The last thing you want to do when watching a sporting event such as the Super Bowl — or this weekend’s start of the NHL season — is to be running back and forth to the kitchen to get some snacks.
Here’s a recipe for Sweet and Sticky Slow-Cooked Short Ribs that will take away that worry. It’s from Alison Ladman, a recipe developer for The Associated Press.
The ribs are a marinated in the traditional Chinese-style, with hoison sauce, rice vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, five-spice powder, sesame oil and garlic. They then are baked in the oven under tender.
These ribs could be served as appetizers or as a main course.
Sweet and Sticky Slow-Cooked Short Ribs
½ cup hoisin sauce
½ cup rice vinegar
½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
¼ cup packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon five-spice powder
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
3 cloves minced garlic
3 pounds boneless beef short ribs, cut into long, thin strips (¼ inch thick by 1 inch wide)
In a medium bowl, whisk together the hoisin, rice vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, five-spice powder, sesame oil and garlic. Reserve ½ cup of the mixture in a small bowl. Add the short ribs to the original mixture and toss to thoroughly coat. Cover the bowl and refrigerate at least 8 hours, or overnight.
When ready to cook, heat the oven to 275 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with foil and place a rack over each pan.
Arrange the short ribs on the rack and bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until tender. Brush the ribs with the reserved ½ cup of marinade and increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Return to the oven and cook for another 10 minutes, or until browned and caramelized. Thread a skewer through each piece of meat to serve.
Note: If beef isn’t your thing, the same approach will work with pork ribs and chicken wings (though you’ll need to adjust the cooking time).
Yield: Serve 12.
Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 270 calories, 48 percent of calories from fat, 14 grams fat (5 grams saturated, no trans), 65 milligrams cholesterol, 11 grams carbohydrates, no fiber, 8 grams sugar, 23 grams protein, 650 milligrams sodium.