Caitriona Redmond: 'I was embarrassed when my card was refused at the supermarket'

Name: Bacon Ribs With A Modern Twist
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 150 min
Total time: 165 min
Ingredients: 2 racks of bacon ribs (at room temperature); 2 large carrots; 1 large kohlrabi OR 1 large broccoli stalk plus 1/4 raw head of turnip (see below); 12 small brussels sprouts; 4 tablespoons rice vinegar; 1 teaspoon honey; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1 clove of garlic, peeled and sliced; 1 medium sized chilli, sliced; Juice of 1 lime; Fresh coriander, parsley and mint to dress the salad (optional); Bread and butter to serve (optional)

This week’s recipes include a dish that would sit well on a high-end brunch menu but is definitely budget friendly for feasting at home.

Sun, 26 Jun, 2022 - 18:00

Caitriona Redmond

The latest electricity bill arrived this week. I can’t really say dropped on the mat anymore because I’m getting e-bills for an additional 1% discount on my energy bills. If you’re not doing this already then I recommend you make the change. Despite the paper envelope not arriving through my letterbox, my heart still did a little nervous swoop as I saw the bill.

The hangover of being constantly stressed about money is that every single bill or charge makes me feel anxious. Okay, I can pay this bill, what about the next one? What happens when Winter arrives and they continue to go up?

I don’t know how else to describe the feelings around bills other than a hangover. There’s a foreboding sense of dread that is similar to ‘the fear’ you see. It’s a dull ache at the back of your mind that never really goes away.

My bank card was refused in the supermarket the other day. I was flustered and had entered the wrong code more than once. It was my own fault and thankfully there was someone there with me to step in and use their card instead. I knew I had enough money in my account to pay for the groceries but by the second time I’d entered the wrong code, I was close to tears with worry and embarrassment and did it again.

It has happened before that my card was refused and I had to separate out items on the conveyor belt under the watchful and sympathetic eyes of other customers. What’s important and what’s not? What can I remove from the shop that will bring me under budget and not max out the bank account?

An awful lot more people are going to feel ‘the fear’ in the months ahead and many of them have never experienced it in this way before. Let’s normalise being patient and understanding when people are stressed at the card machine or in supermarkets.

For this week’s recipes, I have a modern twist on a traditional yet frugal meal and a dish that would sit well on a high-end brunch menu but is definitely budget friendly for feasting at home.

Special Offers

Once again Lidl is the cheapest in my shopping basket survey.

Tesco’s offers for their clubcard loyalty scheme pays off this week as clubcard members can buy a large chicken for €5. I’ve reflected this in the shopping basket survey but make sure you scan your clubcard to benefit from the reduction from €6 to €5.

78 wash bottles of Comfort Ultimate Care fabric softener are half price in Dunnes Stores for a limited time and are reduced from €10 to €5 per bottle.

Finally, SuperValu’s online shop now has some very clever categories such as store cupboard fillers priced from €2 which includes some of the most popular products such as mayonnaise and baked beans.

Bacon Ribs With A Modern Twist

Bacon ribs were far cheaper to buy 80 odd years ago than they are now but they are still a frugal cut of meat to enjoy for a family meal. Great pigs make beautiful pork and amazing bacon. There’s an old saying that the only part of a pig you can’t eat is the squeal.

I don’t throw away the salty liquor left over from boiling the bacon ribs. I cool the liquid, then skim off any fat before freezing it if I don’t use it straight away. The stock is brilliant for adding flavour to a soup, boiling potatoes in their jackets or cooking vegetables.

Bacon Ribs With A Modern Twist

Bacon ribs are a frugal cut of meat to enjoy for a family meal.

Servings

Preparation Time

15 mins

Cooking Time

2 hours 30 mins

Total Time

2 hours 45 mins

Course

Main

Ingredients

2 racks of bacon ribs (at room temperature)
2 large carrots
1 large kohlrabi OR 1 large broccoli stalk plus 1/4 raw head of turnip (see below)
12 small brussels sprouts
4 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 clove of garlic, peeled and sliced
1 medium sized chilli, sliced
Juice of 1 lime
Fresh coriander, parsley and mint to dress the salad (optional)
Bread and butter to serve (optional)

Method

Place the racks of ribs into a large pot of cold water (you may need to cut the racks into smaller pieces to make them fit into your pot). Cover the pot and put it on a medium temperature.
While you’re waiting for the ribs to come to the boil, peel and chop the vegetables (kohlrabi, carrots and sprouts) into thin pieces. You could of course use a food processor or even grate them into large chunks. Whatever makes life easier for you. Put all the vegetables into a large bowl.
Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl (vinegar, honey, salt, garlic, chilli and lime-juice) and stir until the ingredients have dissolved together. Pour about half of this dressing on top of the prepared vegetables and stir well until you have coated the vegetables in the mixture. Cover this bowl and leave it to one side.
At this point your ribs should be bubbling away. Turn down the heat so that they are at a slow simmer. Leave at this temperature for about 2 hours or so. The ribs are ready when the bones begin to separate way from the flesh. Check the pot after 90 minutes to see how it’s progressing and don’t be afraid to cook for longer if the meat still seems tough.
Once cooked, remove the ribs from the pot, separate them into individual pieces and toss in the remaining dressing. Tear some fresh herbs and stir them into the dressed salad that has been soaking away while the ribs cooked.
I’ve included a couple of thick-cut pieces of white bread with a slather of golden Irish butter, as this is how we would eat it but it is completely optional

Triple Chocolate French Toast

This is an extremely indulgent recipe which you can enjoy at any time of the day but it’s most suited to a lazy brunch. It’s the kind of brunch dish you’d find on an expensive menu, the ingredients, however, are very budget-friendly. It’s always a hit with adults and children in this house.