Photo by Lauren Baldwin
SORGHUM BASICS
Buying: For the home cook, sorghum comes in two forms: as a grain and a syrup. Bob’s Red Mill brand, which produces both whole grain and a milled sorghum flour, is available at most large grocery chains.
Storage: In its whole-grain form, sorghum can be popped like popcorn or prepared like pilaf or risotto, stirred often with a 3-to-1 water-to-grain ratio over an hour or more.
MULTITASKER
A whole-grain cereal crop, sorghum has ancient origins in Africa. It is considered a staple crop in countries such as India and China and is found in everything from bread to beer. In the U.S., the slow-cooking grain is often used for livestock feed.
AROUND RVA
Belmont Butchery: Here you’ll find plastic jugs of Muddy Pond sorghum syrup — pour a little on Belmont’s house-cured bacon for an extra special breakfast experience.
Ellwood Thompson’s: Considered an alternative sweetener, Compass Winds sorghum syrup out of Dayton is a natural fit for the store’s health-conscious audience.
Camden’s Dogtown Market: Sorghum can be used to make a tasty gluten-free beer, and Camden’s stocks Redbridge, one of the more prominent labels.
“[Sorghum] is usually slightly fermented, which brings balance and umami with a touch of sweetness.” —Ian Boden, chef-owner at The Shack in Staunton
Photo by Sera Petras, courtesy Ian Boden
COOK LIKE A (SEMI-)LOCAL
Beef Short Ribs Braised With Sorghum and Chili
By Ian Boden, executive chef and co-owner of The Shack
Ian Boden, of The Shack in Staunton, makes an entire line of sorghum barbecue and hot sauces, so he’s obviously a fan. “We love to braise with it as well as add it to sauces to bridge flavors,” he says. That love is evident in his recipe for beef short ribs braised with sorghum and chili.
2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as corn or canola
4 pounds beef short ribs
1 Spanish onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 head of garlic, halved
2 fresh bay leaves
2 whole star anise
1 whole knob fresh ginger, peeled
1 whole cinnamon stick
5 tablespoons gochujang chile paste
6 cups chicken stock
2 cups sorghum syrup
2 tablespoons fish sauce (we prefer Red Boat)
1/4 cup soy sauce (we prefer Bourbon Barrel Soy)
Sear ribs over high heat with oil in a Dutch oven until deep brown, then remove and set aside. In the remaining fat, add the vegetables and aromatics and cook until lightly browned over medium heat, then add the gochujang and cook, while stirring, for an additional three minutes.
Place the ribs back in the Dutch oven, then pour over the stock, sorghum, fish sauce and soy sauce. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a low simmer with the lid on the pot slightly ajar. Cook until ribs are tender but not falling off the bone, approximately three hours.
When finished, carefully remove the ribs, place them into a dish and strain the cooking liquid over the top. They can be served at this point, but the ribs will be much more flavorful and have a better texture if they’re allowed to rest overnight. In an oven preheated to 350 degrees, reheat the ribs in a covered casserole dish for approximately 20 to 30 minutes or until just heated through.
