Slow-Cooked Beef Short Ribs

Slow-Cooked Beef Short Ribs

by | Jun 2, 2014 | Beef, Featured Recipe, Meat

Short-RibBeef short ribs are the ideal replacement for lamb shanks. Not only are they so tasty they are also quite affordable. Don’t be put off by the sinew and fat in the cut; they disappear when cooked in the wine and stock. The end result being a tender mouth watering dish that your friends and family will be talking about for a long time.

What you need

Olive oil
6 Thick cut short ribs (1.2 – 1.5 kg)
1 Large head of garlic cut in half horizontally
1 heaped tablespoon tomato puree
1 750ml bottle red wine
1 litre beef stock
150g bacon bits
250g button mushrooms cut into slices
Sea salt and black pepper
Chopped parsley to garnish
Feeds 4-6 people

The process

Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius.

Season the short ribs well. Pour some olive oil in a deep-sided roasting pan. Place the pan on a stove plate and brown the meat on all sides. Add the garlic and the tomato puree and heat for a minute or two. Pour the red wine into the pan and scrape the bits at the bottom loose. Boil for 10-15 minutes until the liquid is reduced by half. Pour in the beef stock and bring to the boil while continuously basting the ribs.

Cover the pan with foil and place into the pre-heated oven. Bake for 3-4 hours until the meat is tender and falling away from the bone. Keep basting the ribs every now and then. Be sure to check the liquid in the pan at the same time so that it does not cook dry. Just add water when needed.

About 10 minutes before the ribs are ready to come out, fry the bacon bits and mushrooms until tender. When the short ribs are ready, take out of the oven and place them on a serving dish. Place the pan with remaining gravy on the stove plate and add the mushrooms and bacon. Bring to the boil. You can add a small amount of maizena to thicken the sauce if it needs to. Serve the ribs topped with the gravy.

Mushroom and cheese sauce

Mushroom and cheese sauce

by | May 15, 2014 | Featured Recipe, Sauce

Mushroom SauceThis is one of my favourite recipes for the simple fact that it tastes really yummy and it takes no less than 10 minutes to make.    As working woman we don’t always have much time to prepare big gourmet meals for our families.  With this recipe you can put a scrumptious meal together for your family in no time.  My son usually leaves his meat and only eats this sauce and chips.  This I discovered was his version of chip and dip.  So whether you feel like steak or chips this sauce tastes amazing on both.

What you need

225g fresh cut mushrooms
500ml fresh cream
3 tablespoons bacon flavor Melrose cheese spread
15ml olive oil
10 ml maizena mixed with a little water
Salt and pepper

The process

In the olive oil fry the mushrooms until brown.  Add in the cream and cheese spread and stir until the cream just starts to boil.  Take of the hot plate and stir in the maizena. Place onto heat again and stir until the sauce thickens.  Add salt and pepper to taste

Note: you can use more or less maizena depending on how you prefer your sauce thickness.

Best served with rump or fillet steak and a salad or chips go well with this dish.