BRAISED TAMARIND, GINGER, AND LEMONGRASS SHORT RIBS

BRAISED TAMARIND, GINGER, AND LEMONGRASS SHORT RIBS image

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 10

6 short ribs, bone in
1 onion and 1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 stalk of lemongrass, bruised (do this by whacking the thing against a hard surface, like your kitchen counter, a few times) and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons ginger, peeled and minced
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup white wine, on the sweet side
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoons tamarind paste, dissolved in 1 cup of warm water

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350F. Season ribs with salt and pepper on both sides, and pack them into a heavy roasting pan. Mix the rest of the ingredients (the mirepoix) in a large bowl until the tamarind and sugar completely dissolve. Pour over ribs. The liquid should come up almost to the top of the ribs. If sauce falls short, add water until nearly covered. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and put in the oven for 3 to 4 hours. Check after three hours. The meat should fall off the bone. Allow to cool, then refrigerate overnight. About 30 minutes before serving, remove the ribs, skim the solidified fat off of the liquid, then heat the liquid until all the solid parts are dislodged. Strain the liquid, and reduce in a sauté pan for 20 minutes, or until it's reached a nice, sticky consistency. When the sauce is nearly reduced, return the ribs to the pan and coat with the sauce until the ribs are piping hot and dripping with sauce.