Chinese fusion · braise
Red-Braised Ragù
Hong shao short ribs cooked down with rock sugar, star anise, and tomato until they shred into a ragù you can put on anything. Tonight, pappardelle or polenta.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 3 hr
- Total
- 3 hr 20 min
- Serves
- 6
This is a Saturday pot. It freezes beautifully. Serve over pappardelle, soft polenta, or buttered rice. A splash of black vinegar at the end is the move if it tastes flat.
- Season the ribs with salt. Brown them in the oil in a heavy pot, then set aside.
- In the remaining fat, soften the onion. Add garlic, ginger, star anise, cinnamon, and rock sugar; cook until the sugar starts to melt and smell caramelized.
- Deglaze with Shaoxing. Add both soys, tomatoes, and water. Return the ribs, cover, and braise at a lazy simmer (or in a 325°F / 160°C oven) for 2½-3 hours, until the meat slumps off the bone.
- Lift out the ribs, discard bones and whole spices, and shred the meat back into the pot. Simmer uncovered 10 minutes to thicken. Finish with black vinegar.
- Serve over wide noodles or polenta with a handful of scallions.