Spicy Braised Beef Ribs

Beef ribs are braised in a sweet and sticky sauce prepared with red pepper paste and chilies. These moist and tender ribs are perfect for a cold winter night’s dinner! Using easy to find Asian ingredients, these Spicy Braised Beef Ribs are easy to prepare and are simmered until the meat is practically falling off the bone! 

I’ve long been a lover of slow-roasted beef. And, I’ve long been a lover of short ribs. Long have I held on to the belief that you can’t really have super moist and tender short ribs unless you go the slow-roasted route. As it turns out, Dear Reader, I was wrong! My first big bite of these Spicy Braised Beef Ribs changed my mind! Just look at those ribs! Don’t they look amazing!?

From the very first moment I tasted a braised beef short rib, I knew there was no turning back. They can be pricey, which is why I don’t cook them very often. They also need to be cooked properly, otherwise, they can be tough and chewy. Until now, I really thought that meant cooking them very slowly, but braising in a heavy pot with a heavy lid to lock in moisture, cuts down the cooking time substantially.

The meat is still super tender and moist. Once done, it’s actually hard to pick up the rib without the bone sliding right out of the meat! They are so tender and succulent; they almost melt in your mouth! I know that braising might seem a little intimidating, but to be honest, it’s just a fancy word!

WHAT ARE BEEF SHORT RIBS?

Before I tell you how to make my Spicy Braised Beef Ribs, I want to explain what they are, because they are not an ingredient that is widely used, so you might not know much about them. Basically, beef ribs (sometimes called beef short ribs) come from the beef chuck section of the cow. There are five short ribs that are too small to be used for steak, so they are packaged and sold as beef ribs.

Please note that short ribs are not just shorter and fatter beef back ribs. The rack of beef ribs that you see on most summer grills comes from the prime rib section of the animal which is closer to the top. Beef short ribs come from the bottom section. Short ribs are much larger and meatier, which also makes them a little bit pricier, depending on where you source beef.

The beef ribs you see in my photos are quite large in comparison to what you might see in other parts of the world. In Asian cuisine, for example, beef short ribs are sliced thinly so they can be cooked quickly rather than long and slow. Some cuts do not have the extended bone like the ones I’m using. The longer bone, with one very thick and meaty end and a tapered opposite end, refers to an English-style cut.

DUTCH OVENS

A proper Dutch oven is needed to get these ribs just right. I have several to choose from. But, that’s because I have purchased them over the years and not all at once. And, because I cook and bake all the time. Dutch ovens are a huge investment, but they are very much worth it if you use it often enough.

For this particular recipe, I used my 5 litre Le Creuset. You can most certainly use a larger pot, but I wouldn’t use anything smaller. You may run into an issue with the sauce bubbling over if you use a smaller pot. (Spellcheck is suggesting that I change litre to liter, but I cannot bring myself to do it! I may be wrong, but I think the United States is the only place where it’s spelled liter. Here in Canada, it’s litre!)

You most certainly can use an oval Dutch oven if that’s what you have! And, it does not need to be a Le Creuset brand either! In fact, I have a cheaper version that I often use. It’s a Pioneer Woman brand that I picked up at Walmart. I think I paid less than $50 for it!

If all you have is cast iron pot with a heavy cast iron lid, then it will work perfectly as well. The key is to keep the heat into the pot, which will ensure that the ribs braise properly. It’s important to keep the heat and steam inside the pot and not let it escape.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Beef Ribs/Short Ribs – Do not use Asian-style short ribs for this recipe. Those ribs tend to be sliced thinly across the bone and will most certainly completely fall apart in this recipe. Use larger cuts which typically weigh roughly 10-12 ounces each.
• Water
• Sugar
• Soy Sauce – Use low-sodium soy sauce, otherwise, the sauce will be too salty. If you only have regular soy sauce, use half soy sauce and half water to dilute the salt.
• Corn Syrup – There are a lot of misconceptions about corn syrup because one of them is bad for you and the other one is just liquid sugar extracted from corn. We are using the latter, which won’t hurt anyone in moderation. You can substitute with molasses or honey.
• Red Pepper Paste – Commonly known as gochujang, a spicy paste used in Korean cooking, made from red chili peppers, fermented soybeans, rice, and salt. You can find both of these in many big chain grocery stores and most certainly in Asian markets. Gochujang is also available on Amazon.
• Garlic – Use fresh garlic for maximum flavour.
• Rice Wine Vinegar – If you don’t have rice wine vinegar, you can use apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar.
• Onion Powder
• Dry Mustard – This is a powdered mustard, usually sold in small cans. You will find it in the spice section of most grocery stores.
• Dried Red Chili Flakes
• Ground Black Pepper
• Cornstarch
• Sesame Seeds
• Chives or Green Onions – For garnish.

HOW TO MAKE SPICY BRAISED BEEF RIBS

Add all of the sauce ingredients to a large dutch oven and stir to combine. Turn the heat to medium and allow the sauce to heat up. In the meantime, rinse the beef ribs under cold running water. Gently massage each piece taking the time to feel for small bone fragments and remove any if found. Once all of the ribs have been cleaned, add them to the pot with the sauce and increase the heat to high. As the sauce and rib mixture comes to a boil, some foam will gather at the top. Use a spoon to scoop out the foam and discard it. Once all of the foam has been removed, reduce the heat to simmer and place a lid on the pot.

Simmer the spare ribs for 1 hour, checking at the 45 minute mark to stir. Next, whisk together the cornstarch and water to make a slurry. Remove the lid and slowly pour in the slurry mixture while stirring the ribs and sauce. This will thicken the sauce. Once thickened, turn off the heat and allow the ribs to rest for 5 minutes, uncovered, before serving. Plate and garnish. Enjoy!

LET THEM EAT SAUCE!

Alexis Soyer, a 19th-century French chef, once said that sauces in cookery are like the first rudiments of grammar – the foundation of all languages. I couldn’t agree more! I love a good sauce recipe. In fact, sometimes, they don’t need to be recipes at all. Our pantry is always stocked with bottled sauces. One doesn’t always have time to make every sauce from scratch, so store-bought will do just fine!

In the case of these Spicy Braised Beef Ribs, you will have lots of sauce left in the pot once you remove the ribs – that is if you prepared the recipe as per the instructions in the recipe card below. I like to serve ribs with sauce on the side. Ladle the sauce into a serving bowl and allow everyone to help themselves to more sauce if they so desire. It’s always good to serve ribs with extra sauce!

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Beef ribs are quite large and very meaty, so I would assume that one per person would be more than enough. However, please be fair warned that these Spicy Braised Beef Ribs are so good that one might not be enough to satisfy you! Beef ribs can be expensive, depending on where you live, so a safe bet is to serve these with delicious and hearty sides.

There are two or three sides that I can think of that would work perfectly with these ribs. First, the most obvious is mashed potatoes or a creamy polenta or grits. I think those three would certainly please just about anyone. Another option would be noodles. A plainly seasoned chow mein would make a great bed for these ribs! Finally, how about just good old plain steamed rice? The key is to use a hearty side, but one with muted flavours so that the beef ribs are the star.

And, no matter what side you choose to pair the ribs with, be sure to ladle over lots of that deliciously garlicky, sweet, and spicy sauce. It really is absolutely wonderful! Garnish according to your own tastes. I thought the toasted sesame seeds would pair well. Of course, you can’t go wrong with finely chopped chives or green onions for freshness and even more flavour!

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!