By Flavor & The Menu
May 6, 2021
Rena Frost
“Sometimes the creation story behind a dish helps to make it more popular,” says Rena Frost, Chef/Owner of Mac’s on Main. While her steakhouse promotes traditional American cuisine, the dishes that celebrate multicultural influences resonate with diners. “When I make something that’s a nod to my Korean heritage, my guests love it,” she says. “They love the idea that they are getting a flavor that I grew up with, but with a familiarity of their childhood.” Frost’s Spice-Rubbed Korean Short Ribs are the perfect example.
The dish combines flavors from her mother’s Korean kitchen with Southern comfort. Frost liberally seasons the beef ribs with black pepper and sears them in avocado oil. Once cooked and cooled, they’re rubbed with gochujang paste and a chile spice mixture. She deglazes the pot with red wine, adding vegetables, Asian pears, thyme, brown sugar, fresh garlic and ginger, plus beef and chicken broths. The ribs are added for a simmer followed by two hours in the oven. After cooling overnight, Frost strains the vegetables, reserves liquid to reduce for a sauce and reheats the meat.
To plate, she adds roasted carrot, mushrooms, micro greens (or thyme) and grits made with smoked Gouda and roasted poblano. “The sweetness of the pears and brown sugar, combined with the soy sauce, red wine and underlying hint of gochujang and chile spice makes a great companion to the cheese and heat from the grits,” says Frost.
