Recipe of the Week: Short Ribs Candy

Not quite candy, but not quite sophisticated dining. But quite 100% fun.

Short Rib Candy
adapted from Cooking Meat

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

4                            beef short ribs, flanken cut, 1½ inches thick
to taste                salt and pepper
2 Tbsp                  olive oil
1                            cooking onion, peeled and sliced
2                            garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
2 Tbsp                  sliced ginger
1                            carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1                            celery stalk, roughly chopped
6                            star anise pods
2 Tbsp                  Ssam Jang (Korean spicy bean paste)
2–3 cups              root beer
2 cups                  chicken stock
1 cup                    salted peanuts, shelled and roasted
3 Tbsp                  sliced green onions

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 325˚F.

2. Season the beef short ribs with salt and pepper. Add the olive oil to a heavy-bottomed ovenproof pot set over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the beef and brown it on all sides. Transfer the meat to a plate and set aside.

3. Turn down the heat under the pot to medium-low, add the onions, garlic, and ginger, and sweat them, stirring every couple of minutes, until the onions are soft and caramelized—maybe 10 minutes or so. Add the carrots, celery, star anise, and Ssam Jang and cook for another 10 minutes.

4. Deglaze the pot with root beer and chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Return the beef to the pot, making sure the meat is completely submerged. If not, add more root beer. Cover with a lid, place the pot in the oven, and braise for 2½ to 3 hours, or until the bone easily slips out of the rib.

5. Transfer the meat to a clean pot, then strain the braising liquid through a fine-mesh sieve over the ribs. Allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate overnight.

6. The next day, use a spoon to skim and discard the solidified fat from the top of the braising liquid. Place the pot over medium-low heat to warm the meat in the sauce a little, then remove the ribs from the braising liquid and set aside.

7. Turn up the heat to medium-high and reduce the braising liquid until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, about 12 minutes.

8. While the glaze is reducing, pop the bones out of the ribs and discard them, then place the meat on a cutting board and cut into even bite-sized pieces. Add the meat to the pot with the reduced glaze and stir until they are all shiny.

9. Place the roasted peanuts in a food processor and pulse them until they are chunky. Add the green onions and salt and pulse a little more, until the mixture looks like very coarse bread crumbs. Transfer this mixture to a bowl.

10. Using a knife and a fork, dip the sticky, warm meat in the peanuts and roll it around until well coated.

11. To serve, arrange the meat bites on a clean plate. Serve immediately while they’re still warm.