A BIG thank you to the Wall Street Journal! Friday night dinner is looking GOOD!

While it’s getting a little late in the season for braised meals, this one really stood out to us and even though the kiddos are running around in shorts and tees, the trees are in bloom and Spring has sprung here in the South, this recipe couldn’t hold out until next fall.

After hitting up various specialty markets around town for some of the ingredients missing in my pantry, Friday has finally arrived as has my time to babysit this meal. 

With my Purdue Boilermakers knocked out of March Madness, we’ll be cheering on my husbands Alma Mater, the University of Richmond, and savoring every bite of our dinner with hopes that the Spiders will survive to play in the Elite 8! 

So, here’s what’s for dinner…

Thai Spiced Short Ribs

Romulo Yanes for The Wall Street Journal, Food Styling by Vivian Lui

Adapted from Chef Craig Deihl
Cypress Restaurant, Charleston, S.C.
Total time: 5-6 hours on high
Hands-on time: 40 minutes
Serves: 8

4 pounds boneless short ribs
2 tablespoons Thai spice mix (recipe below)
2 tablespoons vegetable or grapeseed oil
½ cup onion, chopped
¼ cup leeks, chopped
¼ cup carrot, chopped
¼ cup celery, chopped
1 garlic bulb, split in half
2 sprigs mint
2 sprigs cilantro
¼ cup mushroom soy sauce
3 cups beef stock
2 cups water

What to Do:

1. Season short ribs with Thai spice mix. Place oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Sear ribs on both sides. Sear in two batches so the pan is never too crowded. Remove ribs from pan.

2. Pour off excess fat, and add onion, leeks, carrot, celery and garlic, and sauté until lightly browned.

3. Transfer vegetables, mint, cilantro and short ribs to slow cooker set to high. Add soy sauce, beef stock and water, covering the ribs by more than half.

4. Cover and cook 5-6 hours. Ribs take on more flavor if allowed to refrigerate one full day.

Note: If mushroom soy sauce is unavailable, substitute light soy sauce. Augment flavor by simmering ½ ounce of dried shiitake mushrooms in 1 cup of water for 20 minutes. Strain mushroom broth and use it to replace an equal amount of water in the above recipe.

Thai Spice mix

1 cinnamon stick
4 star anise
1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds
1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns
½ tablespoon dried ginger

Toast all ingredients in a hot pan until fragrant. Transfer to a grinder and grind until fine. Store in an airtight container.