Peter Som’s Braised Soy and Black Garlic Short Ribs

Remove the short ribs from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Season all sides with kosher salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Mash the black garlic and 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar in a mortar and pestle until it forms a paste. (Alternatively, you can mash the garlic and brown sugar in a bowl with the back of a spoon.)

In a Dutch oven, heat l tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches so you don’t crowd the pan, add the short ribs and sear on all sides until browned and caramelized, 75 to 90 seconds per side, then transfer to a plate. Add more oil as needed to sear all the ribs. When finished, carefully pour off most of the oil from the Dutch oven.

Return all the short ribs to the Dutch oven and add the black garlic paste, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, remaining ¼ cup brown sugar, sriracha, and beef stock. If the stock does not cover most of the ribs, add water. Bring to a boil, then cover and place in the oven to roast for 2½ to 3 hours, or until the short ribs are tender and falling off the bone. Uncover and use tongs to move the ribs around a bit. Turn the oven temperature up to 400°F and continue roasting, uncovered, for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the liquid has reduced a bit, the meat is super tender, and everything is a deep, burnished, lovely dark golden brown.

To serve, garnish with the scallions, finish with lemon zest and flaky sea salt, and serve from the Dutch oven.