Serves 6-8
Prep time: 10-15 mins | Cooking time: 3-4 hours
As seasonal as it gets and a celebration of Simanim, the earthiness of the root vegetable mash, rich with parsnip, potatoes and sweet potatoes exquisitely complements these deliciously tender and sweet ribs, which are marinated in pomegranate molasses and date honey, both Simanim, omens for abundant blessings and redemption from our enemies. The greens are the finishing touch on a perfectly rounded Autumn warmer, just what’s needed as those shorter nights start drawing in. Leafy greens (swiss chard, spinach or beetroot leaves) are another of the Simanim – ‘silka’ in Aramaic or ‘selek’ in Hebrew, related to the Hebrew word ‘silek’ (to depart). We ask that Hashem remove our adversaries from us in the coming year. Ifcooking this dish for Rosh Hashanah, you may also choose to add squash to the mash and leeks to the greens to add two more Simanim to the dish.
Ingredients
For the ribs
- 12 long-cut
- Beef Short Ribs
- 2 tbsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tbsp Onion Powder
- 3 tbsp Oil
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Pepper
- 3 cups Date Syrup
- 1 cup Pomegranate Molasses
- 2-3 tbsp Cornflour
For the sides
- Leafy Greens of
- your choosing
- 2 Sweet Potatoes
- 2 Parsnips
- 2 large Potatoes
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper
Method
For the ribs
- Preheat your oven to 180°C / 160°C fan (Gas Mark 4 / 350°F).
- Into a bowl mix oil, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, date syrup and pomegranate molasses
- Place ribs in an ovenproof dish, coat with the marinade and cover with foil.
- Roast for 3-4 hours, turning and basting every hour, until ribs are tender and falling off the bone.
- When cooked through, remove the ribs from their dish onto a plate and set aside to rest, covered with foil.
- Carefully transfer the cooking liquid and marinade from the ovenproof dish into a saucepan and bring to a simmer.
- In a separate cup, mix 2 tbsp cornflour with 4 tbsp cold water until smooth, then add to the pan.
- Stir constantly as the sauce reduces and thickens. If the sauce does not appear to be thickening after several minutes, mix up another 1 tbsp of cornflour with 2 tbsp cold water and stir in. Heat through until simmering and then turn the heat off to allow the sauce to thicken further. When ready to serve, pour the glaze over the ribs.
For the sides
- Peel, cube and boil the potatoes, sweet potatoes and parsnips until soft enough to break easily with a fork.
- Mash together with a little extra virgin olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Fry, steam, roast or boil your greens and season simply with salt and pepper. You may wish to add garlic or onion when cooking or a little freshly grated nutmeg for a warm aromatic note.
(Image by Yaffa Judah)
