Aga Cooking

[offcentre]

I am relatively new to aga cooking and have never cooked a rib of beef before at all.

Someone just gave me a 2 rib joint from their own cattle so I am keen to cook it as best I can.

Any advice - should I bbq it first to get a nice crust then stick it in the slow oven? All in the top oven?

Its 2.1 kilo's.

thanks....ross

[jackal10]

If you have a 4 oven AGA the coolest oven (plate warming) is at about 60C ideal for cooking beef, or at least mine is. \you can regulate the temperature a little by opening the door a crack.

I usually cook it for 12 hours covered in a sheet of tinfoil to an end temperature of 58C. Sear before (for flavour) and after (for crispness). You will have beef of unparalled succulence.

Meantime you will want to roast potatoes,parsnips, onions, carrots and cauliflower etc in the hot oven, (they hold in the cool oven) and quickly cook green veg on top for service. Not forgetting the Yorkshire Puds (bottom of the top oven for 1/2 hour - they rise better with lots of bottom heat)

The lower oven of the 2 oven AGA is too hot to do long term cooking for rare beef. Roast conventionally in the top oven. A digital themometer will make it much easier to determine the end point, but I would guess about 45 minutes, depending on thickness and how rare you like your beef. Then let it stand, covered, on top or in a warm palce for 45mins to let things even out (while you cook the yorkshires).

Edited June 8, 2011 by jackal10 (log)

[Norm Matthews]

We are in two different parts of the world and I don't have any experience with an Aga and I don't know exactly what you mean by BBQ. It is probably not the same as my understanding of the term but what I'd do if you have a two rib- standing rib roast is either cut it in half so you have two bone-in steaks and grill or pan sear/oven cook as for a couple great steaks OR pat it dry and butter the ends, stand it up on the bones ( if it is big enough to stand up) and using a probe thermometer, roast it at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, lower the oven to 325 and roast until done to your likeness. 120 is rare 135-140 is medium rare. Pull it about 5 degrees before done and lightly cover it with foil and let it rest for 5-7 minutes before slicing. It will continue cooking after out of the oven for that resting time.

Another roasting theory is to cook it at regular temperature and finish on high but the above it the way I've always done it.

Before cooking or roasting, season as desired. Some say don't use salt, I do, I use salt, pepper and a little rosemary.

[Dakki]

Those Aga things look neat as heck.

How is temperature regulated? Do you keep it on all the time like a water heater or warm it before cooking? If the first, how's gas/electric cost? If the second, how long does it take to warm up? Does it heat up your kitchen?

[jackal10]

Its on all the time. Its a stored heat cooker - over half a ton of cast iron in a highly insulated box, heated by a small flame or other energy source, or even solid fuel.

It takes maybe 12 hours to get up to heat, and then outside is just warm to touch, so it heats the kitchen a little

Good to snuggle up to on cold mornings - it becomes the centre of the house.

Costs are around £15/week to run.

[Dakki]

Ah, thanks. No temperature control?

[jackal10]

Crude temperature control - you can turn the burner up or down, or increase the draught in solid fuel ones but there is a long lead time in response. Temperature control is by which oven or hotplate you use

In principle

Roasting Oven Hot Approx. 240-260° C 475-500° F Gas Mark 8-9

Baking Oven Moderate Approx. 180-200° C 350-400° F Gas Mark 4-6

Simmering Oven Slow Approx. 115-135° C 225-275° F Gas Mark 1

Warming Oven Warm Approx. 60-70° C 140-160° F Gas Mark 1/4

HOwever temperatures can vary by quite a bit if thr cooker has been heavily used, or the insulating lids left open

I believe the more modern ones have electronic control.

AGAs last forever. Mine is a 1930s model coal fired model converted to oil.

[offcentre]

Thanks for the reply Jackal - your previous posts make you an authority on aga cooking in my book, and incidentally you also get my award for all-time best foodblog.

I should have mentioned...I have a 2-oven aga. Mine is a 50's reconditioned I believe. I've had it for a couple of years so am used to cooking on it now, I just never roast joints of meat.

I had always lusted after an aga when I was younger and it hasn't disappointed - it cooks things beautifully - roast spuds and sponge cakes especially! And steak directly on the hot plate.

I'll go and buy myself a digital thermometer I think and stick it in the top oven as you suggest.

thanks folks.

[AGA_Official]

Hello,

I'm Alison, a home economist for AGA. We get questions such as this quite often, so I thought I'd make an account to give a bit of advice.

You could seal the meat and then cook slowly, but using the roasting oven, the radiant heat from the cast-iron oven seals in all the juices and will give you an amazingly moist roast.

To cook your rib rare, allow 12 minutes per 450g + 12 minutes

For medium 15 minutes per 450g + 15 minutes

For well done allow 20 minutes per 450g + 20 minutes.

Season the meat and place in a meat tin, below centre, of the roasting oven.

Add a few onions and root vegetables to the tin, that will give you a really tasty gravy.

When cooked, allow the meat to rest in a warm place for 15-30 mins before carving.

It should be delicious!

[offcentre]

Belated thanks for the replies.

It went in the top oven for seventy minutes and rested on the top of the aga for getting on for an hour.

It was wonderful - I was amazed at how moist it was.

Camera photo's don't do it justice...

lovely crusty outside:

moist inside:

thanks Jackal, Aga_Official.

edited to sort out photo's, but still couldn't.

Edited June 21, 2011 by offcentre (log)