Braised Beef Short Ribs

I have been swanning up and down the coast the last 2 weeks with my friend Louise and whilst we have made some fabulous food, I have neglected to photograph it or write about it. Apologies to all, I think with the weather being so beautiful I was lulled into thinking I was on Xmas holidays or something.
This dish is so yummy and gets many many comments of high praise. It is not me, however but the slow cook in the Asian master stock. Kylie Kwong and Neil Perry are masters of these beautiful stocks and it is this that makes the meat so delicious. The cheaper cuts of meat lend themselves very well to the long slow cook. I have done this with beef brisket, pork neck, and beef cheek.
The beef ribs are available at any good butcher, however you may have to ask for them to be cut. Asian butchers have them all the time and as is always the way, they are half the price.
Start this the day before. All the work is done leaving more time to chat to your dinner guests.
There is a lot of fat on them so trim them as much as you can, before cooking them.
After they have cooked slowly for around 3 hours let them cool. Then trim as much fat from them as you can, strain the stock and place them back into the stock for heating at serving time.
It seems like a lot of work, but it is well worth it and you have less work on the night.
I cooked for 10 and used approximately 5 kilos of ribs.

The following is for 1.5 kilos beef short ribs, just increase the spices and flour, and cover with more stock and shao xing wine


1 tablespoons ground fennel
1tablespoons ground coriander
1 tablespoons smokey paprika
1-2 tablespoons chilli powder
4 tablespoons plain flour
2 cups chicken stock plus 3 extra cups water
1 cup shao xing wine
1/2 cup light soy
4 cloves garlic roughly chopped
1 onion roughly chopped
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 cup rock sugar
1 star anise
2 good pieces dried manadarin or orange peel
4 chopped shallots

Mix the fennel, coriander paprika and chilli powder together with the flour.
Spray the ribs lightly with oil and coat them in the spices and flour mixture. The easiest way to do this is to place them in a plastic bag with the flour and spice mix and shake it around
Heat a couple of tablespoons olive oil in a heavy casserole pot. Brown the ribs on all sides and remove from the pot.
Lightly fry the garlic and onion in the pot and scrape up any remnants of the spices.
Add the stock, shao xing wine, soy sauce, cinnamon stick, mandarin peel, rock sugar star anise and chopped shallots and bring to a gentle simmer for 10 minutes to infuse the flavours.
Place the ribs into the simmering stock and cover. Braise for 2 1/2 hours -3 hours. If some of the ribs are small they will break up and the meat will come away from the bone.
Follow the instructions above, removing the fat when cool and removing the meat from the bone and keeping in large chunks if possible. I then place them in a shallow baking dish and cover with the strained stock and cover the pan with foil so they gently reheat. If you bring them to the boil in a fast moving stock they may really fall to pieces.
I served them on a bed of creamed mash with some of the stock poured over with some garlic beans and french shallots sautéed in shao xing wine and rock sugar till caramelised.
Delicious......!

Red Braised Pork with Vegetable Stir Fry and Crackling

Braising stocks have become a staple in my kitchen and  I would like to share this red braising stock with you. I have done this recipe with beef brisket which is also to die for. Once you have all the ingredients, which I am sure I say all the time, you can make this very quickly and do it well ahead of time. The stock can be strained and used again. The meat is so succulent and full of flavour . There won't be a person who doesn't want more and ask you for the recipe. You simply can't go wrong. If you happen to have any left, which I guarantee you won't, it is still beautiful the next day.
All of the ingredients are available at an Asian supermarket and are very inexpensive. Shaoxing wine you can get for 99 cents sometimes normally  $1.99. Stock up and keep these ingredients on hand.

1 piece of boned pork leg with rind. The size depending on the number of people you are feeding, as long as it fits in to your pot. Alternatively buy a few smaller ones
If purchasing from a butcher get him to cut off the rind and keep to roast separately, otherwise do it yourself, its very easy. NOTE if you keep the boned leg rolled up it will slice quite nicely. If you choose not too it will be chunky pieces of meat as it is falling apart when cooked , this is also very acceptable and will happen if you use a pork shoulder not rolled up too.

6 litre water
3 cups Shaoxing wine
1 cup mushroom soy sauce
2 cups light soy sauce
2 cups of rock sugar
10 bruised garlic cloves
1 red onion chopped into 8
6 shallots, chopped into large pieces
1 cup chopped ginger
1 piece dried orange or tangerine peel
6 star anise
2 cinnamon sticks

Use a large boiling pot on top of the stove. Place all of the ingredients into the water and bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer for 10 minutes to infuse all the flavours. Place the pork into the stock and simmer gently for 2.5 hours. Turn off and leave in the liquid until ready to serve.
Oil and salt the pork rind and place in a baking dish in a hot oven and cook until it is crackled. Break up into largish chunks and set aside.
These amounts for the vegetables are a guide only you can feed six generously with the following amount.

1/4 butternut pumpkin sliced and cut in half again
1 bunch choy sum
1 bunch buk choy
1 red capsicum, finely sliced
250 grams sliced mushrooms
2 cm piece finely chopped ginger
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 sliced red onion
2 bunches broccolini
1 bunch asparagus,each stalk chopped into 3 pieces
1/2 cup Lee Kum Kee vegetable stir fry sauce
1 tablespoon peanut oil

I use a wok, chop vegetables roughly. Heat oil in the wok and gently fry garlic, onion and ginger.

Add the pumpkin first with the stir fry sauce and simmer gently. You can precook a little in the microwave first if short of time. Add broccolini and the capsicum. Toss frequently through the sauce to cook. Add the asparagus, and mushrooms and lastly the buk choy and choy sum. They will wilt pretty quickly so make sure the other vegetables are cooked through.
Turn out onto a platter, leaving the remaining sauce in the wok. Add 1/2 cup of the red braising stock to the stir fry sauce and reduce slightly over a high heat.

Reheat the pork at serving time in the braising stock. Remove and slice to serve garnishing with some star anise and chopped spring onions. Drizzle over the sauce you've reduced slightly in the wok.

Place the stir fried vegetables on a platter and garnish with large chunks of the crispy pork crackling