The front cover of Food and Wine magazine this month was stunning. Usually I am less than impressed and somewhat bewildered by the images the editors choose to showcase their mag, but this time, the dish really appealed to me. It was a casserole of short ribs with caramelised kimchee, complete with pale, translucent daikon, pretty pink radish slices and beautiful orange carrots nestled in a glossy, deep brown sauce. I had to make it, immediately. I did and changed it quite a bit, amping up the Korean vibe with Gochujang sauce and omitting the caramelised kimchee, (stupidly), for a raw spoonful on top instead. Unfortunately, my kimchee was just horrible, the lactic acid of fermenting giving it a sour tang beyond acceptable, but it was easy to remove, (the kimchee, not the tang). The real show stopper though was the beef, (of course). Dark mahogany from searing, it was fall apart tender and flavourful with the salty, sweet flavours of the sauce. This was magnificent, really. If you haven't tried short ribs before or are British and still suffering from the mad cow 'no beef on the bone' hangover, get over it and buy some, cook them for hours until they literally melt, eat them and you will be happy.
