Slow-Cooked Garlic Ginger Short Ribs

There’s a lot of different ways to prepare ribs. Lots of people just toss them with sauce, cover, and throw them in the oven (the newlywed version!). For a while I was boiling ribs and then tossing with sauce (a trick I learned from a couple of different chefs). But really, my favorite method is the slow braise. The flavors in the sauce get a chance to develop and the meat comes out really tender. If you like more traditional ribs flavors, this will also work with barbecue sauce and tomato sauce swapped out for the brown sugar and soy sauce (then, omit the ginger and sesame oil and add in a dash of liquid smoke).

If you’re preparing a larger batch for company, you may or may not need to prepare more sauce. It really depends on the size of the pan, as the ribs need to be covered or mostly covered in liquid for best results.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season ribs with salt and pepper, then sear on all sides. Remove from pan.

3. Add sugar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, red pepper and beef stock. Bring to a boil. Return ribs to pan (you want the ribs to be covered with liquid, so if they’re not, add a little more beef stock), cover, and transfer to the oven.

4. Bake for three hours.

5. Remove from oven. Remove ribs from pan and set aside. Transfer the pan to the stove and cook over medium-high heat, until sauce is reduced and thickened. Return ribs to pan and toss to coat. You can either set aside to rewarm later, or top with sesame seeds and scallions and serve.