Sticky Asian Beef Short Ribs
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott/Not Quite Nigella
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 20 minutes to 8 hours 20 minutes (depending on method)
Serves: 4-6 people
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2 kilos/4.4lbs beef short ribs (cut flanken style across the bone or English style aka parallel to bone)
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3/4 cup light soy sauce
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3/4 cup dark soy sauce
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2 cups brown sugar, divided into two
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Salt to taste
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6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
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1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
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2 star anise
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1 large red chilli
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2 cups water
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1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
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Boiled white rice to serve
Step 1 - Mix the soy sauces, 1 cup of the brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, garlic, ginger, star anise and chilli in a bowl and then marinate the beef ribs in the marinade for 1 hour. Drain the ribs, reserving the marinade for cooking.
Step 2 - Heat a frypan on high heat and sear the beef ribs until browned on all sides. You can technically skip this step and put the ribs straight into the crock pot, pressure or slow cooker but it adds flavour to the meat. Mix the marinade with the 2 cups of water and place this and the ribs in a lidded cast iron pot, pressure cooker or slow cooker. For a pressure cooker, cook on high pressure for 1 hour. For a slow cooker, cook for 8 hours, for a cast iron pot, cook for four hours in a 160C/320F oven for 3 hours.
Step 3 - I find this next step easiest if I place the ribs in a snug container with just enough liquid to cover them. Cool the rest of the liquid in another container and refrigerate both overnight. The next day, skim the fat off the top and reheat and serve with rice if you don't want to make the glaze. If you are making the glaze, take 500ml/2 cups of the liquid to make the glaze and place in a saucepan and heat with the extra cup of brown sugar and rice wine vinegar-taste and add more salt if needed. Reduce down to a syrupy glaze. Heat the ribs in about 1 cup of the liquid and then brush with the glaze. The remainder of the liquid can be frozen and used as a Chinese Masterstock.