RACHEL LETT
Beef short ribs are a cheaper cut, and well worth taking advantage of. The bone marrow and fat, make a lip smacking sauce that will give you a sticky beak. For best results, cook it super low and slow. You could cook overnight in a crock pot. This is a gently spiced, soothing stew, that’s sure to give that cold the boot it deserves.
Asian Short Rib Stew
SERVES 6
2kg beef short ribs
1 onion, peeled and quartered
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
2 red chillies, finely sliced
thumb size piece of ginger, peeled and grated
2 star anise
4–6 cloves
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
2 strips lime peel
1 bay leaf
2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
750ml meat stock/bone broth
1 lime juiced
bunch fresh coriander
salt and pepper
Ingredients
Season the ribs with salt and pepper. Heat a knob of ghee in a heay based frying pan. Working in batches, add the meat to the frying pan and brown on all sides. Transfer meat to a cast iron casserole or slow cooker.
Add the onion, garlic, chilli, ginger, spices (you can grind the cloves and coriander if you wish, but I prefer them whole), lime peel and bay leaf to the frying pan, and toast for a few minutes until fragrant, add to the meat.
Add the tomatoes and about a cup of bone broth tot he pan to degalze—it should sizzle and bubble. Gently scrape the pan with a wooden spoon, getting all the tasty bits, and add to the meat, along with the rest of the bone broth. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, cover, and allow to simmer gently for at least 2.5 hours (as always, the longer the better!).
At the end of cooking, you may need to thicken or reduce the sauce. Simply turn up the heat and allow it to bubble and reduce to your liking, stirring frequently to prevent the meat sticking to the bottom.
Finish with a squeeze of lime, chopped coriander and season to taste.
Serve alongside cauliflower rice, cauliflower mash, or some steamed greens.