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How to thicken a Ketchup/Brown Sugar/Water based meat sauce

post #1 of 6
1/27/12 at 8:32pm
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I make a wonderful shortrib recipe.  You cook the ribs at 450 for 45 minutes to render the fat, then add the sauce (water, brown sugar and ketchup) and cook it at 350 for about 3 1/2 hours.  The ribs end up beautiful and the sauce is thick.  When I made just the sauce last weekend it never thickened up.  Would the fat from the meat thicken it?  What can I do to make it thicker than water?

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post #2 of 6
1/27/12 at 9:16pm

Good question. I hope this helps. I don't like baby-back ribs. I much prefer St.Louis cut, and actually like spare ribs the best. This is because I braise them in the oven, and then reduce the liquid to make my sauce. All I get liquid-wise from the baby-back ribs are fat. Fat doesn't reduce. You need all the gelatin/collagen that melts out. If I was in your position, I would maybe try a teaspoon of cornstarch as a thickener. I don't know, maybe that's a goofy idea. Let's see what everyone else says. Anyway, from my experience in Asian kitchens I use cornstarch to thicken lots of things. Good, bad and sometimes ugly. LOL @ Me I guess. Good luck. 

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post #3 of 6
1/27/12 at 10:50pm

How long did you cook the sauce? Did you cook it at 350 for 3 1/2 hours?

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post #4 of 6
1/28/12 at 2:50am

Fat will not thicken it will only make it greasy.

Possibly a reduction will, (simmer over lo heat) Corn starch tends to not work well in a hi acid dish.(tomato base) I might try arrowroot or modified food starch for best results.

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post #5 of 6
1/28/12 at 4:04am

I used corn starch in Manchurian but it is not as crispier as I eat in restaurant. So what should I do for this? I used corn flour in the soup for Manchurian it gives a nice thickness to it. So please tell me what I should do for Veg Manchurian.

 

 

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Edited by DeborahFoy - 1/30/12 at 10:28pm
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post #6 of 6
1/29/12 at 4:34am

CRISPY? , MANCHURIAN? SOUP?  I am confused , What are you talking about making a batter for something  or a soup thickener?

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