Bella’s Beef Rib Dinner

Teaching my 11-year-old ‘mini me’ in the kitchen to cook the basics from scratch is a great part of how I like to spend my down time. Bella’s ribs are a time-consuming but relaxing event, best done in our house together on a cold winter Sunday afternoon about 2.30 pm-ish! And while the ribs are slow-cooking, we watch a movie in front of the fire, with some sneaky homemade butter popcorn!

Slow-cooked ribs, crunchy spuds and coleslaw with homemade lemon mayonnaise – you just know everyone in the family will love this dinner.

BEEF RIBS (DF)

2 kg beef ribs

Rub with 3 tsp each of ground cumin,

salt and cracked pepper.

SAUCE (GF)

2 cups beef stock

¾ cup red wine

1 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp salt

1 tsp cracked pepper

½ cup tomato paste

1 cup roasted red peppers,

blitzed to a paste

2 chopped onions

3 tbsp fresh crushed garlic

4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

3 tbsp Mount Somers Clover Honey 2 tbsp cornflour paste

Mix all ingredients together in a large pot and bring to the boil. Once boiled leave to cool for 10 minutes while preparing the ribs. Once cool enough, carefully pour over rubbed ribs. Cover and slow-cook at 160°C for three hours. Set aside to cool while cooking potatoes and preparing coleslaw. CRUNCHY SALT ’N’ PEPPER AGRIA POTATOES (GF/DF/V)

1 kg clean skin Agria potatoes rice bran oil (spray) salt ’n’ pepper

Simply pop potatoes whole in the microwave for 10 minutes on high.

Cut into roughly 3 cm pieces, place on oven tray and spray with oil and season well. Cook at 190°C for 20–25 minutes, turning once or twice until golden.

WINTER COLESLAW WITH LEMON MAYO (GF/DF/V)

Lemon Mayo

2 free-range eggs

1 tsp mustard – I use Dijon, but grain

mustard is just as tasty

1 tsp fresh crushed garlic 1 tsp salt

¼ tbsp white pepper 3 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar 1½ cups rice bran oil

Mix all ingredients in food processor until thick and creamy for 2–3 minutes. Makes enough for three to four coleslaws and will keep in the fridge for up to 10 days.

Coleslaw

2 cups cabbage finely sliced – we use both green and red cabbage sliced in the food processor

¼ cup finely cut flat leaf parsley

1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds

Mix cabbage, parsley and seeds with ½ cup of the lemon mayo.