I’ve recently rediscovered the joy of my local farm shop - Cottage Farm Butchers. They have a shop inside the local garden centre, and the meat is top quality. This isn’t a paid promotion, but a call to seek out your local businesses, buy quality meat, even if it is a little more expensive. Although having said that this recipe uses a very economical cut of beef.

On my last visit, the beef short ribs caught my eye. Four meaty ribs, well-marbled, and a very reasonable price. The secret of most cheaper cuts of meat is to cook long and slow. It’s important to check for the fat running through the meat as this will keep it moist as it cooks.

At the FatSteak Club, we love a slow-cooked meal, a simple ‘set and forget’ whilst the flavours develop. There are a couple of steps in this recipe, but well worth the effort. The finished flavour is reminiscent of a Boeuf Bourguignon, and the flavours keep developing the longer you leave the dish to rest.

Step 1 - Prepare your meat

• On a plate heavily season a couple of tablespoons of plain flour with salt and pepper

• Roll the ribs in the flour, coating them well

• Heat some vegetable oil direct in your roasting tin on the hob

• Brown the ribs on all sides
  Top tip: Take your time here, you want a dark brown colour which will help develop the beef flavour in the final dish. Give that Maillard reaction a chance!

Step 2 - Slow cook

• Heat your oven to 170C / gas mark 3

• Roughly chop the onion and carrot. Not too small, they are only there for flavour

• Cut the garlic bulb in half

• Add the vegetables and garlic to the roasting tin and coat them in the hot oil and beef fat

• Cook for a few minutes then add the tomato puree

• Give it a good stir and add the bottle of wine

• Deglaze the pan, and bring to the boil. Simmer and reduce the wine by half

• Add enough stock to just about cover the ribs, how much will depend on how deep your tin is!

• Cover with foil and put in the oven for 3 to 4 hours, basting each hour

• When the meat looks tender enough to fall off the bone and the sauce is a deep rich colour take it out of the oven and cool

• Refrigerate overnight to let the fat rise and harden and the flavour to develop

Step 3 - Reheat the ribs

• The next day take the ribs out of fridge and skim off the beef fat, there will be a lot!

• Put the ribs into separate pot

• Strain the cooking liquid and vegetables through a sieve into a bowl

• Push the vegetables with the back of a spoon to release the juices, squeeze the garlic out of the skins and push through the sieve too

• Strain the liquid a second time on to ribs and slowly reheat

Step 4 - Finish the dish

• Fry the lardons in a frying pan until they are crispy

• Cut the mushrooms in half, or quarters depending on size and add to the lardons

• Cook for 4 -5 minutes until tender

• Once the ribs are hot put them on your serving dish and keep warm

• Spoon in the lardons and mushrooms into the sauce, leaving behind any pork fat

• Thicken the sauce either by reducing more, or using cornflour, or Xantham gum

• Taste and season

• Pour over the ribs and scatter with chopped parsley

Serve with a mash of your choice. A strong horseradish potato mash, or here I’ve used a Dijon mustard flavoured celeriac mash.

 Ingredients - Beef short ribs in red wine

• 4 meaty beef short ribs, around 1.5kg

• Plain flour

• Salt & pepper

• Vegetable oil

• 1 large onion

• 1 large carrot

• 1 bulb garlic

• 1 tbsp tomato puree

• 1 bottle of robust red wine - Shiraz or Malbec

• 1l beef stock

• 150g pancetta lardons or smoked bacon bits

• 250g baby chestnut mushrooms

• Flat-leaf parsley