Ingredients
Serves 4-6
- 1.5–2 kg Irish beef short ribs
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- Salt and black pepper to season
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 onions, finely sliced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery sticks, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 can of Irish shout
- 2 tbsp black treacle
- 500 ml beef stock
- 2 bay leaves
- A few sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp brown sugar
Classic Coleslaw
Serves 4-6
- ½ medium white cabbage, finely shredded
- 1 carrot, grated or julienned
- ¼ small red onion, very finely sliced
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
Dressing:
- 120 g mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp honey or sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Method
1. Pat the short ribs dry. Season with salt and pepper, then dust lightly with flour.
2. Heat oil in a heavy casserole or Dutch oven. Brown the ribs on all sides until deeply caramelised. Remove and set aside.
3. In the same pot, cook onions, carrots, and celery for 6-8 minutes until softened. Add garlic and tomato purée and cook for another 2 minutes.
4. Pour in the stout, scraping the bottom of the pot to lift all the browned bits.
5. Stir in treacle, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, bay leaves, and thyme.
6. Return the ribs to the pot. The liquid should come about ¾ of the way up the meat. Cover and put in the oven at 160°C for 2.5-3 hours (alternately you can pop them on a very low simmer for about 2.5 hours in a pot to cook)
7. Check to see if it is ready, the meat should be fork-tender and nearly falling off the bone. If not yet, cook for another 10 minutes and check again.
8. Remove ribs and simmer the sauce uncovered for 10-15 minutes until slightly thickened and glossy. Spoon the reduced sauce over the ribs.
Chef's Tip:
For restaurant-level flavour, make this a day ahead. Chill overnight and reheat gently the next day - the sauce becomes thicker and more intense.
Classic Coleslaw
1. Combine shredded cabbage, carrot, and red onion in a large bowl.
2. In another bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper.
3. Toss the vegetables with the dressing until evenly coated.
4. It's best to let the coleslaw sit in the fridge for a half an hour before serving. This softens the cabbage slightly and improves flavour. But if you can't resist just dig in straight away.
Chef's Tips
Salt the cabbage first: Toss shredded cabbage with ½ tsp salt and let sit 20 minutes, then squeeze dry. This keeps the slaw crisp and prevents watery dressing.
