Recipe
Miso-Braised Short Ribs with Quick-Pickled Cucumber
Short ribs braised low and slow in a miso and sake liquor until falling from the bone. The pickled cucumber isn't optional — it's the contrast that makes the whole dish work.
Method
Make the quick-pickled cucumber first so it has time to develop. Halve the cucumber lengthways and run a spoon down the centre to remove the seeds — this prevents the pickle from becoming watery. Slice thinly on an angle. Toss with the rice wine vinegar, caster sugar, fine salt and sesame oil. Cover and leave for at least 30 minutes, tossing occasionally. It can be made up to 24 hours ahead and kept in the fridge.
Preheat your oven to 150°C / gas 2. Pat the short ribs completely dry with kitchen paper and season generously all over with salt and black pepper. Dry meat colours properly; wet meat steams.
Heat the oil in a large, heavy ovenproof casserole over high heat until just smoking. Sear the ribs on all meaty sides — 3–4 minutes per side — until deeply browned. Work in batches; crowding the pan drops the temperature and you'll get grey, steamed meat instead of a proper crust. Remove the seared ribs and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic and ginger to the pan and cook for 1–2 minutes until very fragrant. Pour in the sake and scrape up any dark, sticky fond from the base — this is concentrated flavour. Let the sake reduce by half, about 2 minutes.
In a jug, whisk together the red miso, tamari, mirin, brown sugar and stock until the miso is fully dissolved — undissolved miso will sink and scorch. Pour into the casserole, stir to combine, then return the ribs to the pan. They should be at least half-submerged in liquid. Bring to a gentle simmer.
Cover tightly with a lid or a double layer of foil and transfer to the oven. Braise for 3 hours. The ribs are ready when the meat pulls away from the bone with almost no resistance and a skewer passes through the thickest part with no effort at all.
Lift the ribs out carefully — they'll be very tender and may want to fall apart. Strain the braising liquid into a small saucepan. Skim the fat from the surface using a ladle or spoon (or leave the liquid to cool completely and lift the solidified fat off — easier and more thorough). Reduce the liquid over high heat for 8–10 minutes until slightly syrupy and glossy. Taste — it should be deeply savoury and well-balanced.
Serve each rib over a bowl of steamed rice. Spoon the reduced glaze generously over the meat. Add the pickled cucumber alongside and finish with sliced spring onions and a scatter of toasted sesame seeds.
✦ Chef's note
This dish is significantly better made the day before. After braising, cool the ribs in the liquid, refrigerate overnight, then lift off the solidified fat, reheat the ribs gently in the liquid and reduce the glaze to finish. The flavours deepen considerably and the fat removal is effortless. Ask your butcher for English-cut short ribs (cut between the bones into individual ribs) rather than flanken-cut, which are sliced across the bones and cook differently.