Tasting Winter

We're finally tasting winter here in sunny California, now that the car windows are frosted up in the mornings and I have to wear my toeless toesocks to yoga class.  My lunchtime mainstay, the giant salad, seems less appealing now and I'm packing a thermos of soup instead.   But to really warm yourself to the bone in the dark season is to braise something meaty, for a long time, on the bone.  Using bone broth in its preparation gives you and extra dose of mineral power, and is considered strengthening to the kidney energy, the organ system most important to support at this time of year.  The following is a recipe I developed last winter for Real Food All Year (finally coming in March to a bookstore near you!), and we enjoyed it many times while I perfected it, feeling both warm and nourished to the core.  You can take a peek at the cover of the book on Amazon here. 
Five Spice Short Ribs
Braising on the bone with warming spices epitomizes winter meat preparation. You can use oxtail, lamb or beef shank, or similar on-the-bone meat cuts with this recipe to delicious effect. Go ahead and use water if you don’t have any broth or stock on hand, but be sure to stash the leftover bones in your freezer for a future batch of bone broth.  Serve with rice and kimchi, alongside roasted root vegetables, or with a simple purée of cauliflower.

Makes 3 or 4 servings

1 tablespoon pastured lard, bacon grease, Ghee, or olive oil

2 pounds beef short ribs, preferably grassfed and grass-finished

1 onion or large leek, diced

2 stalks celery, diced, or 3/4 cup diced celery root

2 carrots or parsnips, scrubbed and diced

3 cloves garlic, crushed, or 2 stalks green garlic, sliced

5 quarter-sized slices fresh gingerroot

1/2 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder

2 cups bone broth or meat stock, vegetable stock, or water

3 tablespoons tamari or fermented fish sauce, or a combination

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 teaspoon rice vinegar

Zest and juice of 1 orange

In a large, heavy pot such as a Dutch oven, heat the fat, and brown the ribs on all sides; this will take at least 10 to 15 minutes. Add the onions, lower the heat to medium, and continue to cook and stir until the onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the celery, carrots, garlic, and ginger and continue to sauté for 2 minutes. Add the five spice powder, broth, tamari, maple syrup, and vinegar, and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook on low for 1 to 2 hours, until the meat is very tender and beginning to fall off of the bones.

Remove the ribs to a plate, add the orange zest and juice to the sauce, and turn up the heat again to high to reduce the liquid, stirring occasionally, until the liquid reduces by a third and begins to thicken and turn glossy, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the ribs back to the pot and heat thoroughly, and then serve with the sauce.