Braised Short Rib and Broccoli

Fish Sauce Gastrique, Braised Pearl Onions, Thai Chile Peanuts, and Sweet Potato Spirals

Chef Yuan Tang of Rooster & Owl | Washington, D.C.

Chef Yuan Tang’s new American restaurant, Rooster & Owl, is located less than 25 miles from his parents' former Chinese takeout spot in Woodbridge, Virginia. When broccoli came in season, Tang found inspiration from a dish that he saw his father make thousands of times: beef and broccoli. For the beef, he braises short ribs in red wine and chicken stock with bold aromatics like star anise and fennel seeds. A sweet and funky fish sauce gastrique blankets the tender meat and creates a sticky surface for Thai chile fried peanuts. The broccoli florets are roasted; some are saved to be served alongside the beef, while the rest are blended with cilantro and scallion into a smooth purée. The short rib is placed atop the bright green purée and topped with crispy sweet potato straws for crunch. The dish provides a full circle moment for Tang, who is a third generation restaurateur.

Adapted by StarChefs | March 2022

INGREDIENTS:

Braised Short Rib: 
Yield: 22 to 25 portions
10 pounds short rib
Salt
Ground black pepper
Grapeseed oil
2 yellow onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 stalk celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
140 grams tomato paste
800 grams red wine
10 sprigs thyme
5 grams coriander
5 grams fennel seeds
3 grams clove
2 grams allspice
2 grams black peppercorns
2 grams star anise
2 cinnamon sticks 
Chicken stock

Fish Sauce Gastrique: 
Yield: 1 quart
900 grams sugar
1.2 kilograms rice wine vinegar
200 grams fish sauce
200 grams sriracha

Broccoli Purée: 
Yield: 2 quarts
Salt
1.27 kilograms thinly sliced broccoli
150 grams thinly sliced scallion
80 grams cilantro
50 grams extra virgin olive oil
Black pepper

Braised Red Pearl Onions: 
Yield: 2 quarts
Grapeseed oil
2 ½ quarts red pearl onions, peeled
Salt
Black pepper
400 grams Shaoxing wine
400 grams red wine vinegar

Thai Chile Peanuts: 
Yield: 1 pint
Grapeseed oil
400 grams peanuts
7 grams minced thai chile
Salt

To Assemble and Serve:
Yield: 1 serving
Neutral oil for deep-frying
Butter
Sea salt
Sweet potato, spiralized into straws
Broccoli florets
Grapeseed oil
Salt
Black pepper

METHOD:

For the Braised Short Rib:
Season short ribs with salt and pepper. Grill short ribs until well charred on both sides, then remove from heat and set aside. Heat oven to 325°F. In a deep hotel pan, heat grapeseed oil. Add onions, celery, and carrots and sweat 2 to 3 mins. Add tomato paste and cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Deglaze with red wine and bring to a boil. Put all herbs and spices into a sachet. To the hotel pan, add sachet of herbs, grilled short rib, and enough chicken stock to cover. Bring to a boil,stirring occasionally. Cover hotel pan with foil, place in the oven, and braise until meat is tender but not completely falling apart, 3 hours and 30 minutes. Let cool in braising liquid for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Using a spider, carefully remove short ribs from liquid, reserve liquid, and transfer meat to a parchment-lined sheet tray.  Cover short rib with parchment and a second sheet tray.  Weigh the sheet tray down then refrigerate 8 hours (or overnight). The following day, cut short rib into 4.5-ounce portions. Strain the braising liquid then transfer to a pot over medium heat. Simmer braising liquid until reduced by half. Let cool and reserve.

For the Fish Sauce Gastrique:
In a medium-sized pot, combine sugar and enough water to make a wet sand consistency. Cook on medium-low heat until the sugar reaches a light amber caramel. Remove from heat and slowly deglaze with rice wine vinegar, fish sauce, and sriracha. Return to heat and whisk to dissolve the caramelized sugar. Reduce the mixture by half. Remove from heat, cool, and reserve.  

For the Broccoli Purée: 
In a large pot of salted boiling water, blanch broccoli, scallion, and cilantro. Shock in a salted ice bath then squeeze all the water out. Transfer vegetables to a Vitamix blender. Slowly emulsify in the olive oil and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.  

For the Braised Red Pearl Onions:
In  a large rondeau over medium-high flame, heat grapeseed oil until lightly smoking. Add red pearl onions and sauté 1 to 2 minutes until lightly caramelized. Season salt and pepper. Deglaze with Shaoxing wine and red wine vinegar. Reduce heat to medium and slowly cook the onions until all the liquid has been reduced and absorbed, about 20 to 30 minutes. Let cool on a sheet tray with parchment, then cut in half. Reserve.

For the Thai Chile Peanuts:
Over medium-high heat, fill about a ¼-inch of a sauté pan with grapeseed oil. Add peanuts and continue to cook until lightly browned. Remove from heat, add chiles, then toss to combine. Using a slotted spoon, scoop out the peanuts and drain on a paper towel. Season peanuts with salt. Roughly chop the peanuts, then, using a mesh strainer, shake off the dust. Reserve.

To Assemble and Serve:
Heat oven to 400°F and heat a deep-fryer. In a sauté pan, add a portion of Braised Short Rib, 1.5 ounces reserved braising liquid, and 1.5 ounces Fish Sauce Gastrique. Place the saucepan in the oven to heat the Braised Short Rib, approximately 5 minutes. Place the sauté pan on a burner over medium heat, add a small knob of butter, and continue to reduce, basting the Braised Short Rib, until the liquid is syrupy, sticky, and completely covers the meat. Remove Braised Short Rib from the pan, then sprinkle lightly with sea salt and Thai Chile Peanuts. Deep-fry sweet potato straws until golden brown. Remove and strain from oil then immediately season with salt. In a separate sauté pan over medium-high flame, sauté broccoli florets with grapeseed oil, salt, and pepper until the cut side is caramelized and cooked through. Warm the Broccoli Purée and Braised Red Pearl Onions. Swipe a spoonful of Broccoli Purée onto a serving plate, then add the Braised Short Rib. Garnish with Braised Red Pearl Onions, broccoli florets, and crispy sweet potato straws.   

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