I had Flannery custom-age a beef rib primal for 100 days. They cut it into one Jorge and the rest as boneless steaks for me, and sent the remaining bones as one big rack per my request.
I know what to do with steaks, but I’ve never been big on BBQ so I’m at a loss for what to do with the ribs. It’s not meaty like short ribs either. I don’t own a grill and I am not getting one any time soon, so all cooking has to be done in a standard oven or stove top.
That said, what would you recommend doing with this thing?
I would use some to make stock. Add some of the ribs along with marrow bones or ox-tail and make a rich broth.
I would use the broth, and with some of the meat having fallen off the ribs, to make a Thai/Cambodian Kuy Teav (using the beef stock instead of pork) or Bun Bo Hue Vietnamese beef noodle soup.
The aged beef would likely give a strong flavor profile to the broth that I would want to lift up with various herbs and aromatics like lemongrass, cilantro, basil, galangal,Kaffir leaves, etc.
Those were included in the 100 day aging process or were they cut off prior to aging? If they were dry aged for 100 days, they should be exceptionally funky since by definition they were on the leading edge of all the aging process. Not sure that much funk would be good in a stock and it might even be overwhelming with a high temperature sear.
Those look nice and have a fair amount of meat left. Still - looks like mostly bone, with fat and cartilage and some meat in between the bones.
How about a long braise, in a red wine sauce?
My order of preference would be:
Make stock and use the beef meat that comes off the bones in a beef noodle soup;
They were included in the 100-day aging process. Right now, I’m leaning towards the season, broil, & gnaw option since the I’m down with funky ribs but not funky stock.
Good old salt & pepper? Or is there some amazing rub I should try?
I am curious as to the funk level of the bones.
The meat - sure thing. 100 days, enzyme action and dehydration and all.
And I am sure the blood, marrow and collagen will all get some funk. But not sure about how much funk will be absorbed by the bones.
I would try a few - parboil and drain to get rid of the blood and impurities. That should also reduce the funk. Then a slow simmer, barely boiling, for a long time. I think it might be worth the experiment.
Well, I’ve certainly got the time these days to make a proper pho broth, plus I know I have some other rib bones in my freezer somewhere. I’ll be sure to update if I decide to try it.
Thinking this over again, I would do a low and slow roast for an hour or two before blasting them in the broiler. That will help tenderize the rib meat and you were never cooking these medium rare anyway.
Also, you will know how funky they are when you open the bag.
I was fortunate growing up that I was the only person in the family who wanted to gnaw the bones when my mom made prime rib. I frequently duplicate that experience by roasting beef ribs from the local supermarket, which I just did on Tuesday. When roasting beef ribs, I remove the membrane and separate the ribs. Since most of the meat is between the bones, separating them is essential to effectively season the meat and get the full dose of Maillard flavor. Salt and pepper them well on the top and sides, put them on a rack in a sheet pan, and roast them at around 250 for at least a couple of hours, though longer is better. Once they have reached the tenderness you want, crank the oven to 450 and roast them for another 10-15 minutes to crisp the exposed fat and meat. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes and then dig in.
Confession time: I never loved gnawing on bones, which might explain why I’m racking my brains on what to do with this. I hope no one will give me too much of a ribbing over it.