Ribs!

There are times you want delicate flavours, and there are times you want big flavours. And Saturday night, to my mind, is a big flavour night. There is a fashion right now for beef short ribs, and it's been something I wanted to try. I once had a slightly unfortunate night in Bodean's when I ordered beef ribs and they turned out to be like something from the Flintstones and not very easy to eat.

Beef short ribs though are a different story - and they are much more satisfying to eat than pork ribs, which seem like a lot of work for not much pay-off. Beef ribs need long, slow cooking and there is something about barbeque flavours which seem to be perfect. The US tradition of long, gentle barbeque that is, not the English tradition of hot searing which leaves the outside burnt and the inside raw.

Jamie Oliver's America book provided the solution although his recipe called for beef ribs in a piece but it worked beautifully with cut ones. I hadn't seen beef ribs before (I've had a sheltered life) so wasn't sure what to expect, but they were magnificent, with huge hunks of beef attached.

Cooking them took 7 hours, although the actual involvement I had to have took about 15 minutes, which is the kind of cooking I can get on board with.

Start by brushing the ribs all over with American mustard - I used French's.

Then, make a rub: for 1.2kg of ribs I used 1.5 tbsp sweet smoked Paprika, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, a generous grind of black better and 1.5 tbsp of corn oil. You could also add some chilli powder but I don't really like hot hot so left it out and can't believe it was any the worse for it. The mix was rubbed all over the meat, including the bone side. Put them bone side down into a roasting tin. And that, is it. Into an oven at 130 for 5 hours.

Stage 2 - just before the 5 hours are up, mix 1.5 tbsp demerara with 1.5 tbsp honey, a knob of butter, a splash of water and 1/2 a beef stock cube. (Annoyingly, Mr Glutton had made some beautiful beef stock in the week and I couldn't find it otherwise I would have used that instead). Heat until all is mixed. Take the ribs out of the oven and set aside.

Roll out some heavy duty foil and pour on (carefully!) the marinade. Lay on the ribs meat side down and wrap the foil over them to make a little parcel. Wrap in an additional piece of foil, then put back into the oven for 1.hr 15 mins.

When that time is up, drain of any fat/liquid in the pan, unwrap the ribs and put them back in the pan unwrapped, meat side up. Turn the heat up to to 140 and cook for another 50 mins.

Take out of the oven and rest on a board for about 15 mins.

I made some coleslaw with white cabbage, red onion, granny smith apple and carrot - dressed with mayonnaise and wholegrain mustard.

So, it's not everyday that I boast (no, honestly) but I have to say, these rocked. Dark, thick crust of sweet, chewy meat, soft and pink underneath. Perfect with the cool, crispy, fresh slaw. We're already planning when we can make them again but it does take some planning as it isn't everyday that I'm in house for 7 hours tbh. I think it would be better in a piece, but sure the butcher won't mind and, next time I also think I'll make a double quantity so I can shred the meat and make po'boy sandwiches the next day, with loads of pickles and a good slather of mustard. Right, must make some brekkie as I am now starving.

Lots of love, GG.

Eat to live, live to eat

It's all been a bit quiet on the GluttonGirl front of late, I know you've missed me. I started a new job in January which seems to combine long hours with a long commute, a combination which brings me much joy, so cooking and eating has been about speed, ease and what I can get at Asda, as opposed to sourcing ingredients lovingly.

The last few months have been about, for the first time in many years, eating for fuel, eating to live, getting something on the table which is quite nice and tasty and not the same thing as we ate last week. And when you shop in small inner city supermarkets, rather than nice ones with lots of choice, or independents, or the market, you become reliant on chicken thighs, sausages and pork chops. All of which I love but after a few months aren't really setting the culinary world on fire. So I've kept quiet of late, but times, they are a changing.

I've missed cooking for sheer pleasure, I've missed browing cookbooks (and lord knows I've no shortage of them), I've missed hunting out things I haven't eaten before, I've missed going to the butcher, the greengrocer, the Spanish deli, the Mexican supplier. I'm luckier than most people - GluttonBoy manages a super-nice deli in Clapham (Macfarlanes in Abbeville Road, if you happen to be passing) so I've got easy access to some good meat, cheese and deli. I particularly recommend the chorizo.

So, with Spring and all the good eating it brings now here, I can't wait to get started. I've ordered a couple of new cookbooks - Scandilicious and Claudia Roden's new Spanish book - to get through.

And I'm starting tonight - pork belly roasted on a bed of potatoes. Imagine how sticky and porky those potatoes will be from being roasted underneath some fatty pork. And if there are any leftovers, they're going in a crusty roll for my lunch tomorrow, smeared with some meaty pan juices. That's some good eating.