Beef ribs with barbecue sauce, macaroni cheese and beetroot slaw
- Prepare
- less than 30 mins
- Cook
- over 2 hours
- Serve
- Serves 4
A few American classics in one recipe, with barbecue ribs being served up with mac ‘n’ cheese and a tangy slaw.
By Matt Tebbutt
From Saturday Kitchen
Ingredients
For the ribs
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 beef short ribs
- 500ml/18fl oz beef stock
- 1 onion, cut into quarters
- 3 celery sticks, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 heads garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- bunch fresh thyme
For the macaroni cheese
- 25g/1oz unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 25g/1oz plain flour
- 500ml/18fl oz warm milk
- 250g/9oz Gruyère, grated
- few gratings fresh nutmeg
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 200g/7oz cooked macaroni, cooked according to packet
- 50g/1¾oz cheddar, grated
- 50g/1¾oz Parmesan, grated
- 50g/1¾oz breadcrumbs
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the barbecue sauce
- 400g/14 oz tomato ketchup
- 3 tbsp chilli sauce
- 3 tbsp runny honey
- 1 tsp English mustard
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 5 tbsp cider vinegar
- 5 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
For the beetroot slaw
- 2 raw beetroot, peeled and julienned
- 4 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 3 tbsp caster sugar
- 2 cooked beetroot, peeled and julienned
- 2 red chicory, julienned
- pinch dried red chilli flakes
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
To make the ribs, in a large oven proof casserole pot as the oil over high heat. Once hot add the ribs and brown all over for 10 minutes.
Add the remaining ingredients and simmer gently for around 2–3 hours until tender. Leave to cool in the stock.
To make the macaroni cheese, preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
Melt the butter with the thyme, bay and garlic in a large saucepan until caramelised.
Stir in the flour and then add the warm milk, whisking all the time.
Stir in the Gruyère until melted. Season with salt and pepper and add the nutmeg and cayenne pepper.
Add the macaroni and tip into a roasting dish. Sprinkle over the cheddar, Parmesan and breadcrumbs. Bake for 30 minutes.
To make the barbecue sauce, mix all of the ingredients together in a saucepan over a low heat for 5 minutes and set aside.
Remove the ribs from the stock and place on a baking tray. Glaze the beef ribs with the barbecue sauce and roast in the oven for 30 minutes. The remaining sauce can be used to serve on the side.
To make the beetroot slaw, massage the raw beets with the vinegar, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Leave for 10 minutes to soften.
Add all of the other slaw ingredients and season with salt and pepper.
Serve the ribs with the macaroni cheese and slaw, and more barbecue sauce on the side.
