Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Proteins
- 1200 g beef short ribs, bone-in, cut into chunks
Aromatics & Vegetables
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced
- 4 garlic, minced
- 400 g sweet potato, peeled and cut into large cubes
- 400 g butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into large cubes
Liquids & Spices
- 30 ml neutral cooking oil
- 5 g fennel seeds, lightly crushed
- 3 g caraway seeds, whole
- 30 ml apple cider vinegar
- 500 ml beef broth, low-sodium
- 400 ml full-fat coconut milk, well shaken
- 10 g kosher salt
- 5 g black pepper, freshly ground
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 654 kcal
- Protein
- 43 g
- Carbohydrates
- 32 g
- Fat
- 40 g
- Fiber
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 7 g
- Sodium
- 1159 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 22 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 10 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 118 mg
- Potassium
- 1623 mg
- Calcium
- 135 mg
- Iron
- 8.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 132 mg
- Phosphorus
- 550 mg
- Zinc
- 10.5 mg
- Vitamin A
- 848 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 24 mg
- Vitamin E
- 1.4 mg
- Vitamin K
- 30 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 1.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 6.8 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.35 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.40 mg
- Niacin
- 9.5 mg
- Folate
- 65 mcg
- Water
- 445 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 160°C/320°F. Thoroughly pat the beef short ribs dry with paper towels and season generously on all sides with kosher salt and black pepper.
Heat the neutral oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches to avoid crowding, sear the short ribs until deeply browned on all sides. Transfer the browned meat to a plate and leave the rendered fat in the pot.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the diced onion and sliced fennel bulb to the remaining beef fat. Sauté until the vegetables have softened and begun to lightly caramelize. Stir in the minced garlic, crushed fennel seeds, and caraway seeds, cooking for one more minute until fragrant.
Pour in the apple cider vinegar to deglaze the Dutch oven, using a wooden spoon to scrape up all the flavorful browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Let the vinegar reduce until it is almost entirely evaporated.
Return the short ribs and any accumulated juices to the pot. Pour in the beef broth and coconut milk. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and transfer the Dutch oven to the preheated oven. Braise for 1.5 hours.
Carefully remove the pot from the oven. Stir in the cubed sweet potatoes and butternut squash. Ensure the vegetables are mostly submerged in the liquid. Cover and return to the oven for another 45 to 60 minutes.
Remove the stew from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes. Skim any excess fat that has pooled on the surface using a ladle or spoon. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt or a splash of vinegar if needed. Garnish with reserved fennel fronds before serving.
Chef's Notes
- Do not skip browning the short ribs. The Maillard reaction developed during searing creates the foundational depth of flavor for the entire stew.
- Short ribs are heavily marbled and will inevitably produce a fatty liquid. Skimming is crucial for a balanced mouthfeel. If time permits, making this a day ahead and chilling it makes fat removal completely effortless.
- The coconut milk will not aggressively taste like coconut once it cooks down with the beef, fennel, and garlic. Instead, it provides a subtle sweetness and an incredibly luxurious, dairy-free creaminess.
- Always ensure your internal cooking liquid is barely bubbling before it goes into the oven. A rapid boil will toughen the meat fibers.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Flavors deepen overnight. The fat cap will solidify, making it very easy to remove before reheating.
Freezer: 3 months — Store in airtight containers leaving head space for liquid expansion.
Reheating: Gently simmer on the stove over medium-low heat until thoroughly warmed, adding a splash of water or broth if too thick.
Troubleshooting
Meat is tough and chewy
Cause: The connective tissue in the short ribs has not fully broken down yet
Fix: Return the covered pot to the oven and continue cooking, checking every 20 minutes until the meat is fork-tender
Prevention: Allow adequate time for the slow braising process
Stew looks excessively greasy
Cause: Short ribs render a significant amount of fat during the cooking process
Fix: Use a ladle to skim the fat from the top, or cool the stew completely in the refrigerator and peel off the solid white fat cap
Prevention: Trim major hard fat caps from the short ribs before searing
Vegetables have completely disintegrated
Cause: Sweet potatoes and squash were added too early in the cooking process or cut too small
Fix: Cannot be fixed, but the disintegrated vegetables will act as a delicious natural thickener for the broth
Prevention: Cut vegetables into large, 5cm chunks and only add them during the final hour of cooking
Cultural Context
Traditional German winter cooking heavily features slowly braised meats, hearty root vegetables, and earthy aromatics like caraway and fennel seed. This dish honors those robust, warming flavor profiles while introducing a modern fusion element. The incorporation of full-fat coconut milk replaces traditional dairy creams, providing a velvety texture and a subtle tropical undertone that pairs surprisingly well with the licorice notes of fennel.
