I know I’m usually on the backs of the Supermarkets for the ‘Dirty Tricks’ they use to get you to buy more, pay more for less product or buy products or brands you don’t really like… But this time I’m sharing a little discovery I’ve recently made which appears to be a win-win for all concerned…
Grilled ‘Beef Fingers’ – Boneless Beef Ribs, marinated overnight in a rich, acidic
marinade with lots of Worcestershire Sauce and your favourite Herbs and Spices…
Try ’em on the smoker, too!
The other day, I was at my usual supermarket, scoping out the Meat and Produce and looking for bargains not mentioned in the flyers (‘Manager’s Specials’) when I happened upon a new beef ‘cut’ in the odds-and-ends cooler.
They call it ‘Beef Fingers’ and it’s actually de-boned Beef Ribs. All you have to do is remove the silverskin (elastin) from the back of each strip and braise like a Pot Roast or Beef Stew. Fall-apart tender and full of flavour in two hours flat!
How do you cook it?
I just brown the strips on all sides and set them aside for a moment. Then, I sautée acup or so of Mirepoix (1 part coarsely chopped carrots, 1 part coarsely chopped celery and 2 parts coarsely chopped onions). I add any Herbs or Spices I want to use (Rosemary is a natural for this kind of Beef dish!) and de-glaze the pan with half a cup of Dry Red Wine. A Quarter cup of Brandy or Madeira is also good! I then place the beef strips back in the pan on top of the veggies and add a couple of cups of Beef or Veal Stock. You should cover the meat at least half way up. Bring to the boil and let simmer covered for 2 hours. You can go longer if you want; the meat just gets more tender and the natural Jus in the bottom of the pan just reduces and gets richer!
This cut is also great for Skewering and Marinating for the Grill! Marinate Skewers or Strips at least 24 hours in a rich Marinade which includes Dry Red Wine, Lemon Juice and lots of Worcestershire Sauce plus the Herbs and Spices of your choice!
The best part…
The best part is, the supermarkets are cutting their losses by marketing ‘Beef Fingers’… Bone-on Beef Ribs haven’t been selling lately and they are way down the preference list of cuts for most backyard grillers in summer. Rather than making the rib meat into stew beef or other secondary cuts – which takes a lot of expensive manual labour – they are just stripping it off the bones and packaging it. And the price is right. This great cut is generally available at about 1/3 the price they’re charging these days for stuff like Sirloin Tips and Strip Steaks; 1/4 of what they’re gouging for Rib Eyes and T-Bones!
Get ’em while they last. As soon as the Meat Managers realize ‘Beef Fingers’ are getting popular, they’ll inflate the price by a factor of two or three!
~ Maggie J.
I love Beef ribs but have found them hard to get at a lot of stores lately. Which market did you find these at?
Mine came from the local Loblaws. I’ve seen them elsewhere, too, but they are not consistently available from other sources. Perhaps availability will be more general as Grilling Season progresses…