Braised Ribs with Star Anise and Ginger

Following recipes is a challenge for me. I like to read them (endlessly). I like to get ideas from them. I'm inclined to simplify recipes rather than embellish them. But this recipe from Cuisine July 2011, Jacob Brown's Braised Short Ribs with Star Anise and Ginger, had perfection written all over it. The only hurdle is having the patience to start cooking the day before you want to eat it. Other than that, it's a breeze, and totally gorgeous, so not to be messed with.

THE MEAT
Start with beautifully marbled beef short ribs. The recipe called for 3kg to feed six people. I did 1kg for two of us. We could have eaten a lot more. I have made this with a half quota of braising liquid, but today I'm going for the full quota, just so we'll have more of the amazing sticky sauce. Make this in a cast iron casserole or a heavy pan you can use on the stove and in the oven.

• Season the ribs liberally with salt and pepper
• Brown in some hot oil. The recipe called for peanut; I used rice bran. No harm done.
• Brown in batches if necessary -- don't crowd the pan or the meat will get all flustered and steamy. 
• Put the browned meat on a plate.

THE BRAISING LIQUID
Add the liquids to the hot, and now empty pan, and let them help you scrape all the gooey brown bits off the bottom. Bring them to a cheerful boil.

• 3/4 cup Chinese rice wine or dry sherry.
• 1 cup soy sauce (or tamari). Confession -- this seemed like too much saltiness for me, so I used 2/3 cup and topped up with water. 
• 2 1/2 cups water with 1 tablespoon of brown sugar dissolved in it.

THE AROMATICS

These flavour the braising liquid, but get strained out before serving, so no need to peel and chop nicely. Add to the hot liquid:

• A good chunk of fresh ginger, sliced up.
• 3 green onions sliced roughly.
• A couple of cloves of garlic, smashed open, skins and all.
• 3 star anise.
• I used some shallots, just because I had a load and needed to use them.
• 4 strips of orange peel, cut from an orange with your potato peeler.

Bring the liquid back up to the boil, and put the pieces of meat back in. The recipe asks you to cut out a circle of baking paper, dampen it and push it onto the surface of the meat/liquid before putting the lid on. The first time I made this dish I said "screw that" and didn't bother. Today, I've made the effort and added the paper. Over to you.

THE COOKING

• 150 degrees for 1.5 hours.
• Then take out of the oven and turn the meat over. I'm guessing this is only necessary if the meat isn't submerged in the liquid.
• Back in the oven for another hour. Do not be tempted to pick at the bones, or there will be none left for your dinner tomorrow.

THE AGONISING WAIT
Fish the meat out of the liquid, and put it in a container that doesn't mind spending the night in the fridge.
Strain the solids from the liquid, and put the liquid in a fridge-worthy container too. Sadly, you get to throw away the solids. They've done their job.

NEXT DAY
Scrape the fat off the top of the liquid--which will now probably be a jelly rather than a sauce. The meat will look horrible -- dry and hard, and you'll think the whole meal is going to be a disaster. But it won't be. I promise. As you heat everything up gently, the meat will become super soft and tender, and the sauce will become sticky and delicious.

• Put the ribs in an oven proof dish.
• Heat the sauce in a pot until just boiling.
• Pour the hot sauce over the meat, cover with foil or a lid, and put in the oven, 170ish, for half an hour. 
• Give everything a good stir around, to make sure all the meat is glazed with sauce.
• Turn the oven up to 200, and cook, uncovered for another half hour. I was a bit worried about setting something on fire, so I did quite a lot of sauce spooning, and oven door opening and closing... but it was all fine.

When it's all hot and sizzly, it's ready to serve.

Perfect with rice and steamed greens. It's a bit of a palaver, I suppose, but whoever you're feeding will think you're the most amazing creature that ever graced a kitchen, so it's worth it.