Beef Short Ribs Asian Instant Pot Five Spice

Meltingly tender Asian Braised Beef Short Ribs, perfect for entertaining or a comforting family meal.

beef short ribs with cilantro and sliced chillies in black roasting tray

Braised Beef Short Ribs

As meat is very expensive where we live, I am always on the lookout for cheap cuts, and my recent discovery has been beef short ribs.

There's an old saying that, "the closer to the bone, the sweeter the meat", and what is particularly marvellous about beef short ribs is not only the tender chunk of meat on the bone, but the lovely layer of fat in each piece which renders down during cooking to add delicious flavour to the sauce.

In addition, the bones help to add a meaty richness to the dish, making beef short ribs pretty much the perfect cut of meat for braising or slow-cooking.

raw beef short ribs on white chopping board

Beef Short Ribs Recipe

I think you could use beef short ribs in almost any recipe which calls for a cut of meat which needs slow-cooking, such as brisket or chuck steak, but you will need to adjust the amount accordingly to allow for the weight of the bones.

I was unable to find the translation for "beef short ribs" into German, so it was rather amusing to discover that, not only did my butcher readily supply this cut, but that they had adopted the English name, seemingly because it was only the foreigners who were buying this cut!

asian beef short ribs in black casserole tray with cilantro and chilli

Asian Short Ribs

I love stews and braises with Asian flavourings, and whilst these Asian short ribs are typically something I would make in winter, we love it at all times of the year.

In fact, there's something comforting about sitting down to some braised short ribs during the week, especially if you might be working from home and can simply pop this into the oven to cook slowly during the day.

This recipe for Asian short ribs uses many of your typical Asian aromatics, such as ginger, Chinese five-spice powder, cinnamon and star anise. Together with soy sauce and hoisin sauce, the beef short ribs are braised in a lovely flavoursome sauce.

asian braised beef short ribs with chopped cilantro and chiliies

What to Serve with Beef Short Ribs

Due to the rich and flavourful sauce which accompanies the meat, the best accompaniment for these beef short ribs is plain steamed Jasmine rice and either some steamed broccoli or Asian greens such as pak choy.

An alternative to rice would be steamed bao buns. Simply fill the bao buns with some of the shredded meat, together with some coriander (cilantro) sprigs, and drizzled with some of the sauce.

To make your own homemade bao buns, please see my easy recipe for bao buns with step-by-step photos.

Our children are going through an oddly surprising phase where they can't get enough steamed broccoli (or other vegetables, for that matter!), so I am taking full advantage of the situation and serving them as a side dish wherever possible!

Some Pickled Chillies for the grown-ups would also go very well here.

Asian Braised Beef Short Ribs

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
Yield: Serves 4-6
Category: Dinner
Cuisine: Asian

Meltingly tender Asian Braised Beef Short Ribs, perfect for entertaining or a comforting family meal.

Ingredients

1–2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1.5 kg (3.5 lb) beef short ribs
2 large brown onions, thickly sliced
4 cm (2 inch) piece of ginger, coarsely grated
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1–2 teaspoons Chinese five spice powder
2 tablespoons soy sauce, plus more to taste
1/2 cup (125 ml) hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar (light or dark)
4 cups (1 litre) chicken stock
1 cinnamon stick
4 star anise
fresh coriander (cilantro), finely chopped
red chillies, finely sliced

Instructions

Instructions for Stove Top and Oven

Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F) (without fan).
Heat the oil in a large ovenproof pan (which has a fitted lid) over medium-high heat.
Sear the short ribs until they are browned and golden on all sides. You may need to do this in batches.
Remove the ribs to a large dish and set aside.
Turn the heat down.
Add the onions, ginger and garlic to the pan. Sauté for a few minutes until the onions have softened.
Add the Chinese five spice powder and cook for about a minute.
Add the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sugar, chicken stock, cinnamon stick and star anise.
Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
Return the short ribs to the pan, along with any juices which have settled in the bowl.
Cut a piece of baking or parchment paper to fit the pan, and cut a small hole in the centre to allow the steam to escape. Place the baking paper directly on top of the stew – this helps to keep everything submerged while it's cooking and to prevent the loss of too much moisture.
Cover the pan with a lid and place in the oven for about 2.5 to 3 hours, or until the meat is falling off the bone and a spoon cuts through the meat easily. Alternatively, you can cook on the stove over very low heat.
Use a slotted spoon to gently remove the ribs to a large dish.
Skim off as much fat as possible from the sauce in the pan.
Place the pan over medium-high heat on the stove and let the mixture simmer for 5-10 minutes, or until it has reduced and thickened slightly.
Taste the sauce for seasoning.
Serve the ribs with steamed Jasmine rice and steamed broccoli (or other Asian greens), with the sauce drizzled over the meat.
Garnish with coriander (cilantro) and red chillies.

Instructions for Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot

Follow Steps 1 to 10 as for cooking on the stove.
Make sure the liquid is below the 2/3 mark on the pot.
Cook on high pressure for 35 to 45 minutes. The length of time depends on how big your beef short ribs are. To err on the side of caution, I recommend checking for tenderness at 35 minutes. If a spoon does not cut through the meat easily, cook the meat for another 5 to 10 minutes on high pressure.
Once the meat is cooked until tender, continue with Steps 13 to 18 as for cooking on the stove.

Kitchen Notes

OVEN TEMPERATURES
All recipes on this website state temperatures for a regular oven (i.e. a conventional oven without fan). If you have a convection oven with a fan, please consult the manufacturer's handbook on how to adjust the temperature and baking time accordingly.