Asian Braised Oxtail/Short Ribs

 

Braises and stews are staples in my kitchen. They're easy to prep and I let my slow cooker do the rest. Occasionally I like to use my fancy pants dutch oven too. When it comes to using meaty bones, I like to brown the meat (either in a cast iron or broil in the oven) first. Those brown bits at the bottom of your pan are like gold. Here, I seasoned the meat with a little Chinese 5 spice and then pan seared them before adding the rest of the ingredients. If you've never tried Chinese 5 spice, it's an aromatic blend of star anise, cinnamon, cloves, sichuan peppercorns, and fennel. Some variants have ginger and cardamon. But it adds such amazingly complex flavors, it's definitely worth a try. In this recipe, I opted to use Oxtails and Short ribs, but you can go ahead and use any meaty bone.

Asian Braised Oxtail/Short ribs

What you'll need:

• 2-3 lbs beef oxtail, ribs, or short ribs
• 5 tbsp gluten free tamari or coconut aminos
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1-2 tbsp chinese five spice + 1/2 tsp for sauce
• 1.5 tsp FlavorGod Garlic Lovers (or use garlic powder)
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 1/4 tsp dried mustard
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 cups beef/chicken stock (I used homemade)
• 1 tbsp honey
• 6-8 oz dried shiitake mushrooms (fresh would be okay too)
• 2-3 minced garlic cloves
• 1 one inch piece of peeled ginger

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 300F. Pat the beef dry. Season all sides with 1-2 tbsp chinese 5 spice, a couple large pinches of salt and fresh cracked black pepper. In a cast iron pot, heat 2 tbsp of fat of choice over medium high heat. Working in batches as to not overcrowd the pot, sear the beef on each side (about 1-2 minutes each side). Remove and set aside. 
2. Add the ginger and garlic, scraping the bottom for the browned bits. Add the tarmari/coconut aminos, mirin, honey, paprika, 1/2 tsp chinese 5 spice, garlic powder, white pepper, and dried mushrooms to the pot. Stir. Place the beef back into the pot. Add the stock and the dried mushrooms. 
3. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover with an oven proof lid and place in the oven to bake for 2.5-3 hours. After 3 hours, remove from the oven and place the pot on the stove. Remove the cover and bring the stew to a simmer over medium heat. Allow the sauce to thicken for 25-30 minutes over medium heat. 
4. Serve with chopped green onions (optional) over rice or cauliflower rice (for low carb/paleo) and your favorite sauteed veggie (I served mine with bok choy).