A peasanty kind of meal

As you know folks it is important to me to create tasty interesting and nutritious meals that embrace either a waste not want not philosophy or using ingredients that are more frugal. A couple of items I had in the freezer were some not very meaty beef ribs and a few rooster wings. The rooster wings came from 3 old roosters so I knew to begin with they would be like shoe leather. The beef ribs would provide little meat but lots of flavor. 

I created a wonderful and tasty peasant style dish using the beef ribs, the wings and whatever veg I had to hand.

Here is what I rooted out -

Potatoes

1 onion

3 cloves of garlic

Whole jerusalem artichokes I had frozen after harvest

3 carrots

Mushrooms 

300 ml of carrot water that needed using up (water or other stock would do)

1 tsp mustard

1 tsp dried parsley

A good pinch of dried thyme

Plenty of black pepper and salt

I cut the veg in large chunks, to give the meal a bit of a bite. I mixed the mustard and herbs into the carrot water and warmed it up in a pan. 

In my slow cooker I put a layer of the mixed veg, the beef ribs, another layer of mixed veg and then finally on top the rooster wings. I have to say that the slow cooker was pretty packed! The carrot water went over the top of it all. The slow cooker did its stuff on low for 8 hours until all the veg was cooked. 

Even after all that cooking the wings were like belt straps, I simply salvaged as much of the meat of them as I could and added it too the stew. The small amount of meat on the ribs was tender but soggy. I removed the meat the next day and fried it in some bacon fat until crispy. The wing skin and bones went into a pan along with the stripped beef bones and boiled for several hours. They created a wonderful broth. Again, waste not want not. 

The meal itself was not much to look at to be honest. However, back in the days this type of meal was served to fill hungry bellies and provide optimum nutrition to hard working folk. It tasted awesome:)