Thai red curry paste, garlic, ginger, cilantro and fish sauce flavor the coconut-infused broth for these braised bison short ribs. A tough cut of meat, the short ribs become meltingly tender when cooked slowly over low heat.
Bison short ribs, unlike beef short ribs, are quite lean and therefore can be enjoyed as part of a healthy diet.If you have time, prepare this dish through Step 2 a day ahead—the flavor of the sauce and tenderness of the meat get even better overnight. Serve with bowls of jasmine rice.
6 servings | Active Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 3 hours
Ingredients
- 1 1/2-2 teaspoons red curry paste, (see Note), or more to taste
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 3 1/8-inch-thick slices peeled fresh ginger
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro stems plus 1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves, divided
- 6 scallions, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 teaspoons canola oil
- 3 pounds bone-in bison short ribs, or 2 pounds boneless (see Note), trimmed
- 2 cups thinly sliced red onion
- 1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce, (see Note)
- 2 tablespoons lime juice, or more to taste
- 3 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
- 1 cup “lite” coconut milk, (optional)
- 6 baby bok choy, cut in half, or 3 regular bok choy, cut into quarters
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Preparation
- Place curry paste to taste, garlic, ginger, cilantro stems, scallions and water in a blender or food processor. Blend or process to form a loose paste. Add more water if the mixture is too dense to blend.
- Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add ribs and brown on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes total. Stir in the curry mixture, onion, broth, fish sauce and 2 tablespoons lime juice. Bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to maintain a simmer, and cook, turning the ribs every 30 minutes, until the meat is very tender when pierced with a fork, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
- Transfer the ribs to a plate; cover and keep warm. Add tomatoes and coconut milk (if using) to the broth; bring to a simmer. Add bok choy; cover and cook until the bok choy bases can be pierced with a fork, 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the size. Season with pepper and more lime juice, if desired. Serve topped with cilantro leaves.
Nutrition
Per serving : 211 Calories; 4 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 2 g Mono; 79 mg Cholesterol; 12 g Carbohydrates; 31 g Protein; 3 g Fiber; 759 mg Sodium; 781 mg Potassium
1 Carbohydrate Serving
Tips & Notes
- Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 2; let cool, cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Skim fat from the top, reheat and finish with Step 3.
- Ingredient notes: Fish sauce is a pungent Southeast Asian condiment made from salted, fermented fish. Find it in the Asian section of large supermarkets and in Asian specialty markets.
- Red curry paste is a blend of chile peppers, garlic, lemongrass and galangal (a root with a flavor similar to ginger). Look for it in jars or cans in the Asian section of the supermarket or specialty stores. The heat and salt level can vary widely depending on brand. Be sure to taste as you go.
- Tip: Bison short ribs can be found at specialty meat markets and online. For bone-in short ribs, both English-style—a single bone with a chunk of meat attached—and flanken-style—thinner cut with 3 to 4 ribs per strip—will work for this recipe. Remove any silver skin—the tough, silvery-looking membrane lining the meat-side of the ribs—before cooking.
Thank you EatingWell: March/April 2009