Vietnamese Braised Short Rib
  • Yield: 12 servings
Print

Vietnamese Braised Short Rib

By January 14, 2026

Elijah Pulley, CEC, Executive Chef, Saddle & Cycle Club (Chicago)

Ingredients

Instructions

Procedure for black sesame and kombu crumb:

  1. Toast kombu, shitake until fragrant.
  2. Allow to chill and pulverize in a spice grinder.
  3. Toast sesame seeds until lightly warmed, then grind to a paste with a mortar and pestle.
  4. Toss pulverized kombu, shitake, and sesame paste with the panko. Combine both oils and toast the panko mixture over medium heat until dry.

Procedure for Café Du Monde tuiles:

  1. Combine water with coffee grounds. Let steep for 10-15 minutes, then strain through a fine mesh sieve.
  2. Melt butter and let cool slightly.
  3. Whisk together the egg white with salt.
  4. Whisk in sugar, flour, and cooled, melted butter.
  5. Whisk in strained coffee.
  6. Bake in desired mold at 350°F for 3-4 minutes.

Procedure for yuzu-fresno curd:

  1. Set up a double boiler. Combine yuzu with Fresno. Allow to simmer and then let steep for 10 minutes.
  2. Strain yuzu and place it in a bowl atop the double boiler.
  3. Temper eggs, and return to the double boiler.
  4. Once the nappe stage has been reached, remove from heat and whisk in butter.

Procedure for sweet potato coconut mousse:

  1. Peel sweet potatoes and thinly slice.
  2. Place in small stock pot and cover with coconut milk and heavy cream.
  3. Bring to a simmer and allow to cook until completely soft.
  4. Strain potatoes, reserving cream. Place in stand bowl with whisk attachment and whip potatoes till smooth.
  5. Add 6 ozs. of reserved cream, with butter and salt.
  6. Push mousse through a fine tamis.

Procedure for poached thumbelina carrots:

  1. Allow kombu and shitake to soak in carrot juice for 30 minutes with no heat.
  2. Turn on low heat and allow for steam to come off top for 45 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat. Add bonito flakes. Once they sink to the bottom, strain liquid. Discard solids.
  4. Bring dashi to a low simmer. Place processed thumbelina carrots in dashi. Once tender, place in blast chiller.

Procedure for turmeric onions:

  1. Combine all ingredients except the onions.
  2. Add all ingredients to a pot. Bring to a boil.
  3. Pull from heat and chill.

Procedure for cabbage-radish slaw:

  1. Finely shred cabbage. Toss with salt and let soak for 1 hour.
  2. Rinse cabbage several times until water runs clear.
  3. Put ginger, onion, and garlic in a food processor until paste forms.
  4. Place paste in a pot with rice flour, cilantro, oil and chili flake and heat until flour dissolves and is thoroughly mixed. Cool mixture.
  5. Finely shred daikon radish. Toss with rinsed cabbage and combine with paste. Let sit for at least one day.

Procedure for chuck flap marinade:

  1. Combine fish sauce and brown sugar to make a paste.
  2. Coat chuck flap with mixture and allow to marinate for four hours.
  3. Pat chuck flap dry with a paper towel, then season all sides with five-spice powder. Let sit for 30 minutes.
  4. Place in smoker at 215°F for 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Procedure for Vietnamese braising liquid:

  1. Take all whole spices and make a sachet (place in cheesecloth and tie closed with twine).
  2. In a large stock pot, add oil blend and sesame oil.
  3. Add onions, garlic, and ginger. Cook until fragrant.
  4. Add brown sugar, fish sauce, and Mirin. Cook until sugar dissolves.
  5. Add in beef stock and sachet. Allow to simmer on low for 45 minutes. Do not let stock boil. Ensure you are using freshly made stock to get the best quality result.
  6. Place smoked chuck flaps in a four-inch hotel ensuring space on sides and none stacked on top. Pour braising liquid over, covering them entirely. Wrap pan in foil and braise at 300°F until fork-tender.
  7. Once tender, remove from liquid. Strain broth. Reserve liquid; discard solids.

Procedure for service:

  1. Take chilled short ribs and cut into two 3 oz. portions. Place in a vacuum-sealed bag with three ounces of reserved braising liquid. Place in sous vide; set at 145°F.
  2. Turmeric onions should be drained from pickling liquid.
  3. Poached carrots should be heated in reserved dashi. Once hot, place carrots on sizzle plate and allow dashi to drip off (four halves per plate).
  4. Yuzu curd should be room-temperature and held in a squeeze bottle.
  5. Sweet potato mousse is reheated with a small amount of butter.
  6. Cabbage-radish slaw should be held at room temperature.

To plate:

  1. Remove short ribs from bag. Place immediately into a saucepan, glazing the short ribs with jus.
  2. Take four ounces of sweet potato mousse and place a spoonful on one end of the plate. Do an angular swoop motion, creating a blank space in the middle of mousse.
  3. Place both short ribs in the middle of the mousse, slightly offset from each other.
  4. Place poached carrots behind each short rib (carrots should be facing opposite directions per end of the plate).
  5. Take 3-ozs. of the slaw and place over the middle of the short ribs, draping into the mousse.
  6. Take .5 oz. of the kombu soil and place on the left side of the plate in between the short ribs, directly by where the slaw meets the mousse.
  7. Place four pieces of julienned turmeric onions (two slices wrapping each shingled stack of carrots).
  8. The yuzu-Fresno curd should be stored in a squeeze bottle. Place a total of five dots on the plate.
  9. Place the tuile straight up in between the front short rib and the slaw, holding it in place. Tuile should go on at the last minute, as the base will begin to soften due to moisture.
Add to Favorites
By With 0 comments