Julius Roberts has become something of a phenomenon — part farmer, part cook, part storyteller. The Farm Table is rooted in seasonal cooking, but it’s refreshingly unfussy. The recipes feel instinctive rather than instructional, guided by what’s growing and what tastes good right now. It’s a book that makes you want to cook slowly and eat well.

Serves: "quite a large quantity" - Julius Roberts

• 3 1/2 lbs bone-in beef short ribs

• 8 yellow onions

• 4 carrots

• 4 celery stalks

• olive oil

• 1 tbsp tomato paste

• 5 anchovies 

• 1/2 cup plus tbsp/150ml red wine

• 1 x 14oz/400g can of whole, peeled tomatoes 

• 3 bay leaves, a small bunch of fresh thyme and a sprig of fresh sage, tied in a bundle

• 1/2 whole nutmeg

• a bunch of fresh parsley

• polenta, for serving 

Step 1:

Season the ribs generously with salt and set aside for half an hour to come to room temperature. Meanwhile, very thinly slice the onions. Peel, quarter and slice the carrots, and dice the celery. Once the meat has lost the chill of the fridge, heat a large heavy-bottomed ovenproof pot or Dutch oven with a splash of oil and fry in batches, until deeply caramelized all over. Remove from the pot and set aside.

Step 2:

Return the pot to medium heat, then fry the onions with a generous pinch of salt in the fat rendered from the beef. The onions should release some liquid as they fry; use this to scrape any beef caramelization from the bottom of the pot. When the onions have softened, add the carrots and celery, fry for a further 10 minutes, then make a well in the middle and add the tomato paste and anchovies, if using, to the bottom of the pot. Mix and crush so they melt, then stir among the veg. At this stage, preheat your oven to 325°F/ 160° C.

Step 3:

Keep cooking the veg for another 5 minutes, until they're beginning to stick but not brown-this is a sign that you've cooked off enough of the water and that they're beginning to caramelize. Add the wine and cook off the alcohol. Add the canned tomatoes, smushing each romato in your hand on its way into the pot, then add the mind the bundle of herbs and grate in the nutmeg. Season generously with salt and pepper, then add the meat to the pot and nestle it into the liquid. Bring back to a gentle simmer. Cut a circle of parchment paper to the size of the pot and press this into the meat so it sticks to the top and forms a seal. Then put the lid on a place in the oven for 3 hours, until the meat is completely tender. 

Step 4:

When ready, remove from the oven. A lot of fat will have rendered from the beef, which is what keeps it so render.

But now it's done its job, you can remove it. If eating straight away, use a ladle or large spoon to skim it off, being careful not to remove too much of the sauce. A little bit of fat is great, but too much is excessive. If you're not eating right away, allow the dish to cool and place in the fridge. The fat will solidify and becomes easy to remove. Often slow-cooked dishes are better the next day anyway.

To serve, make sure to have a final taste and carefully adjust the seasoning as necessary. Serve on the bone over a puddle of creamy polenta with lots of the sauce and a smattering of parsley.

What You'll Need