Fore rib

Last week it was time for beef on the bone again, not having had a proper beef since May, although there had been an interim beef in July. Two fore ribs on the bone, with a good cover of fat, weighing in at just about 7lbs.

The day started with an appetite promoting spin around Ruxley Lane. No washers and no number plate No.26. But the Luna Coffee House in West Ewell appeared to be open for takeaway, perhaps possible as the family live upstairs. I passed on bacon sandwich in the view of the serious luncheon in the offing.

One of the trees down Longmead Road was full of starlings, probably the same tree as was noticed at reference 4. Creatures of habit.

Remembered to oil my bicycle chain on return, having forgotten on the way out. Probably not too long before a new chain will be needed. Which will mean a new cassette and may mean a new crank wheel. Major expense. Plus the bother of having to leave the bicycle in the shop for a day or so. Probably try the one up Upper High Street, a bit bigger and better organised than the one in Pound Lane.

As supplied

Trussed and guyed

Cooking done, ready to rest

Into the oven at 1130 at 190°C, not long, as it happens, after the date slice came out of it. Out for inspection at 1315, then back in for a quarter of an hour to rest. About half a pint of fat underneath.

Served up

My first portion

Towards the end of the first sitting

Puzzled a little by the white thing in the middle, but which cooled to quite ordinary looking white fat, just like the rest of it. Both my father and BH's father would have taken the opportunity to explain, in full medical technicolour, exactly what it was. In my father's case, with the help of the large blackboard on one of the walls of the dining room. In FIL's case, with the help of one or other of his ancient medical books.

Maybe half a pint of blood accumulated at the bottom of the dish. Not for nothing did carving dishes of old have special circular depressions for the purpose. Not this one though.

The usual sort of thing for vegetables. With a Pomerol from Waitrose.

Two thirds left

The pie slice was a gift from my mother, not long after we married. Very much like the one that she had and I had known pretty much all my childhood. Probably took a drop of something that warms after.

Crows and magpies on good form, clearing up the bits of fat we put on the back lawn in short order.

I still won

Despite the substantial lunch, I still won at Scrabble, by the very modest margin of 25 or so when my bonus for going out was taken into the score. Aggregate score adequate, just scraping past the 500 mark.

Crow fest

The crows did even better the next day, Monday.

And the next day

The last day

So we got four meals out of it and picked the bones Wednesday tea time. Rather good for snacking, the meat right on the bone. I might also say that cold beef and boiled vegetables for three days went down very well, rather better than one might have supposed. Or one might think from these snaps. With a bit of variation provided by the texture and flavour varying as we worked our way down.

How many months will it be until the next one?

PS: bones now with the council waste food digestion team. Sadly, bones have been banned from our own compost heap for a while now, attracting both rats and foxes as they do.

Reference 1: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2020/05/a-tale-of-two-ribs.html.

Reference 2: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2020/07/bone-free.html. 

Reference 3: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2020/09/luna-bolognese.html. The last bacon sandwich.

Reference 4: https://psmv3.blogspot.com/2016/11/pets-and-more.html.