppo pepper flakes (you can use red pepper flakes)

1 TBSP and 1 tsp Chinese five spice

2 TBSP Hoisin sauce

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 TBSP Black garlic paste

1 TBSP Sesame oil

Step 1:

With kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper, season all sides of the short ribs.

Step 2:

Heat the quarter cup of olive oil in a large dutch oven and begin to sear meat in batches on all four sides. Do not overcrowd the dutch oven - take your time and sear until a nice color forms on each side.

Step 3:

Remove seared meat from the dutch oven and pour any excess oil out. Leave about a tablespoon of oil in the pan. Add your chopped shallots, celery and carrots. Give the vegetables time to develop color before adding the minced roasted garlic to the mix. Be sure to stir until garlic is fragrant, then add in quart of stock. Cover and allow to simmer.

Step 4:

While your stock and Mirepoix is simmering, assemble the marinade and whisk together. Red wine, vinegar, sherry wine, soy sauce, lime juice, sugar, Hoisin, sesame oil, Dijon, black garlic paste, Aleppo pepper and five spice

Step 5:

Return short ribs to the dutch oven and pour in the marinade. Heat should be at a med/low temp with a consistent simmer. Meat should render for at least 3 hours. Sauce will thicken. Skim the fat off the top of the ribs while they cook down.

You can serve these short ribs with rice, shred it and put in a taco, use it in a soup. Quick pickle some radish and julienne some carrots for a true banh mi experience. The possibilities are endless.

Serve & Enjoy!