Asian-Style Braised Short Ribs

These short ribs were exactly what I was looking for. Fall off the bone tender and coated with a sweet/salty/spicy sauce. Perfect dish to make for company because you just braise 'em in the oven for 3 hours and then reduce the sauce down to a finger lickin' glaze. Most importantly - short ribs are an extremely forgiving piece of meat and pretty hard to screw up. Couldn't be easier or more delicious.
 Asian-Style Braised Short Ribs
Rec ipe from Emeril Lagasse http://www.foodtv.com/

• 5 pounds beef short ribs, cut into 4-ounce portions
• 1 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 1 (5-inch) stalk lemongrass, halved and smashed
• 1 tablespoon peeled and minced ginger
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 quart water
• 1/2 cup sliced green onion bottoms, white part only
• 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• Jasmine Rice, for serving
• 2 teaspoons finely grated orange rind, for serving
• Sliced green onion tops, optional for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a wide stockpot or Dutch oven, combine the short ribs, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, brown sugar, water, green onion bottoms, crushed red pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the orange juice. Make sure that the stockpot is deep enough so that the short ribs are submerged in the liquid.

Bake the short ribs, covered, for about 3 hours, or until the meat is tender and falling off the bones. Remove the short ribs from the braising liquid and cover to keep warm. Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F.
Drain the fat off of the cooking liquid and discard. (I used one of those fat separator things.) Place the remaining braising juices in a medium saucepan with 1/4 cup of the hoisin sauce and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the liquid until only about 1 1/4 cups remain. Strain through a fine-meshed strainer, discarding the solids. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of orange juice and the lemon juice.

Return the short ribs and the reduced sauce to the stockpot or Dutch oven, coating the short ribs well with the sauce. Bake for 10 minutes, until the short ribs are heated through and slightly glazed. Serve hot over jasmine rice. Season each portion with the orange zest and garnish with the green onions if desired. I served ours with a side of steamed broccoli.