RECIPE: Sake Braised Beef Short Ribs made with Harris Robinette Beef by Chef Drew Smith

We LOVE when our clients pair up with some of our favorite chefs to create dynamite recipes that we then get to share with you! It’s like one big delicious love triangle. Today we are sharing a sticky rib recipe made with Harris Robinette Beef, perfect for summertime, and created by Chef Drew Smith of the soon-to-be opening, kō•än in Cary, NC. We’ll let Chef Drew take it from here!

Harris Robinette Beef Recipe

When shopping for beef in the supermarket or at your local butcher, everyone seems to turn to the popular cuts: Ribeyes, NY Strips, Filet Mignon, etc. While these are all great choices, I believe there’s one cut that is severely underappreciated: The Short Rib. Intimidating to some, foreign to others, this braising cut can offer great beef flavor for a significantly lower price tag. Now, these will take longer to cook than a more standard cut, however with the new electric pressure cookers on the market, these ribs could be done in thirty minutes! The following recipe is braised traditionally, but if you have an Instant Pot or other cooker, use the same method and you’ll be enjoying these sticky ribs in no time!

Sake Braised Beef Short Ribs:

3# Beef Short Ribs (I prefer bone in)

2 white onions, sliced thin

¼ Cup minced ginger

¼ Cup minced garlic

1 Cup sake

1 Cup mirin (sweetened rice wine)

3 Cup soy sauce

4oz dried shiitake mushrooms 

3oz dried Japanese dates (jujubes)

½ Cup cornstarch

½ Cup water

In a large braising pan or saute pan, heat enough oil to cover the bottom on full high heat. Season the ribs aggressively with salt. Working in batches, sear the ribs on both sides for approximately 2 minutes. Once all the ribs are seared nicely and are deep brown in color, set them aside and grab your veggies. Turn the heat to low and add the white onions. Season with a pinch of salt (kosher!!) and sweat for 5 minutes until they are slightly translucent. Now add the garlic and ginger, again sweat for 2 minutes being careful not to burn the garlic. Deglaze the pan with the sake, making sure to scrape all those tasty bits stuck to the bottom. Place your seared ribs back into the pan and cover with the soy and mirin. 

Sprinkle in the shiitakes and dates (you can find these at any Asian market or improvise with raw mushrooms and regular dates!) At this point, you may need to add a little water to completely cover the ribs. Turn the heat all the way back up and bring to a boil. Once the liquid is rolling, turn the burner as low as it can go and cover the pan with a lid or aluminum foil. 

Now we wait. I generally check them after 90 minutes, but find they usually take closer to 2 hours. The meat should fall apart relatively easily. Carefully remove the ribs from the liquid and try to keep them intact. Turn the heat back up once again and bring to a boil. Mix the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl to create a slurry. Now slowly whisk in the slurry to thicken the liquid into a glaze. Once it’s thickened to your liking, strain the glaze into a bowl or pan. You can hold the short ribs in this glaze until you’re ready to eat. 

Serve these tasty ribs over some Japanese rice and grilled broccolini and you’re sure to impress any steak lover out there!