Lemongrass and Tamarind Beef Ribs
Serves: 6
Ingredients
3 beef short ribs (about 2kg), halved to make 6 small ribs
1 litre (4 cups) chicken stock
130 gm palm sugar, grated
120 gm tamarind pulp, softened in 125ml hot water for 30 minutes, then pressed through a fine sieve (solids discarded)
80 ml (1/3 cup) fish sauce
80 ml (1/3 cup) dark soy sauce
To serve: coriander, mint, Thai basil, thinly sliced long red chilli and red shallots, and steamed jasmine rice
Fragrant Paste
40 gm (8cm piece) each ginger and galangal, coarsely chopped
8 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
6 golden shallots
2 lemongrass stalks, white part only, coarsely chopped
2 coriander roots, scraped
Deep-fried Shallots
For deep-frying: peanut oil
6 red shallots, thinly sliced
Method
- Preheat oven to 150C. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat, add ribs, turn occasionally until browned (3-5 minutes). Transfer to a deep roasting pan to fit snugly.
- Meanwhile, for fragrant paste, process ingredients in a food processor until finely chopped, then spread over ribs. Add stock, sugar, tamarind, fish sauce and soy sauce, cover with baking paper and foil and roast until ribs are very tender (2½-3 hours).
- Cool ribs in stock, then separate stock and ribs and refrigerate each, covered, until chilled (4 hours-overnight). Bring ribs to room temperature.
- Skim fat from stock (discard), then reduce stock in a saucepan over medium heat to 750ml (30-40 minutes; stock should be very fragrant). Keep warm.
- Meanwhile, for deep-fried shallots, heat oil in a deep frying pan to 180C. Add shallot, stir continuously until golden (1½-3 minutes; be careful as hot oil will spit), then strain through a metal sieve and set aside on on absorbent paper.
- Heat a non-stick pan over high heat, add ribs and sauce and turn occasionally until warmed through (2-4 minutes). Serve hot topped with deep-fried shallots, herbs, chilli and fresh shallots, with steamed rice.
Tips
You'll need to begin this recipe a day ahead.
Always rest beef after cooking. This gives the meat juices a chance to redistribute, giving a moister and tender result.
Note: Not all images displayed on this page utilise Cape Grim Beef.