A modest, mid-week beef

Last week, we thought we ought to fit in a quick beef, the last of the year. The first since the middle of November, noticed at reference 1. Given that it was supposed to be a quick beef, I had thought to buy just the one rib's worth, but as it turned out that looked a little too skinny, so I settled for two, which weighed in at 6lbs 11oz. Consulting precedents of June and November, we decided on 2 hours at 190°C, including resting, aiming for forks down at 1330. So snapped above tied and guyed, with plenty of fat, as there should be, all ready to go into the oven at 1130. Inspection at 1320, then back in to rest for the final 15 minutes.

Pity about the hand wash left

Further consultation about the amount of rice needed and settled on 5oz. Which took longer to cook than I was expecting, so we did not actually make it to the table until 1345.

Rice left, crinkly cabbage behind, Pierre Précieuse right. Advent candle under starter's orders. The beef, as it turned out, was spot on. Ran out of cabbage, bit of underestimation there, but there was a little rice left.

Towards the end of the proceedings. A bit of the crows' portion can be glimpsed at the bottom, and I have to say they were on the case very smartly on this occasion. Almost as if they had been looking out for it, despite it being the middle of the week rather than a Sunday.

By the end of the bottle, the wine had turned a little cloudy, but nothing like as much as the shell hole (from the same shop) noticed at reference 2. A wine which we like, despite the manageress at Terroirs thinking it rather unusual, odd even - to the point of consulting a colleague about it. One of the good things about the place being that the staff really do know something about the wine they are selling, care about the wine they are selling, even going so far as to have staff tastings when things are quiet in the afternoon.

Wound down with a spot of blackberry and apple, passing on the biscuits and cheese on this occasion. It was, after all just a mid-week beef. But I didn't pass on altogether on the Calvados.

On the Scrabble which followed, our combined score just broke through the lower barrier at 500, with BH not being very impressed that I won, considering what had been taken beforehand.

While I was very impressed with Beethoven's Op.18.4 string quartet which followed the Scrabble, drawn from a boxed set recorded by the Quartetto Italiano, a quartet who retired thirty years ago and whom I don't think I ever heard live. Almost the first music I have listened to since the start of lockdowns and the first time I have listened to this quartet for a long time. And I am pleased to be able to say that its magic has returned. See reference 3 for an old notice.

Days two and three saw cold beef and hot boiled vegetables, as is our custom after roasts. Very good it was too. Snapped above at the end of day three, with the crows' portion accumulating top and bottom left.

A bit thin by day four, so supplemented by cauliflower cheese. Dismember middle sized cauliflower. Cut off outer stalks and slice once lengthwise. Cut up inner stalk into approximately 1cm^3 cubes. Separate out the florets. Cook serially, adding outer stalks to the boiling water first and florets last, with the former getting maybe eight minutes the latter four.

Heat about half a litre of green top milk with a peeled and quartered onion, this last to give a bit of flavour.

Brown an ounce and a half of flour mixed in with the same amount of butter. Stir in the milk, keeping the sauce on a gentle heat. Stir in two ounces of cheese, but keeping the last bit back.

Make a nest of the outer stalks in a pyrex dish. Inner stalks and florets in the middle. Pour sauce over, sprinkle the remaining cheese over that. Cook in the oven for 40 minutes, starting at 150°C, rising to 180°C to finish the browning.

Nibble at the onions with a bit of the cheese sauce scraped off the sides of the saucepan, properly so-named on this occasion. Rather good.

We ate nearly all of the cauliflower cheese at a sitting, rather to my surprise. Rather good, but I think I would raise the milk to a pint another time. I like my cheese sauce thick rather than thin, certainly not runny, but not set.

Beef now down to a few bits and bobs. Only fit for snacking. Snacking which would have been better had we had some fresh white bread, which we didn't. But not bad, all the same.

Reference 1: psmv4: Fore rib.

Reference 2: psmv4: More dumplings.

Reference 3: pumpkinstrokemarrow: Leurre erratum.

Reference 4: Quartetto Italiano - Wikipedia.