The Cottage Smallholder

A couple of weeks ago, Danny visited Fred Fitzpatrick’s, shopping list in hand. Suddenly Fred popped a well hung rib of beef into a bag and put it with our order.

Danny was astonished.
“I’m sorry Fred but I didn’t order that!”
Danny is almost as passionate as I am about rib of beef. It must have been hard to say no.
Fred beamed, “It’s a present for Fiona.”

When I got back from work, Danny related the story and I examined the beef through the thin white bag. It had a bluish tint, I knew then that it would be wonderful. We were out and about for the last two Sundays so we had to freeze the beast. Tonight we feasted and there is still enough beef left over for another meal or two.

Thank you Fred for a wonderful present of melt in the mouth rib of beef. Danny is the main mover and shaker in the Sunday lunch department. His crispy roast potatoes, carrots and broccoli were perfect and I made individual Yorkshire puddings. A perfect meal.

Easy rare roast prime rib of beef recipe (for 4 hungry neanderthals)

Ingredients:

• I.2 kilo rib of beef (2 ribs deep)
• 2 tblsp olive oil
• 1 tblsp balsamic vinegar
• A little salt and pepper to season

Method:

1. Pre heat the oven to 240? (220? fan assisted). This blackens the outside for tasty outer slices.
2. Make a mini-baking tray from foil, just bigger than the joint and place in a roasting tray. This will contain the juices in a smaller area and stops the juices from drying out.
3. Rub a little olive oil over the surface of the joint and season the joint with a little freshly milled salt and black pepper.
4. Pour the rest of the olive oil and the balsamic vinegar into the foil baking tray, place the seasoned joint flat side down and put it in the preheated oven.
5. After 15 minutes, turn the temperature down to 190? (170? fan assisted) and let it cook for a further 20 minutes. These timings are for a rare 1.2 kilo rib of beef.
6. Take it out of the oven and place it under a duvet of towels for 20 to 30 minutes to rest. Don’t put it in the warming cupboard of the oven as it will continue to cook.
7. Make your gravy by pouring off the juices into a small saucepan and simply adding carrot water 50/50 to the meat juices. (We always cook carrots with a Sunday roast. The juice helps to make great gravy when added to any meat juices).