My foodie friend Simon got to meet super chef Mark Hix recently and came away with a signed Hix Oyster & Chophouse cookbook from the great man. OK, he spelled my first name wrong (Kieth) but I can forgive him for that because his recipes are so sublime. I cooked this for m wife and then gave Simon and his missus the leftovers. Because Im kind like that!
Mark uses cross-cut ribs in his recipe, which he has especially prepared for him by his butcher. Unfortunately, when I tried to explain this to my butcher he just looked bemused, so Ive used ordinary short-ribs, which have been sawed in half.
Serves 4
12 beef short ribs
1 tbsp vegetable oil
For the barbecue sauce
A couple of knobs of butter
4 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
200ml cider
200ml beef stock
60g tomato ketchup
60g HP sauce
Half tsp mustard
1 tbsp clear honey
1 small chilli, finely chopped
4 tbsp tomato puree
40ml Worcestershire sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Remove any tough membrane from the ribs. Add the oil to a large frying pan and brown the ribs all over.
2. Mix all the ingredients for the barbecue sauce together in a bowl and add the ribs. Leave to marinate in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight.
3. Set a slow cooker to LOW. Add the ribs and sauce and cook for 4-5 hours, until the meat is very tender.
4. Transfer the ribs and sauce to a roasting tin. Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. Finish the ribs in the oven for 20 mins until the sauce turns dark and sticky.
5. Serve with a buttered baked potato and sweetcorn on the cob.
