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On the nights that I am not cooking or the nights that my husband and I go out and the kids are on their own they always ask for either pizza or Asian food.  I think that they are drawn to the salty element of both of those foods.  But every time I order pizza or Asian take out I feel guilty and bloated, because of course I have to taste their food and the salt content is off the charts.

Now, I think you all know, if you have been reading my blog, that I am not one of those vegan, vegetarian, only eat organic, never eat fast food kind of moms.  Hell yes we eat In and Out Burger and hell yes we eat Goldfish crackers and Hagen Daz (sometimes together), but I do try and serve my kids, and me,  as much healthy food as possible.
This recipe is not exactly “healthy”, but it is a hell of a lot healthier than ordering take out. I got this recipe from a friend of mine who got it from Aida Mollenkamp of Food Network and I have adjusted it a bit over the years to fit my family. It does take a bit of forethought so don’t think you are going to start this dinner at 5pm and have it on the table by 6pm.  If you are not at home during the day to put this in the oven then it might be a dish that is better made on the weekends when you have more time, unless your weekends are like mine which are busier than the weekdays.
You will probably need to go to a high end grocery store or butcher to find English cut short ribs.  If you can only find regular beef short ribs you can ask the butcher to cut them in half to make them smaller, which is the only difference between regular beef short ribs and English cut short ribs. Do not buy flanken style (will not hold up to the braising) or boneless (you want the bone for flavor).
You are going to need a heavy bottomed pot with a lid for this recipe.  I LOVE my Le Creuset pots!  They are an investment, but you will have them forever and you will use them ALL the time, I promise!
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Enjoy!
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Asian Five Spice Short Ribs

I got this recipe at one of my cooking club dinners and it was so good. I just knew it was going to be complicated but it is SO easy. You just need some time, but the hands on time is about 20 minutes. You family will love love! Serve with rice and steamed broccoli.

Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 Cups Dry Sherry
  • 1/2 Cup Oyster sauce
  • 1/3 Cup Light brown sugar
  • 2 1/2 lb. Beef short ribs, English cut-which means ribs cut in half by butcher
  • 1 Tablespoon Five-spice powder
  • 1 Tablespoon Vegetable oil
  • 5-6 Garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1 1" Piece of ginger, peeled and sliced

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°

  2. In a medium sized bowl, combine sherry, oyster sauce and brown sugar.  Pat ribs dry and season with five-spice powder on all sides.  

  3. Heat oil in a large heavy bottomed pot (with a lid) over medium-high heat.  Add ribs and brown on all sides, about 2 minutes per side.  You might have to do this in batches so you do not crowd the pan. You want the ribs to sear not steam. Remove the browned ribs to a plate.  Pour off all but about 1 Tablespoons of fat from pot.  

  4. Return the pot to the heat and add the garlic and ginger.  Cook for about 30 seconds.  Pour in the sherry mixture and bring to a simmer.

  5. Add the ribs back to the pot and cover with the lid.  Place pot in oven for about 1 1/2 hours or until the ribs are tender. Once the ribs are done remove the lid and place in the oven for an additional 30 minutes until the ribs become sticky.

  6. Discard the ginger and garlic cloves. Serve ribs with steamed rice.

Recipe Notes

If you want to add a little heat to this recipe you can add 1/2 of a jalapeño pepper to the pot before you place it in the oven.  

You will most likely need to buy the Sherry at a liquor store unless your grocery store sells liquor.  

Needed Items