panang braised beef ribs

the king of braised ribs

So if you ask me about my favorite dish to serve guests, recently my answer has been these braised beef ribs swimming in this coconut-ty, umami-packed Panang curry sauce.

Out of the 13 dishes I made for my client’s Thai night, this was the one people kept going back to for seconds.

Each layer of this dish is packed with flavor bombs.. like fish sauce for funk, tamarind paste for depth of flavor, lemongrass for brightness, and Thai chilis for heat.

MSG (while not everyone’s cup of tea lol) - a pinch of that will take this to the next level.

Serve the short ribs up with plain white rice, a drizzle of coconut milk, fresh mint, and peanuts.. and you’re looking at a restaurant-quality meal that your friends will rave about for weeks.

Serves: 3-4

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 3 hours 30 minutes

Total time: 4 hours

Ingredients:

For the homemade Panang curry paste:

• ¼ cup roasted peanuts

• 1 Thai bird's eye chili (or fresno chili), roughly chopped

• 1 shallot, peeled and roughly chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

• 1-inch knob of galangal (or fresh peeled ginger), roughly chopped

• 2 stalks lemongrass, (with the outer leaves removed and roughly chopped)

• ½ cup packed cilantro leaves

• 2 tbsp shrimp paste

• 1 ½ tsp toasted cumin seeds

• 1 ½ tsp toasted coriander seeds

• 2 tbsp water, plus more if needed

**can skip this step and get store-bought Panang curry paste, but can be tough to find at any place except specialty Asian grocers**

For the sauce:

• 2 tsp vegetable oil

• 2 tbsp batch homemade Panang curry paste

• 1 can (13.5 oz.) full fat coconut milk

• 2 tbsp fish sauce

• 1 tbsp sugar

• 1 tbsp tamarind paste

• 1 tbsp lime (about 1 tablespoon)

• 1 sprig of mint

For the beef ribs:

• 2 - 2 ½ pounds whole (not sliced) bone-in beef short ribs

• 2 tsp kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 2 shallots, peeled and sliced ¼” inch thick

• 4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

• 1 tbsp freshly grated galangal (or ginger)

• 1 stalk lemongrass, tough outer leaves removed and minced

• 1 Thai bird's eye chili (or fresno chili), thinly sliced on the bias

• 1 cup beef stock (plus more if needed)

• Pinch of MSG, to taste (optional)

For serving:

• 2 tbsp full fat coconut milk

• 3 tbsp chopped roasted peanuts

• 1 Thai bird's eye chili (or fresno chili), thinly sliced

• 1 sprig of mint, leaves removed

• white rice

Instructions:

1. Start by making the homemade Panang curry paste. Add the roasted peanuts, chili, shallot, garlic, galangal (or ginger), lemongrass, cilantro, shrimp paste, toasted cumin seeds, toasted coriander seeds, and water to a high-powered blender. Blend on medium, using a blender tamper or spoon to stir and adding more water if needed, until it becomes a paste.

2. Heat the vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the Panang curry paste and cook for two minutes, stirring regularly. Add the coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar, tamarind paste, lime juice, and sprig of mint. Stir, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15-20 minutes while you sear the short ribs.

3. Preheat oven to 300ºF. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the short ribs on all sides with salt and pepper, then sear them until deep golden brown all over, 4-6 minutes per side. (If they don’t all fit in the pot, brown the short ribs in batches.) Place the seared short ribs on a plate and if needed, discard excess fat, keeping about 2 tablespoons in the pot to saute the aromatics.

4. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the sliced shallot, smashed garlic cloves, grated galangal (or ginger), minced lemongrass, and sliced chili. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until the shallots have begun to brown. Return the short ribs to the pot.

5. Pour the curry sauce over the short ribs and aromatics, then pour in the beef stock; you’ll want the liquid to barely cover top of the short ribs, so if needed, add more stock. Bring to a boil, then cover the pot and place it in the oven. Cook for 2 hours until the meat is extremely tender and falling off the bone. Remove pot from the oven and skim excess grease from the surface of the sauce.

6. Serve ribs either in the pot with rice and garnishes on the side for your guests to top as they like, or on a platter with a drizzle of coconut milk and a scattering of peanuts, sliced chilis, and mint leaves.