Ricky's new 24-hour braised short rib is light, tasty and extremely affordable. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

MELT IN YOUR MOUTH

Signature Dish: Ricky’s 24-hour Braised Short Ribs

Apr 30, 2021 | 9:07 AM

NANAIMO — If you compared a good meal to a nice, warm hug then the 24-hour braised short ribs would be one from your mom.

Slow cooked, delicately treated and beautifully presented, one of the newest dishes on the Ricky’s Nanaimo North menu is a winner.

“We get it in big slabs, cut it up and butcher it all ourselves, we cook it off using a mirepoix (carrots, onion, celery), wine and beef stock then slow braise it for 24 hours at a nice low temperature and it makes it fork-tender, don’t need a knife at the table to eat them,” Brendan Hughes, executive chef at Ricky’s, said.

The dish is exactly what you’d expect from a piece of meat, slow-cooked for 24 hours. It easily tears apart with a fork, it’s juicy and flavoursome.

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What’s unexpected is the lightness of the dish. Served to NanaimoNewsNOW with bright asparagus and smashed potatoes, the dish doesn’t weigh down in a way other slow-cooked meals might.

Hughes said a lot of thought went into the gravy, or au jus, the dish comes glazed in.

“We were looking for something that had a little bit of a lighter gravy so that it wasn’t so overpowering and strong. The sauce we don’t thicken quite as much a normal sauce for braised short ribs would be so it’s a little thinner and not quite as heavy or dense when you’re eating it.”

He said he’ll field multiple requests from people wanting to take bags home, or to drink it.

Knives are optional with Ricky’s new 24-hour braised short rib dish. The meat easily falls apart with just a fork. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

The dish is a result of some increased freedom and flexibility afforded the Nanaimo North location of the Ricky’s franchise, which boasts over 85 locations across the country.

Hughes’ kitchen was recently named a development facility for Ricky’s, allowing them to shape future menus for other locations in the chain.

“Us being a development kitchen makes it a lot easier for the other restaurants to know if we can do it in our busy restaurant, they should be able to do that kind of stuff as well.”

Samantha Lester, general manager of Ricky’s Nanaimo North, said the move means many dishes served from their kitchen aren’t available anywhere else.

“Probably 70 per cent of our menu at this location is different from any other Ricky’s. You get your basics, but the flexibility is huge now and we can create, our executive chef Brendan designs and he has that flexibility to put it out to the guest and see if they like it.”

The menu isn’t the only thing changing at Ricky’s Nanaimo North. The restaurant, building and kitchen all had significant renovations completed in 2020.

We redid the kitchen, tiling, floors, brand new ovens, everything went in there was for the new menu,” Lester said.

She added the improvements to the outside of the building take full advantage of their prime location on the northeast corner of Hammond Bay Rd. and Hwy. 19A.

“This is one of the best spots, you can’t miss us on the way out of town. You see the Christmas lights, everyone knows we’re here.”

Ricky’s Nanaimo North opens daily at 7:30 a.m. and closes at 8 p.m. Friday through Tuesday and 9 p.m. on Wednesday’s and Thursdays.

Phone or online orders are available as well as delivery through Skip the Dishes. A full menu and contact information is on their website.

Signature Dish is brought to you by Island Savings – A Division of First West Credit Union, learn more at https://www.islandsavings.ca/.

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