the Older Bolder Friday Feast 4 January: Thai-Inspired Slow Roasted Short Ribs

Last March or April Chef Libby sent us this jaw-droppingly good recipe for Thai-Inspired Slow Roasted Short Ribs that she’d adapted from one published in Bon Appetit. She noted back then that she significantly upped the ‘spice package’ for the spice-infused coconut milk the ribs slowly roast in for nearly six hours (!).

She also added a bit of heat, in the form of a sliced jalapeno or fresno chile, to the toasted coconut, cilantro, and lime gremolata sprinkled over the top.

Our daughter Jess from Missoula recently visited over the holidays, and I slow roasted five pounds of short ribs using this recipe one coolish, windy afternoon her first day in town. The enticing aromas of coconut, ginger, and lemongrass drove us crazy during the last half of the roasting time, and we all agreed this was probably the best tasting short rib prep any of us had ever chased around a plate.

Libby also had shared a tip last year about using lemongrass; if you’re not feeling up to actually prepping lemongrass stalks, you can certainly using some of the pre-prepared lemongrass purees that are available in produce sections around the country. (We’re big lemongrass fans, so I actually used both…)

Take your time with this one, and get those ribs fall-off-the-bone tender.

4-5 lb beef short ribs
Good salt

3 lemongrass stalks (see note above)
2 medium shallots, trimmed and chopped
5 large garlic cloves
3 jalapeno chiles, stemmed, seeded, chopped
2-inch piece of ginger, peeled, finely chopped
1 tbsp + 1 tsp good curry powder
1 can (14-ounces) full fat, unsweetened coconut milk
Optional: 1 tbsp fish sauce

For the gremolata
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped
1 jalapeno or fresno chile, stemmed, seeded, sliced into half rings
2 tbsp fresh-squeezed lime juice (one average lime)
Salt to taste

Preheat your trusty oven to 250.

Trim the uppermost three quarters of the lemongrass stalks off and lay in the bottom on your dutch oven or large cast iron skillet (if using the prepared lemongrass puree, skip this step of course). Salt the short ribs generously and lay atop the lemongrass, bone side up.

Into the blender go the coconut milk, shallots, garlic, jalapenos, ginger, curry, the lemongrass (at least 1 tbsp of the puree if using, grate the bottom quarters of the stalks in otherwise), and the optional fish sauce, puree until smooth. Pour over the ribs, and slide into the oven.

Roast at 250 for 3.5 hours; you’re looking for the meat to begin to tenderize, and the liquids to reduce by roughly half. (It will look broken and oily, don’t worry about that). At 3.5 hours, turn the ribs on their sides and throw it back into the oven for another 2 hours (maybe 2.5) until the meat is fall apart tender.

During the last hour, toast the coconut until golden (10-15 minutes), set aside to cool. When cool, combine with the cilantro and sliced pepper; add the fresh lime juice and salt just before serving.

When the ribs are done, serve hot with the gremolata spooned over the top.

Enjoy.