Asian Braised Beef Short Ribs
When Beef Short Ribs are on sale at the grocery store, I grab as many as I can because this recipe creates the best short ribs.
When Beef Short Ribs are on sale at the grocery store, I grab as many as I can because this recipe creates the best short ribs.
- Carbohydrate 21.6932533337303 g
- Cholesterol 160.04 mg
- Fat 53.7318133333393 g
- Fiber 1.56013331670104 g
- Protein 45.6502533334097 g
- Saturated Fat 19.2250146666677 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (365g)
- Sodium 827.765333333537 mg
- Sugar 20.1331200170293 g
- Trans Fat 6.15412266666847 g
- Calories 764 calories
Step-by-step
- Salt and pepper the short ribs generously and set aside.
- Set a dutch oven (I perfer cast iron) over high heat until the edge of the oven is hot to the touch (about 10 minutes).
- Add half the peanut oil to the pot and brown half the short ribs on all sides.
- Remove the ribs from the pot and set aside.
- Add the remaining peanut oil to the pot, heat well, and brown the remaining short ribs.
- Remove the remaining short ribs from the pot and pour off the collected oil and fat, reserving 3 tablespoons.
- Reduce the heat to medium, return the 3 tablespoons oil/fat to the dutch oven.
- Add the garlic, ginger and onions to the pot, stir well to and let simmer 3-5 minutes to release the aromas of the vegetable mixture and turn the onions a translucent color.
- Add all the browned beef ribs back to the pot, pour the beer and the vinegar over the ribs, cover and simmer for 2 1/2 hours.
- 2 hours after covering the pot, set the oven to 300 degrees F, (this will preheat the oven while the pot of ribs finishes its simmer).
- When 2 1/2 hours of simmering have past, remove the lid from the dutch oven and pour the hoisin sauce over the ribs.
- Place the dutch oven (uncovered) in the preheated 300 degree oven and cook for an additional 30 minutes to finish the ribs.
Hoisin sauce anchors this dish, bringing a thick concentration of sweetness, fermented soybean paste, and five-spice aromatics that reduces in the oven into a glossy lacquer. Heavy cuts like short ribs demand time to render their intramuscular fat, which melts completely over hours of gentle heat and coats the collagen fibers. Heavy cast-iron Dutch ovens retain thermal energy far better than thin aluminum pots, stabilizing the simmer against temperature fluctuations. Searing requires patience and a scorching hot surface to trigger the Maillard reaction, yielding deep savory notes before the liquid goes in. Vinegar cuts through the richness of the meat and balances the heavy sugars, preventing the braising liquid from tasting cloying during the long reduction phase. Testing doneness requires no digital probe; simply press a fork against the thickest part of the meat, and if it yields with zero resistance and falls apart along the grain, the connective tissue has fully gelatinized. Refrigeration for twenty-four hours concentrates the flavor further as the rendered fat solidifies at the surface, allowing easy skimming before reheating. Shredding those chilled leftovers yields an exceptional filling for steamed buns or tacos, requiring only a gentle warmth on the stovetop to loosen the sticky glaze.
