Korean Beef Ribs

I had these about fifteen years ago at a museum event and I never forgot them.  After slowly braising and roasting in the oven the ribs emerge in a sticky, mahogany glaze with the meat literally falling from the bone... This is Manna from Heaven for carnivores.

4-5 pounds meaty beef ribs (‘short ribs’ in the States, ‘flat ribs’ in the UK), separated and each cut to be 3” in length

Braising Sauce

½ cup good quality soy sauce (Kikkoman is very good and a good value)

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon Mirin, or rice vinegar (even cider vinegar will work)

3 heaping tablespoons sugar—brown, white, whatever you got

2” piece of ginger, roughly chopped

4 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

6 green onions, roughly chopped

3 tablespoons sesame seeds

1 tablespoon flour

½ cup cold water

1) Preheat the oven to 300F (150C). Mix all the braising sauce ingredients together in a bowl.  Pour over the ribs and toss to coat well. Now pour it (ribs, sauce and all) into a large oven proof, lidded pot or onto a deep baking tray or casserole dish—just make sure to cover with a lid or heavy aluminium foil.

2)  Roast/braise the ribs, covered for two hours, turning the ribs every 45 minutes or so. Check to make sure that there is always liquid in the pot—top up with warm water if needed. After 2 hours, remove the lid give everything a stir to coat the ribs again in the sauce and allow the ribs to full-on roast, uncovered, for one more hour in order to crisp up just a bit.

Remove from the braising sauce and serve—that’s it—serves 6 for dinner.