Slow Cooked Beef Ribs

Slow Cooked Beef Ribs

To me, there is nothing more flavourful than a slow cooked "cheap" cut of Beef or Pork. Ox Tail, Tongue, Heart, Cheek and Ribs all seem to be making a big comeback along with the usual favourites like Brisket. The only problem with these cuts is that they take alot of cooking to become tender but once you achieve that, to me, the flavour far surpasses even the tenderest Fillet Steak. Don't be put off by long cooking times though, generally they can be cooked with very little intervention.


Beef Ribs are the pinnacle of the "cheap cuts" in my opinion. They have the perfect ratio of bone, fat and meat which creates the most unbelievable flavour and will satisfy anybody. Best of all, Beef Ribs are very cheap and should cost no more than €1.50 per person. The Sauce in this dish really adds to the big flavour of the meat. The mixture of the Red Wine, Garlic and Tomato is a winner with any red meat and works brilliantly with Shanks of Lamb too.


Serves 4


4tbsp Rapeseed Oil
4 Beef Ribs (Rubbed with Salt and Pepper)
2 Carrots (roughly chopped)
2 Celery Sticks (roughly chopped)
2 Onions (roughly chopped)
1 Full Head of Garlic (cut in half horizontally)
1/2 Bottle of Red Wine (I used a Chianti)
500g Tomato Passata
1tsp Dried Oregano
1 Bay Leaf
Beef Stock
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

To Serve:
Mashed Potatoes
Roasted Carrot and Sweet Potatoes

Preheat Oven to 140 degress celcius and ensure that your chosen cooking vessel has a tightly fitting lid!

1. Heat the Oil in a Saucepan or Casserole until very hot. Add the seasoned Ribs and brown all over for 5-10 minutes. Add the Carrot, Celery, Onion and Garlic. Season and continue to cook on high heat for 5-7 mins, stirring all the time. 

2. Add the Wine and scrape the bottom of your pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any bits that are stuck on. Add the Passata, Oregano and Bay Leaf, stir well and bring back to the boil. Put on the lid and put into the oven. Cook for approx 5 hours, checking on it every couple of hours and adding a little boiling water if necessary (it shouldn't be!)

3. Remove the Meat, cover in tinfoil and set aside to rest while you finish the sauce. Add some Beef Stock to the Pot (if necessary) and reduce down for about 5 minutes. Put through a sieve and squash through as much of the carrot and garlic as you can. Reduce the strained sauce until you have the desired consistency (i like it a little thick) Check for seasoning and add a little Salt/Pepper if necessary.

4. Serve the Meat on a bed of Mashed Potato with some Roasted Vegetables (Roughly chopped Carrot and Sweet Potato, roasted in some Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper and Oregano) and pour over the sauce.

Gigi somehow snuck into the pic!

Chicken and Olive Stew

Chicken and Olive Stew

On Saturday I took in my first visit to Naas Farmers Market to see what i could pick up for a Sunday dinner and, although the weather was awfull, the produce on sale was fantastic. The first thing to take my attention was the "Real Olive Company" stall where I picked up some beautiful Organic Kalamata Olives. Having bought these I decided I would make a Chicken and Olive Stew so I trodded over to the Veg stall and picked up some Kildare Spuds, some Runner Beans and some beautiful Italian Cherry Tomatoes. Although I failed to see any Chicken, I did treat myself to a wonderfully strong Farmhouse Cheddar, made in Co.Wicklow. A quick stop on the way home to pick up a Free Range Chicken and I was all set for the Sunday Stew!



This is a great one pot dish and is very easy to make. I bought myself a standalone Induction hob about a month ago and since then I've mostly been doing one pot dishes, I cant go back to the frustratingly slow electric cooker in our house! Use whatever Veg takes your fancy in this and feel free to swap out the whole Chicken for a box of Chicken Thighs/Drumsticks or whatever you prefer. For the Olives, try to buy them with the stone in and remove it yourself, they start to lose flavour as soon as the stone is taken out and there really is no comparison. Its also important to use a good Chicken Stock here, homemade is best but if not then a good quality cube will suffice.

Serves 4

3tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 Small Onions (finely chopped)
1 stick Celery (finely chopped)
1 clove Garlic (finely chopped)
1.5Kg Whole Chicken (jointed into 2 breasts and 2 legs and seasoned)
100ml White Wine
500ml Chicken Stock
8 Cherry Tomatoes (quartered)
10 Kalamata Olives (roughly chopped)
1tsp Dried Oregano
2 Dried Bay Leaves
1tbsp White Wine Vinegar
500g Potatoes (2cm diced)
100g Runner Beans (sliced 1cm width)
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Add the Oil to a large pan over a medium high heat and add the Onion, Celery and Garlic, season and as soon as the Onion starts to colour add the Chicken Pieces (throw the wings in too) and brown all over. Add the Wine and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any bits that are stuck. Cook for 5 mins.

2. Add the Chicken  Stock, Tomatoes, Olives, Oregano, Bay Leaves and Vinegar. Season well, bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the Potatoes and continue to simmer for another 10-15 mins until everything is just cooked. Add the runner beans, stir well and cook for a further 3-4 mins. Ensure the Chicken is cooked with a thermometer or make sure the juices run clear. Taste and adjust the seasoning to taste. Serve with some thick, crusty Bread.

Seafood Couscous

Seafood Couscous

My love of Seafood has been well documented on this blog but I love cooking it and I also love eating it so I think it might continue into the foreseeable future. This time the accompaniment is Couscous, this underrated African and Sicilian staple is the perfect fast food, taking only a few minutes to cook (well, more like re-heat, as 90% of the couscous available to buy here is pre-steamed and only in need of reheating!)  



I used Mussels and Squid in this recipe, feel free to change this up. Clams would be a great addition but they are far more expensive than mussels and Octopus could be used instead of the squid, just make sure you tenderize it first to avoid chewiness! The Chilli adds a lovely heat to this dish but if you think it might be too much, just remove the seeds before cooking and if your like it hot, add more! Preparing Mussels is covered here for anyone thats unsure.

Serves 4

4tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 Courgette (finely chopped)
1/2 Red Onion (finely chopped)
1 Small Carrot (finely chopped)
1 Stick Celery (finely chopped)
150ml White Wine
1Kg Mussels (soaked and cleaned)
8-10 Cherry Tomatoes (quartered)
1 Red Chilli (finely chopped)
1handfull Spinach (finely chopped)
1 Squid Tube (cut into rings)
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

250g Pre-Cooked Couscous
2tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

1. Put the Couscous into a bowl/measuring jug and cover with approx. 375ml of boiling water. Cover with aluminium foil and let stand for 7 minutes. Fluff with a fork, stir in the Oil, season well and cover with the foil again until needed.

2. Meanwhile, Fry the Courgette, Red Onion, Carrot and Celery in the Oil over a medium heat for 7-10 minutes until soft but not coloured. Season well when you first add them to the pan. Add the Wine and cook for 2-3 minutes.

3. Add the Mussels and cover the pan (using a lid or tightly cover with foil). Let cook for 4-5 minutes, shaking the pan a couple of times until the mussels open. Discard any that remain closed. Add the Tomatoes and Chilli, season well and cook for a further 7-10 minutes.

4. Add the Spinach and Squid, stir well, cover and cook for 2-3 minutes until the squid is cooked. Mix the Couscous and Seafood together in a large bowl and serve with some good crusty bread.

Lasagne

Lasagne

One of the most recognisable dishes in the world, the Lasagne Bolognese is one of Italy's most famous and popular exports. It is comfort food at its finest, a deep flavoured Ragu layered with some beautiful Pasta and a deliciously rich Bechemel Sauce, baked until bubbly.....fantastico! This is not a traditional Italian Lasagne Bolognese but is instead, my take on the classic. I've added Porcini Mushrooms to give a more earthy flavour while the Cherry Tomatoes on top help to cut through the rich Ragu beautifully.

For The Meat Sauce/Ragu:

5tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
250g Pork Belly (diced)
400g Minced Beef
400g Minced Pork
1 Large Onion (finely chopped)
1 Large Carrot (finely chopped)
1 Celery Stick (finely chopped)
2 Large Cloves of Garlic (finely chopped)
150ml White Wine
25g Dried Porcini (soaked in hot water for 30 mins, keep the juice, dice)
80ml left over Porcini soaking juice
10 Cherry Tomatoes (halved)
500g Tomato Passata
2 Bay Leaves
1tsp Dried Oregano
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

For The Pasta:

200g Italian "00" Flour (or Extra Strong Bread Flour)
2 Eggs

For The Bechemel:

50g Butter
2.5tbsp Flour
550ml Milk
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

50g Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
12 Cherry Tomatoes (halved)

1. Add the Oil to a saucepan over medium heat and add the diced Pork Belly. Fry for 5-6 minutes and add the Onion, Carrot, Celery and Garlic. Sweat for 5-10 minutes until soft.Turn the heat up, add the Beef and Pork mince, season well and brown for 7 minutes.

2. Add the Wine and cook off. Add the diced Porcini, 80ml of the soaking juice, Passata, Cherry Tomatoes, Bay Leaves and Oregano. Season well, bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover with a lid (leaving a small gap for steam to escape) and simmer for 1 and a half hours, stirring occasionally. If the sauce is too watery you can take off the lid and reduce for 10-15 minutes.

3. Next make the pasta. Tip the flour onto a clean table, make a well in the centre and crack the eggs in. Beat with a fork and then gradually work in the flour from the sides. Bring together with your hands and knead for a few mins until it become springy. Cover with Cling Film and put in the fridge for 30 mins.

4. Next , the Bechemel. Melt the butter in a saucepan and when its melted add the flour. Stir for 2-3 mins being careful not to let it burn. Slowly add the milk and whisk continuesly while heating until is thickens (approx 7-10 minutes) Season well, remove from the heat and set aside.



5. Remove the Pasta from the fridge, unwrap and flatten. If rolling by hand you're aiming for the thickness of two playing cards (Really Thin!) A pasta machine works best and its good to have a few helpers for the lower settings! Roll to the thinnest setting working down from the highest (Roll through the highest setting 5 times first, folding in half between each roll, to improve the texture) Dust with flour when necessary. Cook in well seasoned boiling water for 1 minute and drain well. Lay out on a table to avoid them sticking together.

6. Remove the Bay Leaves from the Meat Sauce and take it off the heat. Lightly oil the bottom of your baking dish and begin with a light layer of Meat Sauce, followed by Bechemel, a little Parmesan and a light seasoning of Salt and Pepper. Top with a layer of the Pasta and repeat the process until the dish is almost full. Finish with a good layer of Bechemel and a good sprinkling of Parmesan Cheese. Season again and finish with halved Cherry Tomatoes around the edges. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 180 degrees C. Serve with some good Garlic Bread.

Variations

This is another great base recipe that can easily be adjusted to taste. Add extra vegetables to the Ragu for a more nutritious hit or add some Basil to get that quintissentially Italian flavour. One layer of Prosciutto in the middle of a Lasagne can also work great and dotting little balls of Mozzarella in the layers before baking makes for a lovely surprise! Dried Pasta can also be used instead of fresh if time is short.

Chicken and Quinoa Stew

Chicken and Quinoa Stew

This dish came about when I got home a few weeks ago and realised I hadn't gone to the shop to get the necessary ingredients for the nights dinner. My laziness kicked in and instead of going back out, I just had a root in our well stocked press and threw this together. It worked out extremely well and I've made it plenty of times since, tweaking slightly each time until I got to this beautiful, warming dish.

Don't be put off by the Chilli in the recipe, it is removed before serving so just gives the dish a lovely warmth especially important during these freezing evenings. Feel free to buy a whole Chicken and joint it instead of just buying the legs. The legs are usually cheaper and have a better flavour but a whole Chicken will be better value if you use it for a stock.

Serves 4

4tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Large Onion (finely chopped)
2 Cloves of Garlic (finely chopped)
1 Stick of Celery (finely chopped)
1 Large Carrot (finely chopped)
4 Free Range Chicken Legs (Cut into thigh and drumstick)
6 Tomatoes (roughly chopped)
1.2 Litres of Good Chicken Stock
2 Dried Bay Leaves
1 Chilli (pierced a few times)
1tsp Dried Oregano
1tsp Dried Thyme
1tbsp White Wine Vinegar
150g Quinoa
4 Small Sweet Potatoes (cut into 2cm cubes)
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1. Saute the Onion, Garlic, Celery and Carrot in the Oil over a medium heat for about 7 minutes or until softened, season as soon as you add to the pan. Add the Chicken and brown lightly all over before adding the tomatoes. Season and cook for 5 minutes.

2. Add the Stock, Bay Leaves, Pierced Chilli, Oregano, Thyme and Vinegar and season. Bring to the boil, cover almost fully with a lid (leaving a little gap for steam to escape), turn down the heat and simmer for 45 minutes. 

3. Add the Quinoa and Sweet Potatoes, season and simmer with the lid off for a further 20-30 mins until the Quinoa and Sweet Potatoes are tender. Remove the Bay Leaves and the Chilli and serve with some good bread.

Variations

As with any stew, feel free to add or take away any veg you like/dislike. if you would like a thicker consistency you could coat the Chicken in Flour/Cornflour before adding to the pan or just cook for 15 mins longer with the lid off to allow it to reduce.

Shepard's Pie

Extra Nutritious Shepard's Pie

So as the rain continues to pelt down and the howling wind continues to bellow, its time for another great winter recipe to warm the entire family for the long winters evening. The simple Shepard's Pie has always been one of my favourite dinners, its warming and filling and is the perfect all in one dish. For this version I have added extra vegetables to make it extra nutritious and I've also gone with a Sweet Potato topping to increase the goodness while also adding a great flavour.


Serves 6


*4tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
*1 Large Onion (finely chopped)
*1/2 Courgette (peeled and finely chopped)
*1 Red Pepper (finely chopped)
*2 Celery Sticks (finely chopped)
*1 Large Carrot (peeled and grated)
*500g Lamb Mince
*100ml White Wine
*1 Can of Chopped Tomatoes
*300ml of Strong Lamb Stock
*1tsp Dried Oregano 
*2 Bay Leaves
*2tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
*800g Sweet Potatoes (peeled and chopped)
*150ml Cream
*25g Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
*Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper


1. Saute the Onion, Corgette, Red Pepper, Celery and Carrot in the Oil over a medium heat for 7-10 minutes until soft. Season well with Salt and Pepper as soon as added to the Oil.

2. Add the Lamb Mince, season and brown all over. Add the Wine and cook for a few minutes to burn off the alcohol. Add the Can of Tomatoes, Stock, Oregano and Bay Leaves and bring to the boil. Put on the lid and simmer over a low heat for 1 hour.

3. Remove the Bay Leaves, turn up the heat and reduce, stirring constantly until it becomes thick.

4. Meanwhile, cook the Sweet Potatoes in well seasoned boiling water until tender all the way through. Drain and season well. Add the cream and mash well until smooth.

5. Put the mince mixture into a baking dish and top with the Sweet Potato mash. Even it out with a fork and sprinkle over the Parmesan. Top with a good grinding of Pepper and bake in a pre-heated 180 degree (C) oven for 30 minutes. 

Variations:

This is another great base recipe to which you can add almost anything. Extra veg are the obvious choice but also some streaky bacon added before the mince will really add a great depth. Although Shepard's Pie is traditionally Lamb, the meat could be swapped out for almost any minced meat and a mixture of two or three would work brilliantly. Obviously standard mashed Potatoes could be used on top if anyone dislikes Sweet Potatoes and Cheddar could replace Parmesan if preferred.

Ragu

Ragu

(Meat Sauce)

Ragu with homemade Pasta

As a boy, my first introduction to Italian food was probably through the infamous "Spaghetti Bolognese." The long strands of pasta covered in a rich tomato sauce with beef mince and usually a few mushrooms (although, my mam would always remove them from mine!) always got me very excited and remains one of my favourite dishes today. It still imparts that warm, comforting feeling, especially when served with some Garlic Bread and a nice sprinkling of Parmesan Cheese.

As I began to start cooking, it was with great surprise that I learned that "Spaghetti Bolognese" does not exist in Italy and is more of a British/American adaption of an Italian classic. I began to look for more traditional Italian recipes and it was then that I realised that we have it all wrong. In this part of the world the Ragu is a tomato sauce containing meat, it should be a meat sauce containing tomato. The pasta should not be Spaghetti, the long strands cannot hold onto a meat sauce properly, try Tagliatelle or even Pappardelle instead, it holds together much better. Penne could also be substituted instead as the tubes are great for holding the meat!

Having made this dish more than any other, I've tried numerous recipes and techniques and this is the recipe I've come up with to take the best of them all and give a delicious, rich Ragu. The use of the two different meats is extremely common in Italy and really enhances the flavour while the addition of cream right at the end brings out the richness of this wonderful sauce. Enjoy!

Serves 4

*4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Ragu topped with Parmesan

*1/2 Onion (finely chopped)

*1 Carrot (finely chopped)

*1 Stick Celery (finely chopped)

*5 Streaky Rashers (chopped)

*350g Pork Mince

*350g Stewing Beef

*180ml Red Wine

*600g Ripe Tomatoes (crushed)

*2 Bay Leaves

*125ml Cream

*Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

To Serve:

*550g Tagliatelle/Pappardelle (cooked al dente)

*3 Ciabatta Rolls (cut into chunks)

*Parmesan Cheese (freshly grated)

Ragu alla Bolognese in Bologna

1. Saute the Onion, Carrot and Celery in the Oil over medium heat for 7 minutes or until soft. Add the Rashers and brown before adding the rest of the meat. Season well with Salt and Pepper and brown well, stirring all the time.

2. Add the Red Wine and allow to evaporate before adding the Tomatoes. Stir well and season. Cover and simmer for 15-20 mins, stirring occasionally, until the Tomatoes begin to break down.

3. Add the Bay Leaves and stir well. Cover and simmer for 2-3 hours on a low heat, stirring occasionally. Add the Cream and stir, remove the Bay Leaves. Add the Pasta to the saucepan and return to the heat for 1 minute stirring constantly.

4. Serve with plenty of Grated Parmesan sprinkled on top and with plenty of good Ciabatta to mop up the sauce.

Variations

This works as a great base recipe to add plenty of your own ideas to. It's not very traditional but I love to add some chopped sweet peppers with the veg at the start and sometimes a red chilli can give it some real depth. The addition of a teaspoon or two of worcestershire sauce can also add alot and lets not forget the Irish favourite....mushrooms! You can also swap out the tomatoes for about 500g of tomato passata if you prefer a smother sauce and dont be afraid to add a bit of torn Basil if you have it lying around. There's so much you can do with a Ragu, go wild!