Beef (Short) Ribs in Hoisin Sauce

Copyright 2011 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

My friends in Atlanta are crazy over beef short ribs. I rarely buy this cut of beef but if or when I do, it is because I have the craving for Beef Pares. Beef Pares is a street food fare back home and is just crazy delicious. My friends and I use to go to this Pares eatery almost every Sunday just because we could just not get enough of it. The dish is basically made with the cheap cuts of beef and is slow cooked in beef broth flavored with soy sauce, sugar and star anise. In some cases, ginger is also added to the spice mix. My only gripe is that your whole house will smell of this dish for days and given that I hate the smell of food on me let alone the place I stay, I try to not cook this dish that often. 

Dave Lieberman made a dish with beef short ribs when his show was still on the air. I bought his books last year and so I been sitting on his recipe for some time now and methinks it is high time I tried his recipe that has a bit of an Asian flair to it. I could write some more about this dish but I ran across this post from Dave Levobitz regarding Dave Lieberman and his beef short ribs and as confusing as this may sound, it is probably best that you follow the link instead of me explaining this weird "Bermuda triangle moment" and have a good laugh over what transpired. Incidentally, I could not find short ribs so I used regular ribs. I also made this a one pot dish which I think is a good thing.

*Beef (Short) Ribs in Hoisin Sauce- Adapted

6 lbs beef (short) ribs, about 12 ribs

salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tbsp vegetable oil
10 to 12 garlic cloves smashed
1-inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch slices
12 oz good ale (recommended: Bass)
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1 cup Hoisin sauce

1. Season the ribs with salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a large  

    heavy pot with a lid over high heat and brown the ribs on all sides,  

    in batches if necessary. Remove the ribs and pour off all but a couple  

    tablespoons of the rendered fat.

2. On the same pot at medium heat, saute the garlic and ginger for about

    3 minutes. Return the ribs to the pot. Add the beer and the vinegar and  

    bring to a boil. Lower the heat then cover and simmer for 2 1/2 hours.

3. Pour the Hoisin sauce over the ribs and at low heat, cook uncovered
    for 30 minutes.

4. Remove ribs and ginger from sauce. Strain fat from the top of the sauce.
    Serve with Creamy Mashed Potato and Yams and Sesame Green Peas.

*Creamy Mashed Sweet Yams and Russet Potatoes - Adapted

3 lbs Russet potatoes and sweet yams, peeled
1/4 stick butter, melted
1/4 cup half-and-half
salt and pepper
1 bunch parsley, chopped

Copyright 2011 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

Boil potatoes and yams until fork tender. Drain and let it steam off the heat in the same pot covered for about 20 minutes. Heat the butter and half-and-half over medium heat until hot, but not boiling. With a ricer, mash the potatoes and add the hot liquid to the potatoes. Whisk to mix until smooth. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Add parsley and mix before serving.

*Sesame Green Peas - Adapted

1 lb green peas
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or butter
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted
salt and pepper

Copyright 2011 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

Rinse the green peas and trim off the ends. Heat the oils in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the green peas and saute until bright green, about 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and toss.

*Lieberman, Dave. Dave's Dinners: A Fresh Approach to Home-Cooked Meals. Hyperion, New York: 2006.