Orange & Soy Beef Ribs

Yield 6

Ingredients:

1 tbsp vegetable oil

6 (1.8kg) beef short ribs

1 large leek, white part only, thickly sliced diagonally

1tbsp Zest Element Orange powder

5cm piece fresh ginger, peeled, thickly sliced

3 garlic cloves, quartered

1 cinnamon stick

2 star anise

1 tsp fennel seeds

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/2 cup orange juice

1/3 cup shao hsing (Chinese rice wine)

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 green onions, thinly sliced

6 cups steamed white medium-grain rice

2 bunches choy sum, steamed, to serve

Method:

Heat oil in a large, flameproof casserole dish over medium-high heat. Cook beef, in 2 batches, turning, for 5 minutes or until browned on all sides. Transfer to a plate.

Reduce heat to medium. Add leek. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until leek just starts to soften. Add ZE orange powder, ginger, garlic, cinnamon, star anise, fennel and cloves. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add orange juice, shao hsing, soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Bring to the boil.

Return beef to dish. Season with pepper. Reduce heat to low. Cover. Simmer, turning beef every hour, for 4 hours or until tender.

Carefully transfer beef to a tray. Strain half of the cooking liquid into a medium saucepan. Discard remaining cooking liquid. Add remaining sugar. Bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium. Boil for 10 minutes or until mixture thickens and reduces by half

Drizzle ribs with half of the sauce and sprinkle with onion. Serve with rice, choy sum and remaining sauce.