Sticky Szechuan Beef Ribs
Beef short ribs braised in a sticky Szechuan-spiced glaze. Proper low-and-slow flavour with a big payoff.
Serves: 4-6
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
6 beef short ribs
1/4 cup Szechuan peppercorns
1 tbsp freshly cracked black peppercorns
1 tsp five spice powder
1 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
peel of 1/2 orange
6 slices ginger (7cm long, 3cm wide, 3mm thick)
juice of 2 oranges
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 cup chicken stock
1 brown onion, sliced
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
For the noodles:
3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp peanut oil
800g fresh rice noodles
1 cup finely chopped shallots
For the cucumber salad:
8 Lebanese cucumbers (or 3 telegraph cucumbers)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp white sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp sesame oil
3 sprigs coriander, finely chopped
METHOD
Brown each side of the short ribs over medium-high heat on the barbecue - this keeps the smoke outside. About 20 minutes total. Season and set aside.
Toast the Szechuan peppercorns in an ovenproof dish over medium heat until fragrant.
Add the cracked black peppercorns, five spice powder, star anise and cinnamon stick. Remove from the heat.
Stir in the orange peel, ginger slices, orange juice, soy sauce, maple syrup, chicken stock, sliced onion, Shaoxing rice wine and rice wine vinegar. Bring to a simmer, stirring well.
Return the browned short ribs to the pan. Cover with a paper cartouche and the lid.
Transfer to a preheated 170°C oven for 1.5 hours.
Meanwhile, using a meat mallet, smash the cucumbers along their length so they crack and bruise, then cut into roughly even chunks.
In a large salad bowl, combine the garlic, vinegar, sugar, salt and sesame oil until well mixed, then toss through the cucumber and coriander. Chill until ready to serve, tossing again before plating.
About 30 minutes before serving, bring the rice noodles to room temperature. If using the roll variety, slice into 1-2cm thick rounds.
Heat the peanut oil in a wok or large frying pan over high heat and stir-fry the noodles, adding the shallots after 2 minutes. Continue stir-frying for a further 8 minutes, then set aside and keep warm.
Once the ribs are tender and the sauce has reduced to a sticky glaze, remove from the oven. Serve the ribs and sauce over the warm noodles, with the smashed cucumber salad alongside.
HINTS
Browning the ribs on the barbecue first keeps the smoke and smell outside, which matters for a recipe with this many aromatics.
Smashing the cucumber with a mallet rather than slicing it gives a craggier surface that holds the dressing better.
The braising liquid makes an excellent base for a future soup or sauce if you have any leftover.
NUTRITION (per recipe total, serves 4-6 - guide only):
Energy: approx. 5200-5700 kcal
Protein: approx. 150-180g
Carbohydrate: approx. 320-360g
Fat: approx. 260-310g
Fibre: approx. 10-14g
Sugar: approx. 90-110g
Sodium: approx. 9000-9800mg
This nutrition information is a guide only and may vary depending on brands, exact quantities, and ingredient substitutions used.