Beef back ribs and risoni

Slow cooker - your work-from-home wonder

Working from home during this COVID–19 lockdown means knocking a lot of well-worn systems out of whack.

If you’re working from home with kids at home, let me suggest dusting off the crockpot (slow cooker). You can get dinner sorted between breakfast and log-on. Then all day the aroma will be developing that says two things: yum; and don’t panic.

And I just feel tremendously carnivorous when I’m frying beef in my pyjamas!

Ribs and risoni

You could just as easily use noodles, laying the ribs over a bed noodles and ladling the juices over that. But I had some risoni in the pantry, so decided to put it to use. You could also use pork ribs. Adding some black vinegar and Korean chilli flakes is also worth a try.

This is simple and very tasty recipe. Serve with steamed greens and salad.

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg beef back ribs
• 1 medium onion
• .25 cup kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)
• .5 cup light soy sauce
• .5 cup vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 cup risoni
• Enough olive oil to cover your frying pan

Method

Cut the ribs into sections that will easily fit in your slow cooker. Peel and quarter the onion.

Heat the oil in a frying pan until the oil just starts to smoke, then brown the meet and onion in batches and remove to the slow cooker.

Mix the liquid ingredients in a bowl, then add the sugar and stir until it is dissolved.

Pour over the meat and onion.

Pop on the lid, turn on the cooker, and your job is done for at least three hours.

After three hours or so, move the meat around bringing the bottom bits to the top.

Now you’re done for two hours.

After two hours or so, remove the meat and bones to a plate and add the risoni, spreading it evenly across the base of the cooker.

Return the meat and bones to the cooker and cover.

After one hour, the risoni will have absorbed all those lovely juices and still hold good shape and texture.

The meat will have fallen off some of the ribs, and these can be discarded, as all their flavour has been drawn out.

A few minutes to steam some veggies or assemble a salad (or both) and you’re done!

Channel that

As we’re stuck inside, I thought I’d share some of my favourite YouTube channels to bring restaruant food into your kitchen, or just do home-cooked meals well.

School of Wok

A recent discovery is the School of Wok which has reawakened my love of Asian street foods and given me some very helpful hints on wok management.

Recipe - School of Wok

Here’s one I made earlier this week - Massaman Curry

John Kirkwood

As his delightful intro tells us - John is a retired cook from the north east of England. And I just love to bits how he adds “in the UK”.

This is hearty food with lots of bread styles, roasts, pies and desserts.

Recipe - Eve’s Pudding

I’ve included a version of this one in a post about a year back. Here’s the real thing!

Souped up Recipes

Mandy is our host. The channel’s description asks us to join us on her YouTube journey, and empty our stomachs. OK…

Focused on Chinese dishes she was brought up with and going since only 2017, I’ve had lots of fun and learnt heaps. I’ve generally emptied my stomach in a different context.

Recipe - Sesame Chicken

From her “Better than Takeout” series. The one I tried first and still love.

Food Wishes

The delivery style can wear thin, but I love pleasure here in doing simple things well.

Recipe - Potatoes Romanoff

As we see the cinema release of Black Widow recede into the future (is that a thing?). Let’s just eat stuff.

Marion’s Kitchen

Australian foodie Marian Grasby. Clearly described instructions with the occasional presentation idea that even a klutz like me can attempt.

Recipe - beef Broth an Pho

This is Marion’s isolation tip. Over Easter I made batches of beef and chicken stock. Very calming. Put a few containers in the freezer and look forward to a week where every meal comes with a punch of flavour and a caress of goodness.

The Katering Show

Just saying…