Japanese Farmhouse Tamarind-Lime Braised Short Ribs

About This Recipe

This braise takes the low-and-slow logic of Japanese nikujaga and simmered beef dishes and pushes the sourness further with tamarind, an ingredient more common in Southeast and South Asian pantries but one that plays a similar role to the rice vinegar and citrus already found in Japanese braises — cutting through rich, fatty meat. Short ribs are seared hard first to build a deep brown crust, then braised for close to two hours in a broth built from soy sauce, mirin, tamarind paste and dashi, until the meat pulls away from the bone with almost no resistance. A squeeze of fresh lime at the very end wakes the whole dish back up after the long simmer mellows everything. This is a weekend, farmhouse-style dish — the kind that fills the kitchen with smell for hours and rewards patience with meat that falls apart at the touch of a fork.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1.2 kgbone-in beef short ribs
• 1 tbspneutral oil
• 1onion(sliced)
• 2carrots(cut into chunks)
• 3 clovesgarlic(smashed)
• 2 tbsptamarind paste
• 0.33 cupsoy sauce
• 3 tbspmirin
• 2 tbspsugar
• 3 cupsdashi or water
• 1lime(juiced)
• 2scallions(sliced, for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1

   Sear the ribs

   Pat short ribs dry, season with salt, and sear in oil over medium-high heat until deeply browned on all sides, about 10 minutes total. Remove and set aside.

2. 2

   Soften vegetables

   In the same pot, add onion, carrot and garlic. Cook 5 minutes until the onion softens and starts to color.

3. 3

   Build the braising liquid

   Stir in tamarind paste, soy sauce, mirin and sugar, then add dashi and stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

4. 4

   Braise

   Return the ribs to the pot, bring to a simmer, cover, and cook on low heat (or in a 160°C/325°F oven) for about 2 hours, until the meat is fork-tender.

5. 5

   Reduce the sauce

   Remove the ribs and skim excess fat from the surface of the liquid. Simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes until it thickens slightly.

6. 6

   Finish and serve

   Stir lime juice into the reduced sauce, return the ribs to coat, and serve garnished with scallions.

Variations

• •

  Use pork shoulder instead of short ribs for a cheaper, equally tender braise.

• •

  Add a star anise pod to the braising liquid for a warmer, slightly sweeter background note.

• •

  Serve over mashed potatoes instead of rice for a heartier plate.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 4 days; the flavor improves overnight. Reheat gently on the stove, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much. Freezes well up to 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions