Perfect BBQ Beef Short Ribs

This is a dish to look forward to on a Sunday. I say this because to be able to eat it the best way possible (and remove most of the fat too!) is to cook them initially on Saturday. Slowly, for a whole nine hours.

You can use a slow cooker or a casserole dish - up to you, but keep it low and long. Then you separate the meat and the juices and refrigerate. The fat that rendered out of the meat will rise to the top of the liquid and you can simply remove it.

The next day is easier, you make the bbq sauce (ingredients you generally have in the cupboard), smother it over the ribs and pop them back in the oven for an hour to heat through. Believe me, its worth it.

Ingredients:

4 beef short ribs
1 bottle Corona beer (or similar)
salt & pepper

Put the meat into the pot with salt and pepper. Pour in the beer and cover. If its a slow cooker I would cook on high for 3 hours and low for another 6. For a casserole I would put the oven on at 100 C, cover the pan tightly and cook for 8 hours.

Then leave to cool before putting the beef in one dish and the liquid in a straight tub (this is so the fat comes off the top easily. Refrigerate both.

The next day, take the meat out of the fridge to get to room temperate. For the sauce, after removing the fat, you will have a wonderful concentrated beef jelly. Pop into a wide pan and turn the heat to high until bubbling. Add about 80g-100g tomato ketchup, 1 tbsp. malt vinegar, 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, 2 tsp. golden sugar and 1 tbsp. English mustard. Stir well and let it bubble and reduce. Taste to check for flavour - many people like bbq sauces sweeter or stronger.. I added a spray of liquid smoke which I bought ages ago and adds a lovely smoky flavour.

When the sauce is thick and coats the back of a spoon, paste it generously over the beef. Pop into the oven at 100 C for about 40 minutes. And its ready.

Serve with just about anything! Chips, potatoes, rice, potato salad... Or just by itself. Its melt in the mouth delicious. 


Note: If you can get hold of a bottle of liquid smoke - I'd recommend it for ANY barbecue!

Three Easy Chinese Snacks

Sometimes I don't want the usual Chinese chow mein that I love so much. I want the starters. Especially on a Friday night watching a movie. Here are three ones for you to try:  Easy prawn toasts, duck and hoisin lettuce cups and pork and prawn balls with a sweet chilli dip. All quite easy too. The pork and prawn balls are a basic sui mai (dim sum) but without any fiddly dough wrappers. Still steamed and still delicious. Just quicker!

First the Prawn Toast

Ingredients:

200g raw king prawns
1 cm. piece ginger
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp. cornflour
1 tbsp. soy sauce
4 pieces bread (I used granary, but up to you)
(approx.) 4 tbsp. sesame seeds

Mix the prawns, ginger, garlic, cornflour and soy sauce in a food processor until a paste. Spread evenly on the bread and cut the bread into quarters. Put the sesame seeds on a plate and dip the bread, prawn side down into the sesame seeds.

Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a pan and when hot, add the toasts sesame seed side down. Cook for 2-3 minutes until golden and turn over to cook the other side. Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot!

 

Then, the Prawn and Pork Balls

Ingredients:

300g minced pork
200g raw king prawns
1 inch piece ginger, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
2 spring onions
1 tbsp. rice wine (sake)
1 tbsp. cornflour
1 tsp. sesame oil
salt & pepper
cocktail sticks
sweet chilli sauce
greaseproof paper, cut into 1 cm squares

Mix all of the ingredients in a food processor until well combined. Roll into balls (about1 inch) and put on a small piece of greaseproof paper in a steamer. Insert the cocktail stick, cover and steam for about 6-8 minutes, until firm. Serve with chilli sauce.


Finally, some Hoisin Duck and lettuce cups.

Ingredients:

1 Peking duck leg (recipe here)
4 spring onions, chopped
4 tbsp. hoisin sauce
little gem lettuce leaves.

Simply shred the duck meat and stir in the spring onions and hoisin sauce. Pile into lettuce cups and serve.


Note: The duck leg can be cooked the day before and shredded. The rest of the recipes all together take about half an hour to prepare and cook. The food processor really helps!

Pappardelle with Butternut Sauce, Pine Nuts Rocket & Parman (V)

Having been a vegetarian years ago (for quite a few years, I may add) I am a huge fan of vegetarian food. The Bloke? Somewhat less so. On the nights when I want vegetarian - I have to make it good, so I can show him how good vegetarian food is! You don't always need meat.

Pappardelle pasta is similar to tagliatelle, but the strips are wider and just call out for an umptious sauce that clings to it. Butternut squash, flavoured with garlic and sage is a classic. Here I have pared it with peppery rocket with a rocket salad. Simple, but looks and tastes great.

This is a simple enough recipe with few ingredients that tastes out of this world. If you can get hold of some fresh sage, it really is lovely in this dish - but dried will do - just use half the amount stated.

Ingredients:

1 small butternut squash, peeled
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tsps. fresh sage, chopped
1 tbsp. oil
200ml chicken stock (cube is fine)
100 ml double cream
salt & pepper, to taste
75g rocket
50g pine nuts
200g pappardelle pasta
parmesan shavings

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 clove garlic, crushed

Method:

Chop the butternut squash into cubes. Heat 1 tbsp. oil and fry the sage and garlic in a large pan for a couple of minutes and then add the squash. Stir well and cook for a few minutes before adding the stock and covering the pan with a lid. Turn down the heat and simmer for 20 mins.

The squash should be very soft at this stage so leave the lid off and let the last of the stock reduce. Then put the squash into a large jug with 100ml cream, salt and pepper. Blend with a stick blender until smooth and put back into the pan to simmer gently.

Make up the salad dressing by mixing the oil, vinegar, sugar and garlic. Set to one side.

Cook the pasta to cooking instructions and drain. Add half of the rocket to the sauce, along with the pine nuts. Stir through. Pour enough sauce over the pasta to coat well (there may be too much, so save the extra sauce for another time). Toss well.

Dress the other half of the rocket with a few teaspoons of the dressing and put a pile of rocket in the middle of the plate. Put the pasta around the salad. Sprinkle the parmesan shavings over the top and serve. Delicious!