Cherry-Braised Short Ribs

I found this recipe in the October 2012 issue of Rachel Ray Magazine. I thought the short ribs looked great and  having never made them before, I had to try them. The recipe served them with bok choy and soba noodles which I also made, but I can't recommend them because I did not particularly care for them. If you have never had bok choy, it isn't extremely terrible, the taste is similar to cabbage, but I like cabbage better. Instead of the soba noodles I would try lo mein noodles or go potato with mashed cheesy potatoes or mashed sweet potatoes. I think it is safe to say that I won't be purchasing bok choy or soba noodles ever again. The noodles were slimy, however, the bok choy was very tasty raw. Unfortunately, my cut of short ribs were very fatty, but the taste was still good when you cut around the fat.

Season the ribs with salt and pepper. Go light on the salt because you are also using soy sauce. In a large dutch oven, heat 1 tbsp. oil over over high heat. In 2 batches, brown all of the sides of the ribs, adding more oil if needed, about 5 minutes per batch. 

 Transfer to a plate. 

Lower the heat to medium and add the sesame seeds and toast for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Pour in the wine and vinegar, stirring to scrape up the browned bits. Add the beef broth, hoisin (tastes like BBQ sauce), cherry juice and soy sauce and bring to a simmer.

Return the ribs to the pot, making sure to keep the meat submerged. Partially cover the pot and simmer until the meat is tender and falling away from the bone, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Transfer the short ribs to a plate. Increase the heat to high, add the bok choy (if using) to the pot and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Using the slotted spoon, transfer the bok choy to the plate with the meat. Add the cooked soba to the braising sauce in the pot and bring to a boil; cook until heated through, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to the plates using tongs. I left out the dried cherries because a small container of them at my store was $8 and I just couldn't bring myself to pay that. Add the cherries to the sauce and boil until the mixture is thickened and the cherries are soft, about 10 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the meat, greens and noodles. Top with the scallions.

The original recipe...

http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipe/cherry-braised-short-ribs-with-bok-choy-soba-noodles/

Ingredients

• 3 pounds beef flanken short ribs (about 1-inch thick), sliced across the bones and halved crosswise
• salt and pepper
• 1 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 2 teaspoons grated garlic
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 cup hoisin sauce
• 1/2 cup bottled pure cherry juice
• 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 1/2 pounds bok choy, well rinsed
• 1 8.8 ounce package  soba noodles, cooked and rinsed
• 1/2 cup dried cherries
• 3 tablespoons sliced scallion greens

Directions

1. Season the ribs with 1/2 tsp. salt. In a large dutch oven, heat 1 tbsp. oil over high heat. In 2 batches, brown the ribs, adding more oil if needed, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate. Lower the heat to medium, add the sesame seeds and toast for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
2. Pour in the wine and vinegar, stirring to scrape up the browned bits. Add the beef broth, hoisin, cherry juice and soy sauce and bring to a simmer. Return the ribs to the pot, making sure to keep the meat submerged.
3. Partially cover the pot and simmer until the meat is tender and falling away from the bone, about 2 hours (as shown above).
4. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the short ribs to 4 plates. Increase the heat to high, add the bok choy to the pot and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Using the slotted spoon, transfer the bok choy to the plates with the meat. Add the cooked soba to the braising sauce in the pot and bring to a boil; cook until heated through, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to the plates using tongs. Add the cherries to the sauce and boil until the mixture is thickened and the cherries are soft, about 10 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the meat, greens and noodles. Top with the scallions.

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