Beef Short Ribs braised in BBQ Sauce

We are fans of the short rib around here, its the perfect slow simmer on the stove on a cold day. Or in a crock pot.  Or in the oven, you chose the results are the same.  Yummy.

The theme of this post is really caramelization.  That process of bringing out the natural sugars through searing beef or sauteing onions.  I've heard it a few times on TV, not sure who the chef is, "Color equals Flavor" and they aren't kidding.  With this recipe, actually most recipes, the more color you bring with searing and sauteing the better the depth of flavor as the natural sugars are used to their best advantage.

Take the time to get a good sear on the beef.  Take your time to bring out the sugars in the onion.  You won't be disappointed with the results.  That brown stuff at the bottom of the pan...its called "fond" and it is a ton of flavor that will work its way into the braising liquid when you deglaze the pan.  Your clear amber liquid suddenly becomes dark brown from the fond and very rich in flavor.  Trust me, all that time you put into the sear and saute will not be wasted when you deglaze it all comes to life.

Braising is my favorite way to cook tough cuts like a beef short rib. You use just enough liquid to come to the top of the meat and let it simmer away for a few hours.  You end up with a succulent, melt in your mouth, fork tender piece of meat.

The pan you use for braising needs to be a heavy pan that will spread the heat evenly for a long period of time.  I use a Le Creuset Doufeu but any heavy no reactive pan with a tight fitting lid will work.  The point is that you want even heating with all the steam retained so it doesn't evaporate away all your braising liquid.

Beef Short Ribs braised in BBQ Sauce

• 2-3 lbs boneless beef short ribs
• 2T Montreal steak seasoning
• Olive oil.
• 2 large onions rough chopped
• 1 t salt
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 2 cans beer - I used Millers MGD
• 1/4 c Worcestershire sauce
• 2 T Sriracha
• 2T red wine vinegar
• 1 T liquid smoke

Coat all side of beef short ribs with Montreal In large braising pan heat a couple of tablespoons olive oil until it starts to shimmer. You will need to sear short ribs in a few batches to get good color on them.  Add a few short ribs to the hot pan.  Cook about 5-7 minutes on each side until you get a good dark sear on them.  Remove to a platter and sear off the remainder of the short ribs.

Add a bit more oil to the pan if needed to saute the onions. Add onions and salt.  Cook them stirring often until translucent and the edges are starting to brown, about 8-10 minutes.

Pour in beer.  Using spoon scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.  Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, worcestershire sauce, Sriracha, vinegar and liquid smoke.  Taste for seasoning, add ,more salt if needed.  Return the seared short ribs to the broth.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover tightly with lid and simmer 2 1/2 - 3 hours.  

If using an oven set temp to 300f and place your covered pot in the oven for the same amount of time.

If you decide to use a crock pot, pour in the braising liquid, add the beef, cover and use low for 6-8 hours.

Sticky Asian Style Short Ribs

It started out to be such a simple recipe when my wife spotted in a magazine.  It sounded tasty enough so we clipped the article and kept it for reference.  Oddly when I went to actually make it I discovered it called for an ingredient I have never ever seen...pre-cooked beef short ribs.  WTH...with gas over $4/gallon and rising I wasn't about to take off chasing down that ingredient when I had a nice package of Costco boneless beef short ribs ready to go at the house.

So...I next took a look at the "sticky glaze" recipe, saw where it could be improved and used that as the basis for the braise for the short ribs.  Same flavor profile as the glaze was put into the braising liquid and voila...I had my own "pre-cooked" ribs all set to go for the rest of the recipe.

The sticky glazed ribs I also changed up the recipe enough to call it my own.  Let's face it garlic is usually a key component in Asian style cooking and just couldn't make this without adding that wonderful garlicky heat to the glaze and braising liquid.

Speaking of the braise a little tip for you when it comes to the zest of the orange.  Use a vegetable peeler to avoid getting any of the pith in the braise.  It will keep that bitter element out and make it possible to pull out the ribs when done without any extra zest sticking to the ribs making it too "orangey".

Party planning. Yup this would be great for a party.  Cook through the braising and simply put them on a sheet pan until you are ready to glaze and bake off to warm them.  Saves you kitchen time when you should be entertaining your guests.

These are really, really tasty ribs once you are done.  Serve over rice cooked in broth for a bit more flavor, add in some steamed snow peas and you have a meal!

