Caitríona Redmond: My slow-cooked pork ribs recipe warms from the inside out

The slow cooker was my saviour last week

Winter warmer: Try these pork ribs in broth.

There was a mishap last week when a radiator was accidentally banged against, and a part broke. Something which the adults in the house didn’t realise until Sunday night when a very brown patch appeared on the ceiling in the living room, and water started dripping down a light.

We were able to stop the leak from doing any further damage and turned off the heating for a couple of days until we could get a plumber to repair it. The electrician will follow soon. Another time I’ll return to the story of how families with additional needs bear an extra financial burden, but this is just one example of it in our house, I guess.

I struggled to stay warm while the heating was off. It wasn’t so bad at night with hot water bottles and heavy blankets. Believe it or not, leaving the slow cooker on in the kitchen raised the temperature in that room by nearly three degrees despite no heating.

The slow cooker was my saviour because not only did it heat the kitchen but I was able to leave soups and stews on the go. There is nothing like a mug of soup at lunchtime to warm you from the inside out.

Paying for the repairs was simple thanks to my ‘nocko’ or ‘running away’ money. It’s a contingency fund that I squirrel small amounts into all year round for emergencies just like this week. Generally, I try to keep the fund topped up with enough to pay for replacing an essential appliance and installation.

I top up the nocko with any savings I make in the grocery shopping weekly and then extra money here and there when I have it. Thanks to grocery price increases it’s become harder to top up recently.

I’m at a point where my grocery budget no longer matches what I am spending even though what I’m buying remains the same. I’ve felt guilty for not staying on plan, but with the cost of living increasing, it’s not my fault, even with all the feelings surrounding exceeding the target I’ve set.

This weekend I will be reviewing my weekly shopping budget and setting a more accurate goal. No more guilt around feeding my family. It’ll still be a budget, just a different one.

You can buy 1.2kg of fusilli for €1.15 at Lidl this week.

Special Offers 

The XL range is back in Lidl this week. This is your chance to buy up to 25% larger sizes of products for the same price as you usually pay. My top pick would be the 1.2kg bag of fusilli for €1.15. That’s enough pasta for three family meals.

Dunnes Stores have a ‘double saver’ shopping trolley for €40.95 which looks like it’ll feed a family for up to five days. To get this suggested trolley you’ll need to have your €10 off €50 voucher which generally you’d get the previous week, rewarding loyal shoppers. However, if you shop online, the voucher is automatically applied.

SuperValu now offers same-day delivery in certain areas providing you order before midday. It’s subject to availability, but this is a good option for time-poor families and might save you valuable time.

Kitchen Energy Saving Tips 

Cooking with the lid on could take half the energy and time it takes to cook.

Pasta can be cooked with the lid on and cooked faster this way. Because of the high starch content in pasta, it tends to boil over which is why we traditionally cook pasta with the lid on. I use as wide-bottomed a saucepan as possible and then it’s less likely to boil over but never walk away from a pot on the hob.

If you have water to boil or simmer, boil a kettle rather than bringing water to a boil in the saucepan.

Food doesn’t need to be boiling or simmering to cook in hot water so turn off the hob for the last 5 minutes to allow your food to continue to cook while saving you money in the kitchen.

Pork ribs in broth

To save on time and effort on busy days I use frozen vegetables, yes including onions and peppers, in this hearty meal.

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 5 hours 0 mins

Total Time

 5 hours 10 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 2 racks of pork ribs

• 750ml water 100g onions, chopped

• 100g peppers, chopped

• 50ml oyster sauce

• 50ml soy sauce

• 1 tbsp garlic, chopped

• 1 tsp paprika

• 1 tsp white pepper

• 300g dried noodles

• 100g frozen peas

Method

1. Hold the peas and noodles until just before serving. Place all other ingredients into a slow cooker, ensuring the ribs are well coated in the liquid. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or until the ribs nearly fall off the bone.

2. Once the ribs are cooked, turn off the slow cooker, lift the racks out of the slow cooker and cover them to keep them warm. Stir in the dried noodles. Replace the lid for 10-15 minutes, and the noodles cook in the broth. Finally, pour in the frozen peas, stir, and cover the slow cooker for 3-5 minutes to allow the peas to defrost, then serve the noodles in broth with the ribs on top.

3. Garnish your meal with chopped scallions or chives, sliced chilli and a splash of soy sauce if you feel it needs more seasoning.

Lazy Focaccia

Note: You can use plain flour for this recipe, the final results are slightly cakier but it tastes lovely.

Servings

8

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 45 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 5 mins

Course

 Side

Ingredients

• 700g strong white flour

• 15g dried yeast

• 15g salt

• 200ml water

• 50ml olive oil

• 10g salt rosemary/thyme (optional)

Method

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, yeast, salt and water with a fork until you have a thick batter. Cover the bowl and allow the batter to rest for 3-4 hours in a warm spot. At this point, the batter will have increased in size, and you should have noticeable air bubbles.

2. Take a heavy baking dish (I use a 28cm x 22cm cast iron pan) and grease it or line it with baking parchment. Pour the batter into the baking dish. Dampen your fingers and use these to push impressions into the top of the batter. Cover the baking dish for a further 30 minutes. Preheat a (fan) oven to 190 degrees.

3. After 30 minutes, remove the cover from the batter, drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt; you can add rosemary or any woody herb at this stage, but I find the flavours can be too intense for the kids’ tastes, so generally leave it out.

4. Bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes; you will know the bread is done when it turns golden on top. Allow to cool before slicing and enjoying.