Creative Cooking with Southern Flair!
Braised
Beef Short Ribs-
Fried Rice
Chinese 5 spice & yellow curry, seared beef short ribs, braised in Chinese wine, Japanese shoyu & plum juice with a ginger, garlic, fried rice with carrots, green cabbage, shallots, red bell peppers, pineapple, Calabrian chilis and a smoky, sesame, sweet Shoyu sauce.
Ingredients
Braised Short Ribs
You will need: 5 1/2 quart Dutch oven with heavy lid.
2 pounds English cut beef short ribs (about 6 ounces each)
Salt & pepper
1 tablespoon Chinese five spice powder
2 tablespoon yellow curry powder
Cooking oil
1 large garlic bulb, cloves separated and crushed
2 large shallots, quartered
Fresh thyme sprigs, small handful
1 large bay leaf
1/3 cup Japanese white shoyu (Takuko)
1/3 cup Shaoxing wine, unsalted (Pagoda)
1 cup beef stock
1 cup plum juice (Pamona brand)
Fried Rice
Rice cooker (or stove top)
2 cups long grain rice
2 cups water
Peanut oil or other high smoke point oil
1 heaping cup shredded, green cabbage
¾ cup julienned, carrots
½ cup julienne shallots (lengthwise)
3/4 cup julienned, red bell pepper
1 to 2 whole Calabrian chili peppers (jarred in oil or fresh)
2 teaspoons freshly minced, garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
Fried Rice Sauce
Note: Don't use regular soy sauce!
¼ cup Japanese Dark Sweet Soy Sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
(Whisk everything together in a small bowl)
Optional: Double recipe to serve as a condiment.
1/2 to 3/4 cup small cubed pineapple
Green onions, sliced thinly
Black sesame seeds-optional
Thai Basil-garnish
1 lime
Directions
Note: If desired, braising liquid can be strained and used as a second sauce to be served as a condiment by making a corn starch slurry (2-3 teaspoons per 1 cup braising liquid) with some room temp beef stock and whisking into simmering braising liquid. Adjust saltiness with broth and plum juice if needed.
Preheat oven to 300F.
Whisk the five spice and curry together in a bowl. Season the short ribs with salt & pepper and then press each side into the five spice/curry rub. Heat a separate cast iron skillet over med-high temperature, add 2-3 tablespoons of cooking oil and sear each side of the short ribs. Arrange the short ribs into the Dutch oven and add all of the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, cover and braise in the center of oven for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Meat should be very tender and pull apart easily. Remove from the oven, remove lid and let cool.
Once cooled, shred the beef and toss with some of the braising liquid. If braising liquid is too salty, add some beef stock and plum juice to thin out. Reserve any left-over braising liquid if making the extra condiment sauce.
Fried Rice
If using a rice cooker rinse and drain the rice 3-4 times with tap water to remove some of the starches. After rinsing add the 2 cups of water and press the "regular" setting on your rice cooker. Once rice is cooked, remove from cooker and let cool.
Stove top method: Add the rice and water to a pot and let soak 1 hour. Bring water to a boil and reduce to low. Cover and cook until water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork, cover and let steam 10 minutes. Remove lid and let cool.
Add 2-3 tablespoons of oil to the wok and turn heat on high. As soon as you see first wisp of smoke, add all of the vegetables and the Calabrian chilis but not the garlic and ginger. Toss the vegetables with a few pinches of salt & pepper and cook until they start to soften some. Push the vegetables up to the side and add a little more oil to the center of wok. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring continuously for about 30-45 seconds. Don't burn the garlic. Mix garlic and ginger into all of the vegetables and mix/toss everything well. Add 4-5 cups of the rice and start tossing until everything is mixed well and hot. Drizzle in the fried rice sauce and mix/toss well. Remove from heat and top with shredded beef short ribs, cubed pineapple, sliced green onions, sprinkle with sesame seeds and fresh basil leaves. Serve with lime wedges. Serves 4-6.