Short rib

A couple of weeks ago I had a chance encounter with some beef short ribs at Ben's butchery in Upper High Street, to be found at reference 1. 2.66kg of them, arranged as four bones. A cut which I had not come across before, but on which Bing offered a wealth of information - including, for example the Wikipedia page at reference 3.

Clearly a candidate for the slow cooking, but the bones did not fit in the Pyrex tub usually used for that, snapped at the top of reference 2, I was not sure about using the rather larger fish kettle in the oven - and so I settled for foil. Not very eco in the sense that we only used the foil once, but BH drew the line as washing it for reuse, the practise of the naval aunt notwithstanding. Into the oven at 115°C or so at 09:30, aiming for 13:30.

The gravy had been started a little earlier 09:15 with the vegetable stock: left overs (including rice), celery, onion and carrot.

Didn't get all that much juice at draining time, that is to say around 12:45, and it was not particularly fatty. Foil removed and parsnips added, moistened with some of the juice. Turned the oven up to 160°C for this last leg.

Plated up at around 13:25, at which point I abstracted some fat from the baking tray to roux up for the gravy. Washed out the baking tray with the vegetable stock. Oven off around 13:35, forks down around 13:45.

The gravy, more or less ready to go.

Along the way cooking and mashing some potatoes (with butter) and cooking the cabbage. Served with some Fleurie from Waitrose, as noticed, for example, at reference 4.

The scene on the lunch plate. I take my gravy in a crater in the mash; BH likes rather more of the stuff.

The scene by the end of the first shift, having done the best part of two of the four bones. Pretty good, although I think it would have been better had it been cooked a little longer.

Mince meat and apple pie to follow. Mince probably cost next to nothing, with Sainsbury's practically giving the stuff away after Christmas. With hot custard made in a saucepan; none of the cold stuff that small visitors seem to like - and which costs a good deal more.

On the plate.

Cold the next day. I was a bit more exuberant with the gravy on this occasion. I think it did for one more day after that, so six meals out of the 2.66kg (including bone), which makes it seem a bit cheaper than at first appears.

References

Reference 1: https://www.bensbutchery.co.uk/.

Reference 2: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2022/01/first-oxtail-of-year.html.

Reference 3: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_ribs.

Reference 4: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2022/08/stuffing.html.