Even when separated, we can still cook together.
My family is pretty spread-out, physically speaking. I live in Florida, my parents live in Connecticut, and my sister lives in California. Because we live so far apart, it’s tough for us to meet up on a regular basis and have in-person family time. But we still keep in contact through a WhatsApp chat, sharing our thoughts, feelings, and Netflix recommendations most days of the week. My sister in particular has become quite the culinary tinkerer, regularly sharing pictures and videos of her various vegetarian-friendly dishes with us. Sometimes my mom will try to copy one of her recipes, and it usually works, though it’s also pretty funny when it doesn’t. Though we may not be in close proximity to one another, our familial bond is still as tight as ever, and I like to think my sister’s cooking has contributed to that. It’s just fun to watch people cook, even if you can’t stand right next to each other. Chris Morocco and Christina Chaey of Bon Appetit get that; while current circumstances keep them from seeing each other in person, but with a little help from their phones, they can still have a proper cooking session. If you want something tasty to share a picture of with your loved ones, try this recipe.
Red Wine and Soy–Braised Short Ribs
Credit: Alex Lau, Susie Theodorou, Ayesha Patel/Bon Appetit
Ingredients
- 4 lb. 2″-thick boneless beef short ribs or 5 lb. 2″-thick crosscut bone-in short ribs flanken style, cut into 2×2″ pieces
- Kosher salt
- 2 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. grapeseed or extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 8 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 2 ” piece ginger peeled, sliced ⅛” thick
- 2 cups dry red wine
- ½ cup mirin sweet Japanese rice wine
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ mu radish or daikon about 8 oz., peeled, cut into 1″ pieces
- 1 large egg beaten to blend
- Shilgochu or gochugaru coarse Korean hot pepper flakes, sliced scallions, and cooked rice (for serving)
Instructions
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Thoroughly season the short ribs with salt. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a small pot on medium-high heat. In 2 batches, cook the ribs while turning occasionally (turn the heat down if you need to so they don’t scorch), until they’re browned all over, 10–12 minutes per batch. Move those to a plate.
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Add the onion, garlic, and ginger to same pot and cook, stirring often, until they’re soft and lightly browned, 6–8 minutes. Add the wine and bring the pot to a boil. Turn the heat down and let it simmer until the liquid has reduced by half, 8–10 minutes. Add the mirin, soy sauce, brown sugar, and 2 cups water. Put the ribs back in the pot and get the liquid simmering. Partially cover the pot and cook, carefully adjusting the heat to maintain a very gentle simmer and adding splashes of water as needed, until ribs are tender and easily shredded and the sauce is thick enough to coat the meat, 3–3½ hours. Add the radish in about 1 hour before the ribs are done. Take them off the heat.
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Heat up the remaining 1 tsp. of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the egg and tilt the pan to create a very thin 6–8″ circle. Cook just until the egg has set, about 1 minute, then roll it up into a cylinder. Move that to a cutting board and thinly slice into ribbons.
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Top the ribs with egg, shilgochu, and scallions. Serve with a side of rice.
