#CapeCodSelectPremiumCranberries #CranberryHoisinBeefShortRibFamilyPlatter
Cranberry Hoisin Beef Short Rib Family Platter…Dinner is served and it’s an Asian inspired beef short ribs slowly simmered in a cranberry hoisin sauce until fall off the bone tender and served with coconut cauliflower rice, braised baby bok choy, steamed snow peas and soba noodles.
Cape Cod Select, LLC based in Carver Massachusetts owned and operated by a family for over 75 years is hosting a Bloggers Recipe Challenge. They mailed each blogger a bountiful bag of all natural fresh frozen premium cranberries. This is my third time completing with their amazing cranberries. If you can not find them in a store near you using their store locator, they do ship them and I can attest that they come completely frozen even all the way across to the west coast.
Here are a few past entries that I have made. One of which I even demonstrated at the Oregon State Fair to a wonderful audience who got to eat wings!!
Cranberry Chili Sauce Sticky Wings
Cranberry Orange Poppy Seed Salad
No more waiting until the fall to get fresh cranberries. Why not have them all year long? Now you can!! These little gems are all natural, no additives or preservatives and full of antioxidant vitamin C. Great for smoothies, sauces, baking and so much more.
Times are quite different with the Coronavirus and the “stay-at-home” orders here in Oregon. Families are turning to cooking at home with the complex take out only restrictions from restaurants and fast food businesses.
Cooking at home is something my husband and I enjoy doing so we haven’t noticed to much of a difference. We do however order meals from local restaurants owned by our friends just to help support them.
This meal was created for the “Family Dinner” Category of the bloggers challenge. It will feed 4-6 people and can be served on a large platter to the table. You could serve each side item in separate bowls but I love presentation even if it is at home.
SO WHAT ARE THE CATEGORIES AND PRIZES:
The different categories are Healthy On-The-Go, Family Dinner and Cran-You-Believe It. A total of $2500.00 is being awarded. The breakdown is as follows:
One Grand Prize Winner: $1,000.00 Cash Prize
One Healthy On-The-Go Category Winner: $500.00 Cash Prize
One Cran-You-Believe It Category Winner: $500.00 Cash Prize
One Family Dinner Category Winner: $500.00 Cash Prize
SO LET’S GET STARTED ON THE CRANBERRY HOISIN BEEF SHORT RIB FAMILY PLATTER:
Cooking beef short ribs may take some time but the end result is tender fall off the bone meat. I prepared this dish in a Dutch Oven pot then into the oven for a low and slow simmer. You could cook this in a slow cooker but I have not tested that method. If you wanted to use a slow cooker you will need to still brown the beef short ribs and create the cranberry hoisin sauce in a large pot before adding it to the cooker.
Once the short ribs are seared and returned to the cranberry hoisin sauce, it’s simply time in the oven with one quick stir to turn them half way through the cooking process. The slow simmer in the cranberry hoisin sauce coats and imparts flavor into the meat.
Always allow your meat to come to room temperature for a least 30 minutes before searing. This will help create a deep brown crust. Season all sides of the ribs with salt and pepper while they wait to be cooked.
Working in small batches to sear the ribs will give them the space they need to insure browning versus steaming. I promise it’s worth the time to not crowd the pot.
Turn the ribs so that all sides are browned. This will lock in the juices and begin the golden flavor of the meat.
Set the finished seared short ribs aside until all of them are done. Don’t forget to pour any of the beef juices that are on the plate, back into the pot when the ribs are added to the cranberry hoisin sauce.
Once the searing is completed, it’s time to make the sauce. Ingredients like fresh garlic, fresh ginger, whole star anise and cinnamon stick perfume the sauce with a hint of Asian cooking. The hoisin sauce, rice vinegar and brown sugar add a depth of richness and a balance of sweet and tangy.
The cranberry hoisin stock will slowing cook down while the cranberries are bursting and becoming apart of the sauce. When the short ribs are tender, they will then be removed from the sauce. The cooked ingredients of the sauce will be strained out and a portion of it will be reserved and used to finish the glaze. The finished glaze has additional Cape Cod Select Premium whole cranberries slightly cooked into it to add a wonderful bite of tart and texture.
TIPS FOR MAKING THE COCONUT CAULIFLOWER RICE:
Coconut Cauliflower rice is a great side dish to the beef short ribs. I choose to use a frozen pre-riced cauliflower to help speed up the process. You certainly can use fresh riced cauliflower if desired. I would add a small amount of water to a microwavable bowl, cover and cook for 6 minutes or simmer on the stove until tender.
Be sure to drain any water added to cook the rice before adding in the remaining ingredients. When adding the coconut milk, you can open the can and take off the top solids of the can. If you want to insure that the coconut milk is solid on the top, put the can in the refrigerator for a few hours before opening. Don’t let the rest of the can go to waste, add it to a smooth or a creamy curry dish. You can also freeze the remaining coconut milk.
Another tasty substitute for riced cauliflower is jasmine rice. Cook the rice for 4-6 servings and add the remaining ingredients as instructed below.
Allow the short ribs to finish in the oven. In the meantime the side components can be started and kept warm. I like to braise the baby bok choy last to keep it fresh cooked and not super wilty.
Many grocery stores carry pre-made soba noodles in the produce department that simply need to be reheated, some which can be kept in the same bag and microwaved for 1 minute.
