Braised Short-Ribs with Potatoes & Carrots

I had a very interesting dream a couple of weeks ago - A very good friend of mine asked me to make him some galbi jjim (Korean for "Short Ribs"). Of course, after a desperate search in the supermarket, we couldn't find any short ribs and he was devastated. He made me this really sad face that just broke my heart (in my dream). So I decided to create this wonderful dish to satisfy my friend's cravings. 

I ended up creating something that's more Japanese style but it still tastes wonderful!!! So here goes! 
To start off, I would recommend using a dutch oven for this dish as the way this is cooked is very similar to a casserole. Also keep in mind that using fresh ingredients is the key to a good tasting dish. Try to use bigger carrots and russell potatoes for this dish, and that they are chopped equal pieces so that the heat and flavors can distribute evenly. 

This is a wonderful dish to bring to a potluck dinner, to share with friends and make them come back for more. It is also a great dish to have as comfort food during the cold, harsh winter. (Maybe that's why my big fat belly can never disappear before summer...) Nothing beats braised meat that melts in your mouth!! 

Braised Short-ribs with Potatoes & Carrots

Ingredients:

• Short Ribs (around 1 - 3 pounds, cut into 3 - 5 inch pieces - pick the ones that are marbled and trim off the fat around the corner of the short ribs)
• Asian Pear (one, finely diced)
• Carrots (several, chopped to pieces)
• Potatoes (several, skin peeled off and chopped to pieces)
• Yellow Onions (2 - 3 medium-sized onions, chopped to pieces)
• Garlic (several cloves, minced)
• Peanut Oil / Vegetable Oil (1 - 2 tbsps)

Sauce:

• Japanese Soy Sauce (around 2 cups)
• Mirin (around 1 cup)
• Short Rib stock (around 3 cups)
• Sesame Oil (1 - 2 tbsps)
• Sugar (a handful)
• Black Pepper (a handful)

1. Marinate the short ribs (parts that has more meat) with the diced Asian pears for around 10 minutes in order to create a more tender texture to the meat. Put the short ribs with bones attached into a boiling pot of water and boil for around 10 - 15 minutes. Take the short ribs out from the stock. Do NOT throw away the short rib stock when it's done as this will come in handy later. 

2. In a dutch oven, add the oil, swirling to coat the sides, and sauté the onions on high heat until fragrant.

3. Add the short ribs (the marinated ones and the ones that are boiled in step 1) to the onions and sauté until the short ribs are slightly brown. 

4. Add in minced garlic, potatoes and carrots into the pot and stir for around 1 minute. 

5. Add in the Mirin over high heat and let it simmer for around 1 minute. 

6. Pour in around 2 cups of Japanese soy sauce and around 3 cups of the short rib stock you saved up earlier into the pot. Add the handful of sugar to taste, and around 1 - 2 tbsps of sesame oil. The sauce should slightly cover the ingredients. (see below)

(By now, the sauce should strike a balance between sweet and salty, it should also have a nice hint of sesame oil in taste. This is a crucial time to make sure the taste is not too salty nor sweet for the flavors will seep into the ingredients in the pot.)

7. Simmer in medium to low heat, covered, until the juices have reduced  in half and the meat is tender and falling off the bone. This usually takes around 1 - 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally. If the sauce is not thick enough, you can mix a tablespoon of cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of water and mix this into the pot to thicken up the sauce. 

8. When done, add black pepper to taste, and serve on top of a bowl of rice. (I personally prefer using Japanese rice as they are chewier and stickier in texture and has a stronger aroma that blends very nicely with the braised short ribs). 

I hope you will enjoy making and eating this dish as much as I did. Bon appetit!! :) 

Dedicating this recipe to my dear friend Howard Mak.