Dinosaur Ribs

 Just have to share this one whilst it is still fresh. So one family enjoy hand food eating the meat off the bone. I decide to give them a Dinosaur Rib each. Had no idea what I was letting myself in for other than they would be about 20cm long and obviously the thin end of the rib with little meat. My preferred source, Great Berwick with their Longhorn cattle, were able to supply. Came the day, they arrived and wow they were huge.

Looked online for guidance, nearly all were USofA inspired and aimed at BBQ but all with conflicting treatment and most of all timings. I knew that they would have to be slow cooked. Picking my way between them I went with an overnight marinade. Tbspn Smoked Paprika, dstspn dried Oregano, tspn ground cumin, dstspn ground Sichuan pepper (cos I had it), salt and about 4Tspn of oil. Rubbed well into meat sides, covered and left. smelt good.

I hummed and hawed over cooking times and the 7hrs at 130degreesC seemed excessive compared to what I had been looking at. Settled for 5hrs with a check after 4hrs leaving myself a margin. Pairs of ribs were wrapped and sealed into foil, the best way I could manage them, then pooed into the oven. Even then spacing was tight and a corner of foil caught on the racking as it went in.

Impatiently waited for the four hours, so tempted to have a peek. At 4hrs it was clear they were not going to be done, so PlanB, turned it up to 150degreesC and settled for another hour and half. Took them out after 5.5hrs. The torn foil allowed the plentiful juices to flood out, what a mess. Arranged them on a tray and brushed their meat surfaces with Grape Syrup, which I happened to have, a less aggressive basting than all the BBQ sauces online raved about. Popped them under a high grill for a few moments.

As the dish was brought in there were eyes wide open. Tucked in with gusto and I was left with cleaned ribs, so a huge success! Chef's afterthoughts.  It was cooked, easily eatable but not a fall off the bone as I had planned for. Reckon the 7hrs at 130 would have been about right. The marinade didnt make a huge difference, the air-aged beef and being Longhorn had its over very distinctive flavour. They did throw off a lot of fat and juices. Finding a honey based glaze would be a better answer, straight out of the foil wrapping, too pale and not appealing.

my Chill Con Carne

There are a lot of chilli con carne recipes out there, often with wide ranging ingredient plus a couple of exotics like chocolate or coffee. I wanted to get back to what a more simple traditional dish may have been like. It seems to shout out for a slow cook pot. So here is my take on it.

Ingredients
1kg Shin of beef
lard or oil
500gm dried red kidney beans
3 onions sliced
3 cloves garlic sliced
I red pepper
3 red chillies
bunch fresh coriander leaves
1.5 pint good stock
2 tspn ground cumin
2 tspn dried oregano
salt and pepper
1Tbspn treacle
6 plum tomatoes

First off soak the kidney beans over night. Wash and drain until water runs clear then put them on the stove, bring to the boil, and this is important, rapid boil for at least ten minutes.
Meanwhile cut the shin into a small dice. Most recipes call for mince, for one you never know what is in 'mince' and secondly I wanted to get more texture out of the beef. Put about two tablespoons oil in a pan over a high heat fry off the beef in batches until the moisture is driven off and the meat just begins to colour. Transfer to the cookpot and carry on with the next batch, adding more oil as needed. Drain the kidney beans, rinse well, then add to the meat in the cookpot

When the meat has browned and transferred into cookpot, reduce pan to low heat, put in the onion and garlic slices, stir and let them sweat. They will take on colour from the meat but do not brown them.

 

Cover and leave on the low heat until softened.

Prepare the peppers and chillies, deseed then medium chop. Cut the old ends of the coriander and fine chop about four tablespoons of stalks and leaves. 

When onion and garlic has softened but not coloured, turn heat up high, drive of any moisture then and put in the peppers, chille, cumin and oregano, stir and leave for a few moments.

 

Now add about 1.5pints of a good stock and the coriander, let it come to the simmer and leave for a couple of minutes.

Mix the meat and the kidney beans together then add the stock, spices, peppers, chillies and coriander.

The liquid should just about cover the beans, add a little more if necessary. To ensure the beans cook thoroughly I have kept the water level high and I set the cooker onto high for eight hours. This was too long and six hours should be sufficient, depending on how old your beans are.

Halfway through the cooking time, give the pot a good stir and reduce to the low setting for the remainder time. Test for tender beans and meat that falls apart in your mouth or give a little longer cooking. Drain the juice out of the cookpot and transfer into a pan, reduce over a high heat adding a tablespoon of treacle. As the juices reduce and thicken the chillie heat will amalgamate and blend to a degree. Take off heat when reduced to about two cupful's.

Coarsely chop six plum tomatoes and a few more coriander leaves.

Add to the cookpot the tomato, coriander with the reduced juices, give a good gentle stir, leave to warm for half an hour. Then enjoy!