Recipe: Red Roast Short Ribs with Baby Bok Choy Vegetable
Ingredients
- 1 bottle dry red wine
- 2 cups Shaoxing wine, or 1 cup dry sherry
- 1 cup dark soy sauce
- 3 cups soy sauce
- 4 cups water
- 8 double short ribs (have butcher cut into 3 inch long pieces)
- 2 boxes (about 3 lbs) rock sugar, or 2 cups dark brown sugar
- One 5-inch piece fresh ginger, cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 1 whole head garlic, unpeeled and halved horizontally
- 2 bunches scallions, white parts sliced into 3-inch lengths, green parts sliced 1/8 inch thick
- 2 star anise
- 4 Thai bird chilies
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 8 baby bok coy, halved and cored
Preparation
In a large, deep pot, combine the wines, soy sauces and water. Bring to a boil over high heat and add the duck. If the liquid doesn’t cover the duck, add more water. Bring to a boil again, then reduce the heat and simmer, skimming the liquid until no more scum forms, about 30 minutes.
Add the rock sugar, ginger, garlic, long/scallion pieces, star anise, chilies and cinnamon sticks. Stir to dissolve the sugar and taste the liquid for sweetness. It should be pleasantly sweet; if not sweet enough, add more sugar. Place a second pot or stainless steel bowl half-filled with water into the first to keep the short ribs submerged and simmer until the ribs are very tender and almost falling from the bones, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Do not overcook or the meat will come apart. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the bok choy.
Using a large-mesh spoon, carefully remove the short-ribs and bok choy to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Strain and skim the stock, return it to the pot and reduce it over high heat until lightly syrupy, about 20 minutes.
Transfer the short-ribs to a serving platter and surround it with the bok choy. Glaze the short-ribs with the sauce, garnish it with the scallion greens and serve.
Tips
The short-ribs must be kept submerged in its braising liquid while it cooks. To accomplish this, find a pot of stainless steel bowl that will fit into the braising pot. Fill it halfway with water, and place it on the short-ribs to weight it down as it cooks. Don’t be put off by the amount of sugar called for here; it’s needed to give the dish its mellow flavor.
WINE
Spicy, dried-cherry Shiraz/Syrah Australian (Brokenwood Hermmitage)
Serving Size
Servings: 4