CHEF and blogger Paul James writes for our paper.
I MADE this dish a couple of years ago using the great produce from ‘Butcher’s Block’ in Bromsgrove – and I would urge everyone to support their local butcher’s shop.
Despite putting the recipe together, I never actually published it, instead I created another beef short rib dish.
Beef short ribs are often braised as the liquid helps them to cook through, while the fat slowly melts, leaving behind a rich sauce that is full of flavour.
Short ribs will release a lot of fat during the cooking process and you will probably want to ‘skim’ some off, but using my method this can be done, If you have time.
First of all, you leave the ribs to chill overnight in their liquid and fat, then remove the fat as a solid layer the next day before reheating.
This resting time will also intensify the flavour of the meat, so it is well worth doing.
Beef short ribs are cut from the cow’s belly or mid-section and are sometimes called the ‘Jacob’s ladder’.
These ribs are chunky, with plenty of meat surrounding the bones and dense fat marbling throughout.
This flavoursome fat and connective tissue means that beef short ribs need long, slow cooking in order to become tender.
Once fully cooked, however, they are particularly soft – the meat can be easily pulled away from the bones with little effort.
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Roasted beef short ribs with garlic buttered peas and charred lettuce
Ingredients
4 short ribs from your local butcher
500ml Vegetable stock to braise the ribs
Handful of frozen peas
50g of butter
1/2tsp of garlic paste
Salt and pepper to taste
Lettuce leaves
100ml water
Splash of olive oil
Method
1. Heat a deep sided frying pan or large pot with a splash of olive oil, then add the short ribs. Gently fry until you get the short ribs slightly browned.
2. Pour in the stock, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for at least 4hrs.
3. After four hours, turn off the heat and leave the ribs to chill overnight in the stock and juices.
4. When you are ready to cook, preheat the oven to 180c then carefully remove the ribs from the fat of the stock.
5. Add to a baking tray and roast until beautifully golden and warmed through thoroughly.
6. Remove from the oven and leave to rest covered with some aluminium foil until you have made the garlic buttered peas and chargrilled lettuce leaves.
7. Melt the butter in a saucepan then saute the garlic until lightly golden on a medium heat.
8. Then tip in the frozen peas and add the water, cover to steam the peas.
9. The water evaporates in a few minutes, leaving behind just tasty butter.
10. Heat a griddle pan, gently brush the leaves with a minimal amount of oil and quickly char the lettuce leaves.
11. On a warm plate add a good portion of the garlic buttered peas then add the short beef ribs on top with the charred lettuce.
12. Enjoy.
