Asian Style Grass Fed Short Ribs

As we approach the big poultry day, Thanksgiving, I find myself making more beef and other non poultry protein based stews and braises. So I was happy to see the newlywed Springville Ranch vendors back at our farmers market on Saturday. I bought 3 pound of their very meaty short ribs, then found some lovely baby bok choy from Mee Vang. These two ingredients and conversations with my son who recently visited South Korea, inspired me to make this dish. I used my Fagor pressure cooker to cut time but not flavor, but you can also braise the ribs in a Dutch oven, but start early in the afternoon, because they’ll need to braise for 3 hours!

Korean-Asian Style Short Ribs

INGREDIENTS:
3 pounds beef short ribs
2/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 (5-inch) stalk lemongrass, halved and smashed
1 tablespoon peeled and minced ginger
1-2 keffer lime leaves (if you have one handy)
¼ tsp sesame oil
1/3 cup light brown sugar
3 cups water
2 shallots, peeled and sliced thin
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Serve over Jasmine Rice
Garnish with finely grated orange peel, toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onion tops

DIRECTIONS:
Marinade the short ribs for 2+ hrs with the soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, lemongrass, keefer lime, sesame oil, ginger, brown sugar, water, green onion bottoms, crushed red pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the orange juice.
If using the pressure cooker, remove the ribs and brown on all sides in 1-2 Tbsp of peanut oil in batches. Place the ribs and the marinade back in the pressure cooker; cover and lock according to directions. When pressure is up, reduce flame to maintain steady pressure, and cook for 25 minutes. Remove from heat and let pressure drop on its own. Remove the ribs/bones and strain the liquid. Proceed to making the sauce and oven roasting the ribs.

If NOT using a pressure cooker: Preheat oven to 350 ˚F. Using a Dutch oven, submerged the ribs in the marinade liquid. Bake the short ribs, covered, for about 3 hours, or until the meat is tender and falling off the bones. Remove the short ribs from the braising liquid and cover to keep warm.

Finishing the sauce and ribs:
Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F.
Strain liquids through a fine-meshed strainer, discarding the solids.
Drain the fat off of the cooking liquid and discard.
Place the remaining braising juices in a medium saucepan with 1/4 cup of the hoisin sauce and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the liquid until only about 3/4 cups remain.
Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of orange juice and the lemon juice.

Return the short ribs and the reduced sauce to Dutch oven, or roasting pan, coating the short ribs well with the sauce. Bake for 10 minutes, until the short ribs are heated through and slightly glazed.

Serve hot over jasmine rice, garnished with orange zest, toasted sesame seeds, and green onion tops. Stir fried baby bok choy with garlic is a great side, the bitterness off sets the sweet caramel spicy ribs.

Fabulous Local Grass Fed Beef Flank Steak

Last month the Visalia our Farmers market began selling grass fed beef from Springville Ranch. Because grass fed beef is more dense than grain fed beef, it needs to be grilled quickly or braised long and slowly. With this is mind, I chose 4 lb stew meat and a flank steak to try it out. I made Jacque Pepin’s beef bourguignon stew, with extra cooking time added to get the beef fork tender. It was delicious. Then the flank steak which I think is the best flank steak I’ve ever eaten. I used our close family friend Iris McLean’s recipe, and because its so good, my copy has lots of spatters. Here's a fresh copy for you to add to your favorites. I always serve potatoes, roasted, mashed or boiled, to savor the delicious marinade that becomes a sauce, after you cook it on the stove top. Be sure to serve this steak medium rare, and sliced on the diagonal, so that it remains tender.

Iris McLean’s Flank Steak

Cook together in a sauce pan:

½ cup chopped medium yellow onion
1 lrg garlic clove, mashed or finely chopped
1 T salad oil
1 can, 10 ½ oz beef broth
½ c catsup
1 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp dry mustard powder
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp oregano

Cool the sauce, then marinade the scored flank steak overnight or for at least 4 hours.
Remove steak from sauce.
Cook steak over a hot BBQ or broil quickly, i.e. 4 mins on the first side, 3 mins second side.
Let meat set/ rest for 5 mins.
Slice diagonally and thinly at right angle to the grain.
Marinade can be cooked and served as a sauce for the meat or potatoes.