On one occasion when I was cooking for a client’s media event in the UK, I wanted to prepare a spin on a dish that was very popular with my viewers on my TV series - short ribs, but I had a heck of a time finding the cut of beef I required for my recipe. When I expressed to the British butcher my needs, he explained that in the UK it is known as Jacob's Ladder because of its 12 ribs; when laid on its side the bones look like the rung of a ladder. (There is of course a biblical reference to Jacobs Ladder, but I’ll stick to the short ribs foodie version for this post.)
Short ribs are best cooked in the pot-au-feu method, meaning ‘low and slow’ (low heat, with a long period of braising) to tenderize the tough cut of beef.
Short Ribs of Beef with Orange Ginger Sauce
Makes four servings
chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle
4 pounds Beef short ribs, bone in
1/4 cup flour, for coating beef short ribs
2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 leek, whites only cut into one inch pieces
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons sherry
2 teaspoons soy sauce
juice of one orange
1 1/2 cups beef broth
Coat beef ribs with flour, shaking off any excess.
Pre heat a braising or sauce pot to medium high temperature.
Add olive oil and sear beef short ribs until well browned, turning only once on each side.
Drain any excess oil. Lower temperature of pot, add garlic, ginger, leeks, sesame oil, sherry, soy sauce, orange juice and beef broth. Bring sauce up to a boil, then lower to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 1 1/2- 2 hours or until meat is beginning to fall away from the bone.
When short ribs are fully cooked, remove meat from pot. Raise the temperature of the sauce to a low boil. Reduce the sauce to naturally thicken.
Serve with steamed rice or creamy mashed potatoes.
