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Haim Asher

Haim Asher
Director of Culinary
Hofman Hospitality Group

Spiced Short Rib “Tagine”

Recipe courtesy of Haim Asher
Sponsor: Lee Kum Kee

Serving size: 4

Ingredients

Braised Short Ribs:

  • 2 oz grapeseed oil
  • 4 bone-in short ribs
  • Kosher salt, as needed
  • 10 oz onion, 1-in dice
  • 5 oz carrots, 1-in dice
  • 5 oz celery, 1-in dice
  • 3 Tbsp ras el hanout
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 2 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 3 Tbsp finely sliced garlic
  • 2 c red wine
  • 2 c beef stock
  • ½ bottle Lee Kum Kee® Black Pepper Sauce
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ½ c julienned dried apricots
  • ½ c dried currants

Couscous:

  • 1 ½ c chicken stock
  • Salt, as needed
  • 1 ¼ c Moroccan couscous

Harissa Chile Crisp:

  • ¼ c red chile flakes
  • 1 shallot, thinly sliced
  • 10 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 4 star anise pods
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 ½ c grapeseed oil
  • ¼ c harissa dry spice
  • 1 Tbsp Lee Kum Kee® Peppercorn Chili Oil

Spiced Short Rib “Tagine”:

  • 4 oz cooked couscous
  • ¼ tsp ground sumac
  • 4 oz braised vegetables
  • 1 Braised Short Rib
  • 3 oz apricot & currant sauce
  • 1 Tbsp slivered almonds, toasted
  • Harissa Chile Crunch, as needed
  • Toasted sesame seeds, as needed
  • Fresh cilantro, dill, mint, parsley leaves, as needed
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed

Directions

For the Braised Short Ribs:

  1. Heat oven to 275°F. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the grapeseed oil.
  2. Season short ribs with salt liberally on all sides, then sear each side in the oil or until a deep crust forms. Set the ribs aside and drain excess fat from the Dutch oven.
  3. Add the onion, carrot and celery to the Dutch oven and cook until onion and carrot are caramelized.
  4. Add the ras el hanout and cinnamon to the vegetables and allow the spice mix to toast slightly.
  5. Add the tomato paste and stir. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
  6. Deglaze with the wine and scrape all the fond from the bottom of the pan, then reduce liquid by one quarter.
  7. Add the stock, Black Pepper Sauce and bay leaves, bring to a gentle simmer.
  8. Add the short ribs back on top, cover with the lid and put the pot in the oven. Braise for 4 hours or until the ribs are tender, but not overdone.
  9. Allow the ribs to rest in the braising liquid for an hour on the stove, then remove the ribs and hold for service.
  10. Strain the braising liquid through a chinois and make sure to reserve the vegetables for service.
  11. Add the currants and apricots to the strained liquid and gently reduce by one third. Season to taste and reserve sauce for service.

For the Couscous:

  1. Heat the stock to a boil and season to taste with salt.
  2. Sprinkle in the couscous while stirring, then turn off the heat and cover. Allow to sit for about 10 minutes to fully cook/rehydrate.
  3. Reserve for service.

For the Harissa Chile Crisp:

  1. Add the garlic, shallot, chile flakes, star anise and cinnamon to the oil in a cold pan and place over medium-low heat. Fry until golden brown, making sure to stir frequently.
  2. Put the harissa dry spice into a mesh sieve and place over a metal bowl.
  3. Once the frying mixture is golden brown, strain it over the harissa powder through the sieve and into the bowl. This will toast the harissa spice, but not burn it.
  4. Allow everything to cool completely, then remove and discard the star anise and cinnamon. Transfer the rest of the spices to a fresh bowl with half of the oil and all of the Peppercorn Chili Oil. Allow to cool and reserve.

For the Spiced Short Rib “Tagine”:

  1. For each serving, place 4 oz couscous in a bowl and sprinkle with the sumac.
  2. Evenly spread 4 oz of vegetables over the couscous.
  3. Debone and clean the short rib and place the meat on top of the vegetables.
  4. Glaze the meat with the apricot & currant sauce and dress the couscous with some more sauce. Make sure to get some of the fruit on the couscous.
  5. Sprinkle with toasted almonds.
  6. Place a few small dollops of Harissa Chili Crunch all over the dish and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
  7. Mix the fresh herbs with a small amount of olive oil and garnish the dish. Do not be shy with the herbs!

Chef Notes

No additional black pepper is used in the recipe due to the pronounced peppercorn flavor in the Lee Kum Kee® sauce.

Project Management: Summit F&B
Photography: Carlos Garcia // Food Styling: Peg Blackley

About The Author

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