Braised Chinese-Style Short Ribs with Soy, Orange, and 5-Spice Powder

Ingredients

• 5 pounds beef short ribs
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons peeled and grated fresh ginger
• 6 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon Chinese five-spice powder
• Zest of 2 oranges, one in wide strips, one finely grated, divided
• 1/2 cup fresh juice from about 2 medium oranges, divided
• 1/2 cup Shaoxing rice wine, or dry sherry
• 1 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup unseasoned rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons sambal chili paste or Chinese chili-garlic sauce
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 3 1/2 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock or water, plus more as needed
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 1 1/2 tablespoons cold water
• 3 scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced, for garnish

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C), or get your slow cooker plugged in and ready. Blot the short ribs thoroughly with clean towels, then season them lightly with salt on both sides and a little more boldly with black pepper. Warm the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it glints, then arrange the ribs in one layer, cooking in batches if the pot is tight. Sear the ribs until they are nicely browned all over, move them to a plate, and pour off the fat from the Dutch oven until 2 tablespoons (30ml) remain.
2. Add the onion, ginger, garlic, and five-spice powder to the Dutch oven. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring as you go, until the onion has softened a bit and everything smells wonderful, about 4 minutes.
3. Put the wide strips of orange zest into the pot, then add 1/4 cup (60ml) orange juice. Pour in the rice wine or sherry, followed by the soy sauce, vinegar, honey, chile paste, hoisin, and stock or water, stirring to bring the braising liquid together. Nestle the ribs back into the Dutch oven, along with any juices from the plate. If you are using a slow cooker, transfer the ribs, cooked aromatics, and liquid there instead.
4. For the slow cooker method, cook on high until the beef is tender and pulls away from the bones easily, 6 to 8 hours.
5. For the Dutch oven method, bring the pot to a boil, put the lid on, and move it to the oven. Braise until the short ribs are tender, about 3 hours, checking now and then and adding more stock or water if the liquid level needs it. Take the lid off for the last 20 minutes of cooking. The beef should be deeply tender, but not so soft that it has fully collapsed.
6. Once the ribs are cooked, transfer them to a serving dish and keep them warm. Strain the braising liquid into a fat separator, or strain it and skim away as much fat as you can with a spoon, then return the strained, defatted sauce to the pot. Discard the cooked aromatics. Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup (60ml) orange juice. You should have about 3 cups (720ml) braising liquid; if there is more than that, simmer it until reduced to 3 cups. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture in 1-tablespoon increments, using only enough to give the sauce a light thickening.
7. Place the short ribs and reduced sauce back in the Dutch oven, turning the ribs so they are well coated. Finish with scallions and the remaining grated orange zest, and serve with mashed potatoes or polenta. Leftovers can be warmed again before serving, or you can remove the meat from the bones, shred it, mix it with braising liquid, and tuck it into tacos.