Rib Ragù / Ragoût (it means the same thing)

Why not start this year with this low cost delicious treat? You can feed a whole family off one rack of ribs which are roughly £2.50. I think using my version the whole meal comes in at £1 per person based on 5 people eating. Ribs are the perfect stewing meat; the high intermuscular fat means that once cooked the meat remains tender and juicy as the fat renders. Once the meat is cooked comes the hardest bit of the recipe - picking the bones out. What you could do to pimp this dish out is to add a fresh chilli and a big old glass of wine (red or white) when you add in the tomatoes. Oh and a must for this dish is the fennel seeds so go buy some if you don’t have any! Annnnnd any left overs are perfect for dinner the next day with some couscous.

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  What you need:

  • A rack of ribs
  • 1 onion
  • 1 carrot
  • 2 celery sticks
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • A splash of apple cider vinegar
  • 300 ml of chicken stock
  • 1 tsp of fennel seeds 
  • 1 tsp of chilli flakes 
  • ½ a tsp of paprika 
  • Pasta
    
    

  How to make it:
  
  

  1. Finely dice the onion, carrot, and celery then fry in some oil over a low heat for 30 minutes. In the last 5 minutes chop the garlic and fry that off with the rest of the vegetables. 
  2. While the veg is frying take the membrane off the ribs, this is a must! You can get this peeled off by the butcher but it’s fairly easy to do yourself. Use a knife to detach the membrane at a corner then get some kitchen roll to grab the membrane (giving you grip) and pull!
  3. Add in your seeds and chilli and paprika to the pan and fry on a medium heat for 1 minute. Scrape all the veg to the side of the pan and whack up the heat. Coat the rack of ribs with a little oil and fry until you get a bit of a brown crust, flip and repeat.
  4. Now pour in your vinegar, tomatoes, wine (if you’re using some) and stock. Season and cover with a lid. Cook over a low heat for 2 hours.  Check the liquid level every now and again and top up with water if needed. 
  5. Once the meat is soft and tender the bones will fall out – remove these from the pan. Reduce the sauce until it gets thick, season if necessary and toss through some cooked pasta and chopped parsley.