five-spice braised short ribs with rice

five-spice has a very distinct flavor. with it's combination of cloves, star anise, cinnamon, fennel, and pepper, it is hard to describe with words.

in fact, i didn't even attempt to describe it to the geek. five-spice is the star ingredient of these luscious ribs, so i just served him some ribs with a big scoop of sticky rice and left them alone to get acquainted.

i think the meeting was a success...kind of. while the geek still cannot identify which part of the overall flavor can be attributed to the five-spice powder, he declares these ribs "very tasty, tender, fall off the bone" and says he "rejoices" whenever we have them for dinner.


adapted from aida mollenkamp's sticky five-spice short rib recipe on food network.com

in addition to the prep time, the ribs will spend about 2 hours in the oven so you'll want to start this about 2.5 hours before meal time. 

serves 4

equipment
dutch oven (or another ovenproof dish with a tightly fitting lid)

ingredients
1 1/2 cups dry sherry
1/2 cups oyster sauce
1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed

2 1/2 pounds short ribs, english cut

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon five-spice powder

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 serrano pepper, halved
6 cloves garlic, smashed
1 inch ginger, peeled and sliced
3 cups uncooked rice (or 4 cups if using a rice measuring cup)

instructions

1. place rack in the middle of the oven and pre-heat to 350 degrees (f).
2. in a small bowl, combine sherry, oyster sauce, and brown sugar. mix to dissolve the sugar and set aside.
3. pat ribs dry with a paper towel. season with salt and five-spice powder, patting gently to adhere the seasoning to the meat.
4. heat the dutch oven (or similar pot) over medium heat. add the oil and heat until very hot and the oil begins to smoke. add meat and sear- browning for one or two minutes on each side then remove to a plate. 
5. discard all except 1 tablespoon of drippings and return the pan to the heat. add the serrano pepper, garlic, and ginger to the pan. stir while cooking until they are fragrant (about 30 seconds).
6. add the sherry mixture to the pan and stir; bring to a simmer.
7. add the ribs back to the pan and return to a simmer.
8. cover and transfer the pan to the oven. cook for approximately 1 1/2 hours, turning the meat occasionally. the meat should be tender by the end of the 1 1/2 hours.
9. while ribs are cooking, prepare rice according to package instructions.
10. increase heat to 400 degrees (f) and cook covered for an additional 25 minutes. this will thicken the sauce.
11. remove garlic, ginger, and serrano pepper prior to serving. serve with sticky rice.

notes:

• the sauce is very flavorful and slightly salty. it needs rice or another starch to balance it out.
• in a pinch, i have used thick accordion cut ribs. they worked out fine.