Denise says:
I love these delicious beef ribs that are marinated in a soy sauce and honey mixture. They are easy to prepare and ideal as part of a Chinese buffet.
Beef ribs have a tendency to have more fat than meat but at Silvermans butcher they sell paraticularly lean ribs with more than just one mouthful of meat on them!
2010 is the Chinese Year of the Tiger - with its association with bravery. New Year falls on February 14th and like our Jewish New Year, the Chinese have numerous customs based around food.
Sometimes it is based on appearance. For example, serving a whole chicken during the Chinese New Year season symbolizes family togetherness. Noodles represent longevity ~ be careful not to break them, and Spring Rolls symbolize wealth as their shape is similar to gold bars.
A food may have special significance during Chinese New Year because of the way the Chinese word for it sounds. For example, the Cantonese word for lettuce sounds like rising fortune, so it is very common to serve a lettuce wrap filled with other lucky food.
Cakes such as Sticky Rice Cake have symbolic significance on many levels. Their sweetness symbolizes a rich, sweet life, while the layers symbolize rising abundance for the coming year. Finally, the round shape signifies family reunion.
Preparation Time: 10 minutes plus marinating
Cooking Time: 1 hour
Serves: 4 people
Ingredients:
150 ml tomato ketchup150 ml dark soy sauce
125g runny honey
5cm/2in piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
5 tablespoons sherry/ Kiddush wine
1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1.8-2.2kg/4-5 Beef ribs
water
2 spring onions, finely chopped
Method
1)Place the tomato ketchup in a large shallow dish with the soy sauce, honey, ginger, garlic, sherry, sweet chilli sauce and rosemary. Mix thoroughly to combine.2)Add the ribs. If time allows, cover and chill for up to 24 hours.
3)Place ribs in a large, deep pan. Pour over the tomato ketchup mixture and then add enough water to completely cover the ribs.
4)Bring to a simmer, then cook over a medium heat for 45 minutes to one hour until completely tender.
5)Preheat the grill. Remove ribs from the sauce and arrange ribs on a grill rack. Place the sauce on the hob over medium heat and reduce down until it has a sticky coating consistency.
6)Cook the ribs under the preheated grill for about eight minutes on each side, basting or painting the ribs with the reduced marinade occasionally. Alternatively cook on the BBQ.
To serve the stylish way: Garnish with chopped spring onions.