These recipes are perfect for preparing in advance for dinner parties this new year …
When cooking for six or more, you can’t go wrong with a slow-cooked dish like these short ribs. They can be made well in advance, which allows you to have a calm day of prep before your guests arrive.
Some people might debate using beef stock here, but the bones with the long-cooking-time create plenty of flavour. That said, if you’ve got good-quality beef stock, use it.
This recipe can be scaled up or down depending on your crowd. I would highly recommend keeping leftovers – I used mine for tacos the next day, and they would also make a great pasta sauce.
Serve these rich, tender ribs with a fresh fennel, clementine and parmesan salad, and a dollop of creamy polenta. The crisp salad is the perfect side to all the rich, cheesy and meaty dishes this time of year. I like to use a mandoline to slice the fennel into wafer-thin pieces, but a knife or vegetable peeler works just as well. If fennel isn’t in your budget, substitute with half a white cabbage then crush 1/2 teaspoon of toasted fennel seeds into the dressing. @kittycoles
OVEN-TO-TABLE SHORT RIBS
Serves 6+
Ingredients
6 bone-in short ribs
Salt and pepper
4 tbsp olive oil
3 celery sticks, cut into 3cm pieces 2 onions, peeled and cut into quarters
3 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
A handful of thyme leaves
2 tbsp tomato purée/paste
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1L of water
20g cold butter
Method
1. Preheat your oven to 140°C fan.
2. Heat a heavy, ovenproof pan or cast-iron pot over high heat (turn on your extractor fan!). Add olive oil to the pan once hot. Season the short ribs with salt, then brown them on all sides, working in batches if needed. Take your time; each side, except the bone side, should develop a deep brown crust. Once nicely browned, set the ribs aside on a plate and remove the pan from the heat for now, leaving the rendered fat in the pan.
3. Reduce the hob to medium heat, place the pan back on and add the celery and onions. Cook for 5-10 minutes until they start to caramelise. Stir in the tomato purée, thyme and garlic, and cook for another 4–5 minutes.
4. Pour in the water and bring it to a simmer. Add the short ribs back to the pot along with the Worcestershire sauce and mustard. Cover with a tight-fitting lid or foil and transfer to the oven for around 3 1/2 to 5 hours, or until the ribs are meltingly tender.
5. Remove the ribs from the pot using tongs, and discard the celery and thyme. Skim off as much fat as possible from the sauce.
6. Place the pot on medium-high heat to reduce the sauce by half and until thick and glossy. Once reduced, stir in the cold butter (a little bit at a time) to finish the sauce. Season to taste. If you want a tangier flavour add a bit more Worcestershire sauce.
7. Remove the bones from the short ribs and add the meat back into the sauce, coating them evenly. Serve straight from the pan or transfer onto a platter.
FENNEL, CLEMENTINE AND PARMESAN SALAD
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
3 fennel bulbs, 5 clementines/ satsumas/ tangerines
A generous chunk of parmesan
Dressing
1 heaped tsp of Dijon mustard
2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
6 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
A small handful of almonds, toasted and roughly chopped (optional)
Method
1. Juice one clementine into a jar or small bowl with the Dijon mustard, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix until thick and emulsified.
2. Halve the fennel lengthwise, then slice – either using a mandoline, vegetable peeler or knife – into thin shards.
3. Peel the remaining 4 clementines, then slice into rounds and halve them. Use a vegetable peeler to shave thin slices of parmesan.
4. Toss the fennel, clementines and parmesan with the dressing. Scatter with almonds (if using) and serve on a platter.