Sweet and spicy glazed Beef Short Ribs

You could feel the storm in the air when you stepped outside last Monday night, causing a bit of anxiety in the house.   Preparing dinner would be the  perfect thing to keep us (mostly me!) occupied as we tried to stay away from the television coverage of the looming disaster of Super Storm Sandy last week.  On the top of our minds of course, was how Ben and Elaine were making out in New York and if their galleries in Chelsea and the Lower East Side would make it safely through the floods.  We are happy to report that they made it through safely, although are a little cagey after being stranded in Queens/Brooklyn while the transit system makes a slow recovery. The good news is that they were able to provide some shelter from the storm to some friends who were less fortunate than they were with respect to power outages and flooding.
 

 Being a little too distracted to be very creative,  this Adam Perry Lang recipe was easily modified to suit the beef short ribs that I had picked up at Central Fresh Market in Kitchener that morning. I still had some late fall eggplants that had been given to me by a neighbour last week, so they also became part of dinner.

Sweet and spicy glazed Beef Short Ribs
 http://www.adamperrylang.com/recipes/boneles-griled-short-ribs-with-asian-flavors

Ingredients

4 lbs cross-cut beef short ribs

Marinade
4 garlic cloves, peeled, halved, germ removed, grated on a Microplane grater
1⁄4 cup Japanese soy sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine or dry sherry
2 tablespoons water 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 tablespoons finely chopped scallions, white and green portions
1 tablespoon finely chopped or grated fresh ginger
1⁄2 teaspoon finely ground fresh black pepper

Glaze
Pinch of crushed hot red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar

Preparation

1. Combine all of the marinade ingredients. Place the ribs in an extra- large resealable plastic bag. Pour over the marinade, squeeze out any excess air from the bag, and close. Roll the bag to evenly coat all of the meat in the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or up to 6.
2. Preheat all grates of a well-oiled charcoal or gas grill to medium.
3. If using the pepper flakes in the glaze, combine the vinegar and flakes in a jar with a tight- fitting lid and let sit for 1 to 2 minutes to allow the flavors to develop. Add the sugar and water to the jar and shake to combine the glaze ingredients. Set aside.
4. Remove the ribs from the marinade, letting any excess run off into the bag. Lightly pat the meat dry with paper towels.

Cooking Method

5. Place ribs on grids. Close the lid and cook, without moving the meat, until it is well marked and lightly caramelized, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip the ribs, close the lid, and cook on the second side for 5 to 7 minutes. Turn off burners below the ribs and continue cooking over indirect heat for 8-10 more minutes.  Meanwhile, give the glaze a quick shake to reincorporate any ingredients that may have settled and brush each rib on both sides with the glaze. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes to tighten the glaze.

Grilled Eggplant with Asian Glaze

We also were able to adapt this Lucy Waverman recipe for the grill.

4 large eggplants, asian if you can get them

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

Glaze:

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tbsp water

 1tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp ginger, minced

3 green onions, chopped

½ tsp Asian chili sauce

1 ½ tsp sesame oil

1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Preheat barbecue on MEDIUM and brush the grids with oil to prevent sticking.

Slice the eggplant into ½ inch thick slices, lengthwise, and toss with oil and salt. Lay on the hot grids and grill for 8 minutes, turn and grill for another 8 minutes, until brown and slightly crispy.

Meanwhile, combine soy sauce with sugar, vinegar and water in a small bowl. Heat a sauté pan and add oil.  Add garlic, ginger, onions, and chili paste. Cook for about 30 seconds. Add soy sauce mixture and bring to a boil. Add sesame oil. Place grilled eggplant slices in the sauce pan and toss to coat with the glaze. Place eggplant slices on a large serving platter with the short ribs and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

Andy and Mark enjoy the results.