Curried Beef Short Ribs

Finishing this dish with lime zest and juice brightens its rich flavors.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 3 ounces ribs, 2/3 cup rice, and about 2 1/2 tablespoons sauce)

Ingredients

• 2  teaspoons  canola oil
• 2  pounds  beef short ribs, trimmed
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  kosher salt, divided
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 1/3  cup  minced shallots
• 3  tablespoons  minced garlic
• 3  tablespoons  minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1/4  cup  water
• 2  tablespoons  red curry paste
• 1/4  cup  light coconut milk
• 1  tablespoon  sugar
• 1  tablespoon  fish sauce
• 1  teaspoon  grated lime rind
• 1  tablespoon  fresh lime juice
• 4  cups  hot cooked basmati rice

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle ribs with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Add half of ribs to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Place ribs in an electric slow cooker. Repeat procedure with remaining ribs.

2. Add shallots, garlic, and ginger to pan; sauté 2 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup water and curry paste; cook 1 minute. Stir in coconut milk, sugar, and fish sauce. Add coconut milk mixture to cooker. Cover and cook on LOW 6 hours.

3. Remove ribs from cooker; keep warm. Strain cooking liquid through a colander over a bowl; discard solids. Place a zip-top plastic bag inside a 2-cup glass measure. Pour cooking liquid into bag; let stand 10 minutes (fat will rise to the top). Seal bag; carefully snip off 1 bottom corner of bag. Drain drippings into a small bowl, stopping before fat layer reaches opening; discard fat. Stir in remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper, rind, and juice. Shred rib meat with 2 forks; discard bones. Serve sauce over ribs and rice.

Wine note: The intense flavor of Curried Beef Short Ribs will overwhelm most wines. Reach for a fruit-forward red like Planeta La Segreta Rosso 2007 ($15). This Sicilian blend has big flavors that can handle rich curry sauce, while the wine adds its own complementary peppery, Asian spice note. —Jeffery Lindenmuth

Nutritional Information

Calories:

410

Fat:

16.1g (sat 6.5g,mono 7g,poly 0.9g)

Protein:

27g

Carbohydrate:

37.1g

Fiber:

0.7g

Cholesterol:

70mg

Iron:

4.1mg

Sodium:

841mg

Calcium:

24mg