Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Slow-cooked Beef Ribs

On occasion I've seen these Argentine beef ribs at the market but up until now I've never bought them.

argentine beef ribs ©


As it is winter here, I'm in the mood for something comforting and the idea of slow-cooked ribs certainly does appeal.

I've approached this as I would osso buco - there's a base of slowly cooked vegetables, a soffrito of sorts, to which the browned ribs and tomato has been added. Cooked in a low oven for quite a few hours, the final product is meat that just falls away from the bone - deliciously tender and full of flavour that only long, slow cooking can provide.


slow cooked beef ribs ©


Slow-cooked Beef Ribs

1 kilo argentine beef ribs - choose those with a good ratio of beef to bone
2 red onions, sliced finely
1 large red capsicum (bell pepper), roughly diced
2 carrots, diced
6 garlic cloves, peeled
fresh rosemary
fresh sage leaves
400 grams can diced tomatoes (use fresh tomatoes in season)
sea salt and pepper


Brown the beef ribs:

Salt and pepper the bone side of the beef ribs.

Heat some olive oil and a knob of butter over a medium heat in a large heavy based pan (it should be big enough to hold all the ribs). When the butter has melted, add 5 sage leaves and the leaves of one rosemary sprig - when this has started to sizzle, place the ribs, one at a time, bone side down into the pan. Take your time in adding the ribs as you don't want to lose the heat in the pan.

I try not to disturb the ribs until I'm ready to turn then - when it has browned, season this side with salt and pepper and sprinkle over with a little more rosemary and sage leaves. Turn the ribs over and continue cooking until browned.

Once browned, remove from the pan and set them aside.

Cook the vegetables:

In the same pan, add the onions, carrots, garlic cloves and capsicum - turn the heat down to low and sauté the vegetables until softened and golden - this can take take a good 20 minutes or more.

Once cooked - return the ribs back to the pan, placing them bone side up. Add the tomatoes and enough water to cover the ribs.

Increase the heat so the mixture returns to a simmer and then place in a preheated 120°C/250°F oven to slowly cook for 3 to 4 hours. At this temperature, the liquid will slowly evaporate allowing the meat to absorb all the flavours of the vegetables and herbs as they caramelise.

slow-cooked beef ribs ©


Serve with creamy mashed potatoes or polenta - or some crusty bread to help soak up the rich sauce.

6 comments

  1. I love all the fresh ingredients you used to make these very elegant looking ribs! They sound delicious :D. I just made ribs myself, but they're definitely more the 'messy type' lol :).

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  2. AnonymousJune 25, 2008

    That piece of meat is called "asado" here in Argentina and I've always eaten it grilled or oven-roasted, congrats for this version... weird for me but so interesting at the same time!!

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  3. This looks so delicious, as ever you've taken the best ingredients and made a simple and mouthwatering dish.

    I have an award for you, so if you care to stop by, I'd be honored.

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  4. Thanks Sophie - there's a lot fun in eating messy ribs!

    Thanks Sil - I've read about that so I might try that out next time.

    Thanks Mari - you are too kind!

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  5. I just came across your pictures and now recipes, your amazing...I presume you could add any red wine to the recipe to give it a rich wine twist..

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  6. Thank you Michael, that is very kind of you - indeed, you could easily add red wine, just make sure its good enough to drink ;)

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