Ingredients for 2 people
For the meat:
500g beef rib fingers
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 onion, finely diced
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp honey or brown sugar
1 tsp paprika (smoked or sweet)
1/2 tsp black pepper
Salt to taste
Fresh parsley or cilantro for garnish
Lime wedges for serving
For the Mac & Cheese:
250g macaroni or pasta
30g butter
30g flour
500ml milk
200g grated cheese (e.g., Cheddar or Gruyère, or a blend is fine)
Salt, pepper
Preparing the Mac & Cheese
Cook the pasta: Cook the macaroni in salted water until al dente and drain.
Make the cheese sauce: Melt the butter in a saucepan.
Stir in the flour and cook briefly (do not let it brown).
Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly, until a smooth sauce forms.
Bring to a boil and thicken slightly. Stir in the cheese until melted. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Bring everything together and bake: Mix the pasta with the sauce. Transfer to a baking dish, sprinkle with some cheese, and bake at 200°C (top/bottom heat) for about 15 minutes until golden brown.
Preparing the Beef Rib Fingers
Preparation: Cut the beef ribs into thin, finger-length strips. If the meat is very fatty, trim off any excess fat.
Marinade: In a bowl, combine the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, honey, paprika, pepper, and a pinch of salt. Let the rib fingers marinate for at least 30 minutes (the longer the better).
Sauté: Heat vegetable oil in a large pan or wok. Sauté the finely chopped onions and garlic until translucent.
Fry the meat: Add the marinated rib fingers to the pan and sear over high heat until nicely browned and cooked through (approx. 5-7 minutes).
Season: Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
Serve: Arrange the beef rib fingers on top of the crispy mac & cheese and serve with fresh parsley and lime wedges.
Nice to know: Beef rib fingers are narrow, elongated strips of meat that come from the ribs of a cow. More specifically, they are the meat that sits between the rib bones—the "strips of meat" along the beef ribs. This meat is particularly juicy and flavorful because it has a high fat content and absorbs a lot of flavor due to its proximity to the bone.
Origin: Beef rib fingers are particularly popular in American barbecue cuisine. The tradition of valuing and slow-cooking beef originates from the southern United States, where barbecue has a long history and great cultural significance. There, beef ribs are often smoked or grilled at low temperatures for several hours to tenderize and flavor the meat. Rib fingers are a kind of "by-product" of beef rib processing, and are increasingly being valued as a product in their own right.
