Soft, tender, melt-in-the-mouth beef in a rich, comforting sauce, this is beautiful served with fresh buttered green veg, creamy mash and crispy shallots for a bit of crunch. The prep takes a bit of time and effort but it’s well worth it as most of the magic takes place in the oven. This beef dish is all about low and slow cooking.
Ingredients
Method
Preheat the oven to 150C fan.
Place a large non-stick sauté pan onto a high heat and add one tablespoon of oil, along with the pancetta. Stir well and cook the pancetta for around 5 minutes or until it starts to turn crispy. Add the whole shallots to the pan and continue to cook until they begin to colour. Turn off the heat and remove the pancetta and shallots with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Next, season each beef rib with salt and pepper on both sides. Place the flour into a shallow bowl and season the flour also. Dip each rib into the flour and coat it well on all sides. Now, put the pan back over a high heat, add another tablespoon of oil and put 3-4 floured ribs into pan. Brown well on all sides then repeat with the remaining ribs, adding a little more oil with each batch. Remove the ribs from the pan, remove the pan from the heat and wipe out any burnt bits with a paper towel.
Return the pan to the heat and when it’s hot again, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute before adding the tomato puree. Stir this well and let it cook for at least 2 minutes. Add a heaped tablespoon of the remaining flour and stir well for another minute before adding the red wine. Let the red wine bubble away until it reduces by half and then add the stock and bay leaves. Tie the thyme and rosemary together with a piece of butcher’s string (so you can easily fish them out at the end) and add this to the pan. Bring this mixture up to a gentle simmer.
Meanwhile, lay the ribs into a large roasting tin. Sprinkle over the pancetta and shallots and pour over the red wine sauce. Carefully cover the tin with foil and place it on the middle shelf of the oven.
Cook for 2 hours then take the beef out of the oven, carefully remove the foil and turn each of the ribs over. If any of the bones come loose, pick them out and discard them. Add the mushrooms and then replace the foil and return the tin to the oven for another hour. The beef will be super tender and the sauce glossy and rich.
When you are ready to eat, remove the tied herbs, stir in the parsley and serve.
Tom’s tip
Be sure to flour the beef ribs before cooking. This produces deeper colour and flavour in the meat and it helps thicken the sauce too.