CHOOSING YOUR NOODLE:
If soba noodles are not available or not your choice of noodle, consider serving rice noodles, mung bean noodles or even pasta noodles. Some low carb options would be zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash noodles. There are even a noodles in the produce department that are keto friendly and easy to heat and serve.
I truly hope you enjoy this Cranberry Hoisin Beef Short Rib Family Dinner as much as we did.
Cranberry Hoisin Short Rib Family Platter
Number of servings: 4
Cranberry Hoisin Beef Short Rib Family Platter brings big bold flavors to the table. The short ribs are slow cooked in a cranberry hoisin stock which is later turned into a cranberry hoisin sauce that is poured over the ribs and any of the side dishes when passed around the table. Cape Cod Premium Cranberries are slow simmered in the stock with garlic, ginger, anise, cinnamon and more with additional cranberries added to the final sauce.
Ingredients
- Short ribs:
- 4 lbs. beef short ribs, cut into large pieces
- 1 tbs. oil
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. black pepper, fresh cracked if possible
- ½ cup onion, chopped
- 2 inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 cups beef broth
- ½ cup rice vinegar
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup plus 1/3 cup hoisin sauce, divided
- 3 cup Cape Cod Select Premium Cranberries, divided
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 4 whole star anise
- 1 3 inch cinnamon stick
- ½ tsp. red pepper flakes
- 2 green onions, sliced on a diagonal for garnish
- 2 tbs. chopped cilantro
- Coconut Cauliflower Rice:
- 1 tbs. coconut oil
- ¼ cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut
- 2-10 oz. bags frozen cauliflower, riced (fresh riced cauliflower can be used)
- 6 tbs. full fat canned coconut milk (scoop the top off for more solid coconut milk)
- Braised Baby Bok Choy:
- 2 tbs. water
- 1 tsp. soy sauce
- 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
- 2 baby bok choy (purchase 3 if feeding 6 people), cut in half lengthwise
- 1 tsp. sesame seeds
- Sautéed Snow Peas:
- 6 oz. fresh snow peas, strings removed if desired
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 tsp. soy sauce
- Soba Noodles:
- Heat 4-6 servings of soba noodles or your favorite noodle as directed on package. I chose soba noodles that are precooked and sold in the produce department. They can even be microwaved to warm.
Instructions
- Prepare the Cranberry Hoisin Short Ribs: In a large bowl make the cranberry hoisin sauce, mix together the ginger, garlic, beef broth, rice vinegar, ¼ cup soy sauce, ½ cup hoisin sauce, 2 cups of Cap Code Select Premium Cranberries, brown sugar, star anise, cinnamon stick and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine and set aside.
- Season all of the cut short ribs with the kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Then add 1 tbs. of oil to a large Dutch oven pot over medium heat. Sear all sides of the short ribs working in two batches as to not over crowd the pot. Remove the ribs and set aside. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Remove most of the oil/renderings from the pot except enough to cover the bottom. Over medium heat, add in the onions to the renderings and saute for several minutes, loosening any browned bits that may have stuck to the pot. Then add in the cranberry hoisin sauce to the onions. Bring to a simmer and cook to combine all of the ingredients. Add in the ribs, over and cook for 2 ½ hours, turning the meat and stirring the pot half way through.
- Prepare the Cranberry Hoisin Sauce/Glaze: When the meat is tender and falling off the bone, remove it from the cranberry hoisin stock. Strain the stock and measure out 1 ¼ cup. Return the stock back to the pot and add in 1/3 cup hoisin sauce and 1 cup of Cape Cod Select Premium Cranberries. Bring to a simmer and cook until the berries start to burst and the sauce thickens.
- You can add the ribs back into the pot and gently stir to coat. Cover and keep warm while the rest of the platter is made.
- Prepare the Coconut Cauliflower Rice: Heat over medium, the coconut oil in a small skillet and add in the unsweetened coconut. Stir often to achieve a golden color. This will only take a couple of minutes. Set aside.
- Heat the frozen riced cauliflower as directed on the package. If using fresh riced cauliflower, steam covered in the microwave with a couple tablespoon of water for approximately 6-7 minutes or until tender. Drain any water.
- In a bowl, toss together the cooked cauliflower rice, toasted coconut and coconut milk. Cover and keep warm to serve.
- Prepare the Braised Baby Bok Choy: In a large skillet over medium high heat, add 2 tbs. water, 1 tsp. soy sauce and 1 tsp sesame oil. Bring to a simmer and place the baby bok choy halves to the skillet cut side down. Simmer for several minutes to steam and slightly soften the bok choy. If you like the leaves a crisp tender, the cooking time will be short. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Prepare the Sautéed Snow Peas: In the same large skillet that the bok choy was cooked, add 1/3 cup water and 1 tsp. soy sauce. Bring to a simmer and add in the snow peas. Continue to cook for several minutes, stirring as needed. Less cooking time will give a crisper snow pea.
- Assemble the family platter and serve: Arrange the short ribs in the center of the platter. Place the cauliflower rice, baby bok choy, snow peas and noodles around the outside. Pour some of the cranberry hoisin sauce over the ribs, garnish the ribs with the cilantro and green onions. Garnish the baby bok choy with sesame seeds and serve. If desired, serve any remaining sauce on the side to pour over the rice and noodles.
