GLUTEN-FREE BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIBS WITH A HOT AND SOUR SALAD
Our beef short ribs, slowly braised in the oven with a simple paste of fresh garlic, ginger, coriander and onions, some chicken stock and sherry, will make a very tender and succulent stand-alone dish.
But when topped with its Hot and Sour Salad it will zing with chilli, fresh herbs and lime.
And who doesn’t love a zing.
Rosie
BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIBS WITH A HOT AND SOUR SALAD
Serves 10
For the Beef
3.5 kg beef short ribs
3 tablespoons gluten-free Kecap Manis (sweet soy sauce)
200 ml vegetable oil
20 dried Chinese red dates
10 cloves garlic, peeled
120 gm ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
4 coriander roots, scraped, washed and roughly chopped
2 red onions, peeled and roughly chopped
400 ml dry sherry ( or gluten-free Shaoxing wine if you can find it)
200 gm rock candy, crushed, or 180gm raw sugar
200 ml gluten-free oyster sauce
1 litre chicken stock
200 ml gluten-free Chinese black vinegar
Sea salt flakes
Preheat oven to 150°C.
Rub the beef short ribs all over with the Kecap Manis.
In a large frying pan heat 2 tablespoons of the oil and, in batches, brown the short ribs on both sides, adding a little more oil as needed. Place ribs in a deep baking dish. Tuck in the Chinese red dates.
Place the garlic, ginger, coriander roots and onions in a food processor or blender and process to a paste.
Heat the remaining oil in a large clean frying pan and fry the blended mixture over a medium heat until beginning to brown – 10-15 minutes.
Deglaze with the sherry then add the rock sugar, oyster sauce and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer. Pour over the beef in the baking dish. Cover with kitchen paper placing it directly onto the surface then cover with a tight-fitting lid or foil.
Place in the oven and bake for 2-2.5 hours or until the meat is falling off the bone.
Carefully remove the dates along with the meat, keeping it on the bones. Set aside. Strain the liquid, discarding any solids. Transfer the liquid to a saucepan and boil until it has reduced by a third. Add the vinegar (more to taste if necessary) and season with sea salt flakes to taste.
The meat and can be cooked and stored, covered, in the fridge for up to 3 days before serving. Drizzle with a little of the sauce and gently reheat in the oven. To serve, the remaining sauce can be reheated in the microwave or in a saucepan on top of the stove.
To Serve
Place the warm short ribs and dates onto individual plates or one large serving platter, drizzle with the sauce and top with Hot and Sour Salad. Drizzle with some of the extra Hot and Sour Dressing. Serve with steamed Jasmine rice.
HOT AND SOUR SALAD
Dressing
200 ml lime juice
1 teaspoon chilli powder
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 birds eye chillies, finely sliced
Combine the lime juice, chilli powder, fish sauce and birds eye chillies in a bowl and mix to combine.
Salad
2 bunches coriander leaves
2 bunches mint leaves
1 bunch spring onions, finely sliced
4 golden shallots, peeled and finely sliced
3 long red chillies, seeded and finely sliced
1 bunch chives, cut into 5cm lengths
Toss together the coriander and mint leaves, the spring onions, shallots, long red chillies and chives. Drizzle enough dressing to coat. Drizzle the finished dish (see above) with some of the extra Hot and Sour Dressing.
TIPS:
As the Hot and Sour Salad is more a substantial garnish that an actual salad, we like to serve the dish with a Spicy Cucumber and Peanut Salad. It is entirely optional.