Braised Short Ribs – Northern Style Recipe

These Short Ribs Rock!

Braising Short Ribs usually calls for some sort of pan fry before they’re cooked in vegetable broth, right?  The only difference here is that the frying is done after and as strange as that may sound, the benefits are phenomenal. This recipe is different from most recipes out there but, if you sink your teeth into ribs, you are going to get flavor beyond flavor, with a texture and tenderness your mouth and stomach just won’t believe.

Just to be clear, these Northern style Short Ribs have an Asian influence.  For example, there’s soy sauce and lot’s of sugar but So what.  What Barbecue Sauce doesn’t have sugar in it.  None. Everybody sweetens up their sauce with something.  And many rib recipes use brown sugar as well.  P.F. Chang’s has a very similar recipe on their menu and for good reason; they’re delicious but don’t take my word for it, though.  Google Northern style short ribs and see what you find.

Braised Short Ribs Ingredients:

1 Rack of Pork Ribs
1 1/2 qt. Chicken Broth
1/3 cup Soy Sauce
1/3 cup Rice Wine
1/3 cup Sugar (Optional)
3 or 4 Garlic Cloves
1/2 tsp Ginger, chopped (optional)
1 bunch Green Onions, 6 to 8
1 Sprig Cilantro
1 tsp Anise
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Sesame Oil
Water for Poaching

Topping
2 tbsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Five Spice Powder (or cinnamon)

In a large cooking pot, fill halfway with water and bring it to a boil on the stove.  Clean the rack of ribs with a clean water rinse, then remove the membrane using a paper towel.  Score the back side of the ribs(bone side) with your knife, then cut in between every rib bone, separating one from the other.  Place the ribs into the boiling water and Poach for 20 to 25 Minutes.  Remove from heat, strain and rinse the ribs and clean off any cooked blood.  Place the ribs back into the same pot and add all the above ingredients.  Bring the Broth to a boil then reduce heat to medium and cook for approximately 1 hour.  Then pull out every individual rib and place them on a pan.  At this point the ribs can be eaten or refrigerated if you’d like to wait or skip the frying process, otherwise fry the ribs, 6 at a time at 350 degrees for about 2 minutes. Mix the Topping ingredients together and toss the ribs in a bowl with 1 tbsp of the Sugar and Five Spice mix and serve the Braised Short Ribs, Log Cabin style, 2 over 2, over 2.