Bones_ Recipes, History, and Lore - Jennifer McLagan [14]
4.Thirty minutes before cooking, remove the ribs from the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 300°F (175°C).
5.Place the ribs in a roasting pan and roast for 45 minutes. Remove the ribs from the oven and brush the meaty side with the glaze. Increase the heat to 400°F (200°C) and cook the ribs for 15 minutes more, or until the ribs remain rare at the bone. Let rest for 10 minutes.
6.Cut into individual ribs to serve, and pass plenty of paper napkins.
Variations
ο Both the rub and the glaze can be used on pork ribs or chicken wings.
ο Omit the rub and replace the glaze with the Mustard Oregano Glaze (page 111) or the Tamarind Chile Glaze (page 229).
* * *
BONES AND THE ARTIST
Bones are the framework of the human body, and they have inspired many artists, including Henry Moore, a celebrated sculptor of the twentieth century. As a student Moore collected all sorts of bones from the beach and his stew pot. Fascinated with bones and their importance in the structure of animal and human form, he spent hours in the British Natural History Museum studying and drawing bones.
During World War II, after his London studio was bombed, Moore moved to a seventeenth-century farm house on a former pig farm known locally as Hoglands. The farm provided Moore with a place to work and the English countryside became a source for bone foraging. Photographs of his studio show his large collection of animal bones. He was intrigued by the lightness and flexibility of bones, which belied their strength, and they influenced his sculptures, such as “Knife’s Edge,” a large bone with a head attached.
Moore also had fun with bones. He made a model of a maze using plaster casts of beef bones, “Stone Maze Project for Hill Monument 1977.” He had the model photographed to make it appear to be a full-size, monumental, and imposing maze.
The sun-bleached bones of deer, cows, and horses that litter the New Mexico desert were inspiration for American artist Georgia O’Keeffe. Famous for her huge paintings of flowers, she was also captivated by the desiccated bones, and she juxtaposed dry hard bones with soft delicate flowers in her work.
Bones have inspired many artists, not just sculptors and painters. Several typefaces are styled after bones. You don’t find them in everyday use, but they are popular at Halloween.
* * *
Braised Short Ribs
There are two different cuts of short ribs. Larger ones are cut into individual pieces between the bones. Cross-cut ribs, or flanken, are strips cut across the bones against the grain. For this recipe, I used cross-cut ribs and cut them into rectangular pieces, each with a piece of bone.
I make this dish ahead and chill it so you can easily remove any fat from the top of the sauce. The flavor improves with reheating, but add the chopped herbs just before serving, so they don’t lose their freshness.
3½ pounds (1.5 kg) cross-cut short ribs, cut into pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, diced
1½ cups (375 ml) dry red wine
3 large carrots, peeled to cut in 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces
6 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 serrano chile, stem removed
One 14 ounce (398 ml) can whole tomatoes
3 flat-leaf parsley sprigs, plus ⅓ cup (75 ml) chopped parsley
1 large basil sprig, plus, ⅓ cup (75 ml) slivered basil leaves
1 large thyme sprig
1 bay leaf
1.Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Pat the ribs dry and season with salt and pepper. In a Dutch oven or flameproof casserole, heat the oil over medium heat. Brown the ribs on all sides, in batches if necessary. Transfer the browned ribs to a plate.
2.Add the onion to the pot and cook for 5 minutes, or until slightly softened. Pour in the red wine and bring to a boil, deglazing the pot by scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Add the carrots, garlic, chile, and tomatoes, with their juices. Bring to a boil, then add