ROY’S BRAISED SHORT RIBS OF BEEF

There are recipes from various sources that claim to duplicate this delicious dish at the Hawaiian-themed restaurant chain, but not one of those formulas makes anything close to the braised short ribs of beef that is a signature item at Roy’s. The closest recipe I found appears to be from Chef Roy Yamaguchi himself and it gave me valuable information about the braising liquid, but was otherwise different from the recipe used in the restaurant. Adapting parts of that recipe along with information gathered from restaurant employee interviews, I have created a new recipe that produces a finished entrée guaranteed to satisfy any fan of the original dish. Get the largest short ribs you can find without much fat on them and plan to make this recipe in advance since the short ribs will need to braise for 4 hours to reach the perfect tender texture of the original version.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 12-ounce large beef short ribs (or 8 smaller 6-ounce short ribs)
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to season the ribs
½ teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to season the ribs
1 small onion or ½ large onion, chopped (1½ cups)
1 large carrot, chopped (1 cup)
2 stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)
2 stalks lemongrass, bruised and chopped
5 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
2 tablespoons peeled and diced ginger
3 cups beef stock
3 cups vegetable stock
2 teaspoons Kikkoman Teriyaki Marinade & Sauce

HONEY MUSTARD
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
2 tablespoons honey

GARNISH (OPTIONAL)
Mixture of diced tomato, onion, and chives

Cooking method

1-Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

2-Heat the oil in a roasting pan, large pot, or other large oven-safe pan (with a lid) over medium heat. Cut any excess fat off of the short ribs. Salt and pepper the short ribs and sear all sides of each short rib until browned in the pan, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the browned short ribs from the pan to a plate.

3-Add the onion, carrot, celery, lemongrass, garlic, ginger, salt, and pepper to the pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until it’s starting to brown. Turn off the heat and return the short ribs to the pan, then add the stocks. Add just enough water, if necessary, to bring the liquid to the top of the short ribs. Cover the pan and place it in the preheated oven for 1 hour, then reduce the heat to 300 degrees F and cook for 3 more hours. After 1 hour (2 hours total braising time), remove the short ribs from the stock and slice the bone away from the meat. Return the meat and the bones to the stock and cook for another 2 hours or until the meat is tender and flaky. Total braising time will be 4 hours.

4-Remove the short ribs from the pan and place them in a pan covered with aluminum foil. Strain the liquid through a mesh strainer to remove all of the cooked vegetables and bones. Measure 4 cups of the braising liquid and set it aside. Pour some of the remaining liquid into the pan (around ½ inch deep) with the short ribs, cover, and place them in your oven set to 225 degrees F to stay warm.

5-Add the 4 cups of strained braising liquid to a large saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium heat until it has reduced to ¾ cup, or around a fifth of its volume, and is thick and velvety. This will take around 30 minutes. When the sauce is done reducing, turn off the heat and stir in the teriyaki marinade.

6-Combine all of the ingredients for the honey mustard in a small bowl.

7-When you are ready to prepare the short ribs for serving, preheat your barbecue grill to high heat. You can also cook the short ribs using an indoor grill pan on your stovetop over medium heat.

8-Brush all sides of the short ribs with a generous coating of honey mustard. Grill the short ribs for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until nice grill marks are showing. Serve the short ribs with some of the braising liquid spooned over the top of each portion, and top with a garnish of minced tomato, onion, and chives, if desired.