Sticky Asian Style Short Ribs
4 lbs boneless beef short ribs
pepper to taste
2 T vegetable oil
1 T sesame oil
1 onion sliced.
Braising liquid
4 c water
4 t better than bouillon beef flavor
6 cloves garlic
zest of one orange
juice of two oranges.
1/4 c soy sauce
1 T fish sauce
Sticky Glaze
1/3 c orange marmalade
1/3 c hoisson sauce
1 glove garlic minced on microplane
1 1/2 t fresh ginger minced on microplane
1 T soy sauce


Preheat oven to 325F.
In large braising pan heat oils over medium high heat.  Pepper the beef to taste.  Sear all sides until deep golden brown.  Remove beef and add onion cooking until translucent.  Add water and deglaze bottom of pan.  Add braising liquid ingredients.  Return beef to pan.  Cover and bake 1 1/2 hours until fork tender.


Prepare glaze by adding all ingredients to a small bowl and whisk until well blended.


Remove short ribs from braising liquid, discard the liquid.  Place ribs on sheet pan.  Increase oven to 350F.
Brush on glaze to the short ribs.  Bake in oven 15 minutes.  Serve hot with Rice.

Italian Style Braised Beef Short Ribs

November 1 was officially our first rain day here in LA.  Not exactly a cold rain day but the kind that triggers the yearning for hearty comfort food.  Long slow cooked hearty beef that nurtures the carnivore within kind of comfort food.

Costco has quite the deal on Beef Chuck boneless short ribs.  Big, thick, beautifully marbled chunks of beef.  Even though you don't get the bones and marrow to pick at as you would with a bone in variety it is still a great cut of meat.  Cooked bone-in does yield more flavor but you can compensate for that with some good beef broth.

Short ribs because of all the marbling are best cooked in a slow braise.  That means it is just covered with liquid and slow cooked until all the connective tissues dissolve away and the meat is just fork tender falling apart.  That long slow cook also means the flavor is cooked deep into the meat.

This recipe comes from a lot of different sources.  It is loosely based on a Bolognese style spaghetti sauce that I've seen made by people like Malto Mario on Food TV. The recipe also has some bits based in the classic tomato sauce my Ma makes that she in turned learned from an old Italian lady that lived by us in Iron River MI when I was really little.  

Though they called the sauce "gravy" its still good eats.  The lady's name is lost to memory at this time but this "gravy" is her legacy in the kitchen.  A side bar is that the "gravy"in this recipe is referenced in a stuffed rigatoni recipe that she gave my Mom. It is an extremely labor intensive dish, but my gawd is it good.   Look for that in the coming days.

Italian Style Braised Beef Short Ribs

• 4 lbs boneless beef chuck short ribs
  
• 1 onion
  
• 2 carrots
  
• 2 stalks celery
  
• 1/2 C sun dried tomato in oil
  
• 2 T chopped garlic
  
• 1/2 C loose fresh basil (2T dried)
  
• 1 t oregano
  
• 1 T fennel seed
  
• 2 bay leaves
  
• 2 C Red Wine - use what you are serving with dinner
  
• 2 pkg Beef broth concentrate or bouillon (it would make 1 C each)
  
• 2 Cans diced tomato
  
• 1 Can tomato sauce
  
• 1/4 C flour
  
• 1 T kosher salt
  
• 1 T coarse ground black pepper
  
• 2 T olive oil
  
• 1 T bacon fat
  

Mix flour, salt and pepper.  Dredge beef in the mixture.  Heat large dutch oven over medium heat, add olive oil and bacon fat.  Heat until just smoking and add beef, do not crowd pan, cook in batches.  Sear beef  on all sides until well browned and crusted about 3-4 minutes per side.  Remove cooked beef to platter on side and repeat searing with the remaining beef.

Using a food processor fine chop onion, carrot, celery, sun dried tomato and fresh basil.  Add to the hot pan after the last of the beef has been seared.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Stir often scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan.  Cook about 10 minutes until onions are translucent and beginning to caramelize.  Add wine and scrape bottom of pan clean to deglaze.  Cook until wine reduced about one half.  Coarse grind the fennel seed and add to pot.  Add oregano and bay leaf.

Add diced tomato and sauce.  Add the beef boulion concentrate.  Stir until dissolved.  Add beef to the top of the sauce.  

Cover and reduce heat to low.  Simmer 2 hours.  (You may also slow cook in 325F oven for 2 hours).

Serve over pasta or mashed potatoes. 

Don't crowd the pan while searing the meat.  Doing so will cause the meat to simmer in its own juices rather than get a deep dark sear and crust.  This deep dark sear is what adds to the intense flavor in the final dish.

Searing of the mire poi you will find that a lot of liquid is given off the vegies.  Use that liquid to help deglaze the pan and scrape up all those flavorful bits from the bottom. I little trivia for you the term mire poi is french, the italians call it sofrito.  Still the same fine diced combo of onion, carrot and celery.
A friend turned me on to this brand of liquid beef broth.  It really adds a deep rich flavor to the dish without all the added salt of the traditional little boullion cubes.
Let the meat just sit on the braising liquid, it doesn't have to be covered.  That is the difference between braising and stewing...the latter the meat is completely submerged in the liquid.