Fork and Gobble it: Beer Braised/Mesquite Grilled Short Ribs

Fridays on the BottleBlog will feature a food-related article, wine pairing, or travelogue. Today, Wine Manager Mark Ricca shares a fantastic recipe for Beer Braised/Mesquite Grilled Short Ribs!

Back in early September, a request for beef short ribs needed to be met with a dish that still respected the season: Barbecue with a short cut. Barbecueing short ribs over a charcoal fire should typically take at least 5 to 6 hours, more time than I had in my budget that day. I devised a method that would save me some time and allow me to still achieve close to true 'cue results. Braising, or more accurately, simmering the ribs in beer for about 3 hours, would bring them to a toothsome degree of tenderness and then they could be finished on the Weber to get a smoky glazed kiss. I proceeded as follows...

-5 pounds bone-in beef short ribs (shorter cut 2"-4")
-2 750mL Unibroue Trois Pistoles
-16oz dark poultry stock
-1 tbsp fresh ground coffee
-1 tbsp dehydrated chopped onion
-1 tbsp toasted, ground ancho chile
-1 tsp fresh ground cinnamon
-2 tbsp coarse sea salt

(Note: This calls for a mesquite smoke. If you can't put wood chunks or chips on your gas grill, you can still do the recipe, but your mileage will vary.)

Bone-in beef short ribs that size are usually available in the meat case of most supermarkets. 2" to 4” cuts means an easier time fitting them into a pot when you braise them.

Unibroue Trois Pistoles is a great, aromatic, and spice laden Belgian style beer found in better wine and spirit shops (hint, hint).

Dark poultry stock was homemade by roasting chicken turkey carcasses before making stock from them. It is a great and versatile product if you have the time and resources, but if not there are many great store bought chicken stocks available and if it must be, water can be used.

The next four ingredients are easy to find in grocery stores. They could be omitted but they are worth sourcing out as they add to the complexity of flavors in the finished dish.

Put the ribs aside and combine the remaining ingredients in a 5 1/2 or larger dutch oven. Bring the seasoned beer broth to a simmer and add the ribs, adjusting the heat as necessary to return the pot to a simmer and maintain it. Simmer the ribs slowly with a partial cover for at least three hours. Test doneness by removing a rib from the pot and sticking a fork in the meat. If the fork turns easily and the meat seems like it will shred, the meat is ready.

If you have the time, allow the meat to cool slightly in the braising liquid uncovered. This will continue to flavor and tenderize the ribs.

Light the grill. I use hardwood charcoal in a basic Weber kettle. Just before putting the ribs on the fire I add a few chunks of mesquite wood which impart a subtle smoke.

Now I prepare the mop or glaze:

-1/4 C soy sauce
1/4 C Aji-Mirin
1/4 C simple syrup
1/4 C rice vinegar
2 tsp Huy Fong Chili/Garlic paste (or more to taste)

Aji-Mirin is a sweet Japanese cooking wine found in most supermarkets. Simple syrup is simply (no pun intended) 1 part sugar, 1 part water, mixed and brought to a boil for 2 minutes, then allowed to cool. It is great for sweetening things like iced tea and lemonade and is also an important part of many cocktails. You can make it or buy it in better wine and spirit shops (hint, hint). Rice vinegar and Huy Fong Chili/Garlic paste are also very common supermarket items. Mix all the above in a bowl and get a basting brush handy. When the fire is ready place the ribs, bone side down, a few inches away from the coals or flame. Brush the meat liberally with the mop and cover the grill. You want a low/slow heat, so adjust as necessary. Baste the meat every 10-15 minutes or so until the mop is used up. You should get 3 - 4 applications depending on the size of the ribs. At this point you are ready to chow. I served the ribs with a Sesame Cole Slaw and Pommes Paillasson (Straw Mat Potatoes).

This dish brings together some of my favorite flavors that play well together, or as I like to refer to them, the five Ss: Sweet, Spicy, Smoky, Salty, Sour. In the right proportions they do wonderful things for rich meats like this, so what wine to pair with something so intense?

That night we went with a red Zinfandel, the 2007 Dashe Dry Creek Zin. Fruit forward, balanced with good acidity, a little pepper spice, and full bodied but not hot or alcoholic, it was a great compliment to the meat. The easiest food/wine pairings are the ones where you match similar flavors and this one was natch! There are many other options here but you want to remember to look for fruit, acidity, more full bodied, no big tannic structure. As a second choice a southern hemisphere cab like the Kaiken Ultra Cabernet Sauvignon would fit as well. Experimentation is more than half the fun.