For the perfect make-ahead dinner, try these Meal Prep Szechuan Short Ribs. Slow cooked in a delicious blend of soy sauce and spices, the meat is fall off the bone tender, and couldn’t be easier to make!
Monday is for meal prep! I don’t usually prep ahead but school has just started and i want to do things differently this year. I want dinner time to be less stressful and more fun(for me).
I love lists and am terrible with making choices- so a plan for what i’m going to cook over the week saves me a huge headache. I can come into the kitchen and already know whats on the menu for the night, or choose from some of the dinners i have already prepped.
I also love prepping this Easy Shoyu Chicken and Sesame Chicken Schnitzel for the kids!
If you aren’t interested in meal prepping, thats fine! This recipe is perfectly easy to make on the spot, any night of the week.
Szechuan Short Ribs
These ribs get their name from the large amount of szechuan pepper that we use in the recipe. Combined with other aromatic spices, it makes the perfect sauce for the meat to cook in.
Szechuan pepper is sometimes called wild pepper, szechuan, or sichuan pepper, and it is actually not related to black pepper, but rather to a citrus plant, giving it a citrus like flavor. It is very strong, and has the ability to really transform a dish, due to a special molecule in the pepper that gives off a tingly, numbing sensation when eaten.
What can i use to substitute szechuan pepper?
If you cannot get ahold of this szechuan pepper, substitute it with whole peppercorns.
What Ingredients Used for Szechuan Short Ribs
To make these ribs the most incredible, we use a mix of dried spices (sichuan peppercorns, bay leaf, cloves, and cinnamon), combined with soy sauce, white wine, and brown sugar.
Once the meat has been massaged with the sauce, we add chicken stock, and cook them low and slow.
Meal Prep Szechuan Short Ribs
These ribs are perfect for meal prep because the whole recipe comes together in one freezer bag.
Add the short ribs to a bag and pour in all sauce ingredients and spices, then massage into the meat. Try to get as much air as possible out of the bag before sealing it, and place in the freezer for the perfect easy meal.
TIP: If you find ribs on sale, i suggest making a couple bags of these ribs to store in the freezer for a rainy day.
What to serve with Short Ribs
These ribs are great with something starchy to soak up all the great flavours- jasmine rice, mashed potatoes, or cauliflower rice.
For the perfect finish to your meal, make some:
Dairy Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
[Meal Prep] Szechuan Short Ribs
Ingredients
- 3 lbs (1.5 kilo) bone-in short ribs otherwise known as asado
- 1/4 cup brown or demarara sugar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 2 Tbs rice vinegar(substitute with regular vinegar)
- 1 Tbs fresh grated ginger
- 1 Tbs fresh crushed garlic
- 2 tsp sichuan peppercorns
- 4 dried cloves (substitue with 2 anise pods)
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 1/2 cup chicken stock
Instructions
Meal Prep
- Get out a large freezer safe bag. I use a ziplock. Label the bag(i use masking tape and black sharpie). Fold down the edges for easy filling.
- Place ribs in the bag and pour over all sauce ingredients and spices, BESIDES the chicken stock. Seal the bag, and massage the meat until it is fully covered in sauce. TO FREEZE: Let out as much air as possible before tightly sealing the bag. Press the meat down so it forms one even layer, and place in the freezer for up to 3 weeks, or until ready to use.
To cook:
- When ready to cook, empty all contents of the bag into a pressure cooker or large pot. Add the chicken stock. You may not need all of it. The ribs should be 2/3 of the way covered in liquid.Bring to a boil, then lower and heat, cover, and simmer for 3.5 -4 hours, until the meat is super tender and falling off the bone. Serve hot. If you want a sticky sauce, remove the meat from the pot and continue cooking the sauce until reduced, about 10 minutes. Pour the sauce over the meat and serve. optional:green onion to serve.
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Looks awesome! Where can I get sichuan pepper in Israel?
Thank you!! I buy it at the asian market in Jerusalem(on agripas street), but its probably sold at other spice shops as well. Its sometimes called wild pepper, or szuchuan pepper.