Red Wine and Soy–Braised Short Ribs

I’ve never been much for ribs, but this recipe was fantastic. Never having really dealt with beef ribs before, I had never paid attention to them, and in making this recipe I learned a few things. For instance, there are three main kinds of cuts of ribs: English cut, like you see in this recipe, and flanken cut, which is commonly used for Korean barbecue ribs. Flanken-cut ribs are typically less than a half-inch thick and cut across a few ribs. There’s also a hybrid version, which is basically thick-cut flanken ribs. Maybe everyone knows all that, but it was all new to me.

Anyway, these ribs were absolutely delicious, being both butter-knife tender, and having a deep and complex flavor developed from the long braising process. It’s rather an ugly dish, but the flavor more than makes up for it. I based this recipe on one from Bon Appetit. 

What you’ll need:

• 4 lb. 2”-thick  beef short ribs
• kosher salt
• 2T plus 1t neutral oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 8 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 cups dry red wine
• 0.5 cups mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine)
• 0.33 cups soy sauce
• 0.25 cups light brown sugar
• 8 oz mu (Korean) radish or daikon, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

What to do:

Season the short ribs all over with salt. Heat 2T oil in a small pot over medium-high heat. In 2 batches, brown the ribs, turning occasionally, until browned all over, about 10 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate.

Add the onion, garlic, and ginger to that same pot and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until softened and lightly browned. Add the wine, and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced by about half, 8–10 minutes. 

Add the mirin, soy sauce, brown sugar, and 2 cups of water. Add the ribs to the pot and bring the liquid to a simmer. Partially cover the pot and cook at a very gentle simmer, adding splashes of water from time to time, if needed.

Cook until the ribs are very tender and the sauce is thick enough to coat the meat. Cooking time is about 3 hours. Add the radish about an hour before the ribs are done.

Serve hot with rice or mashed potatoes.