I found these sweet smelling mushrooms the other day at the farmers market. They are called persimmon mushrooms. They actually smell sweet and remind me of some other exotic mushrooms called cinnamon caps, which actually tasted like cinnamon.
I bought some boneless kobe short ribs at the market and thought of some asian tacos for dinner. Braising short ribs is really easy and the result is amazing. Kobe just happens to be a more fatty beef which produces a really tender short rib. Short ribs with an Asian flavor is really hard not to like and is one of my favorite foods.
Recipe
2 lbs of boneless Kobe short ribs cut in 1 inch blocks
1 stalk of lemongrass
1 finger of ginger sliced
6 garlic cloves chopped
1 onion chopped
2 tbsp of sambal
1 cup of mango-orange juice
1/2 cup of miso
1/2 cup of tamari soy sauce
32 oz of chicken stock
1 carrot
1 bunch of scrap leeks tops, or green onions
1 bunch of persimmon mushrooms
1 large leek sliced and washed
1 cup of guacamole
1/4 cup of green onion chopped
6 tbsp of sesame oil
Corn or Flour Tortillas
sesame seeds
For the short ribs
you will need a large braising pot or soup pot. Add 3 tbsp of sesame oil to the pot on medium high heat. Season the short ribs lightly with salt and place in the hot braising pot. Sear on each side for about 3 minutes. Once you have seared the second side, move the center pieces of short rib to the outer part of the pot (on top of the other short rib pieces) so there is an empty space in the center of the pot.
Place all of the vegetables in that empty space (onion, ginger, garlic, lemon grass, carrot, leek tops) and saute for 1 minute. Then add the mango juice, miso, soy, sambal, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer and cover with a lid. Lightly simmer the short ribs or braise them for about 2 hours or until they are very tender. My short ribs were very thin and boneless so they cooked relatively fast. Once done strain out the liquid and short ribs, just let them sit in the liquid until your ready to plate.
In a small saute pan add the rest of the sesame oil, leeks, and persimmon mushrooms. Season lightly with salt and saute for about 3 to 4 minutes. Then ladle 4 oz of the braising liquid into the pan with the mushrooms and leeks. Cook until almost all the liquid is gone.
To plate warm tortillas (corn) and place short rib meat in the taco. Make sure you add a little of the liquid on top of the meat. Then add a spoonful of guacamole, top that with the leeks and mushrooms. Finish with chopped green onions, sesame seeds, and a squirt of sriracha.
