March 25th marks International Waffle Day – a celebration with its roots in Swedish and Norwegian culture. The practice of eating waffles on this day in Nordic countries stems from the word ‘Vårfrudagen’ meaning ‘the Feast of the Annunciation’ (also celebrated on the 25th) sounding similar to the Swedish word ‘Våffeldagen’ – meaning ‘Waffle Day’.

Pairing savoury meats with sweet waffles is no novel concept of course – the classic soul food match of fried chicken and waffles has been an American inner-city staple for decades, and has begun to establish a foothold in the UK, with Bird and Duck and Waffle among the London eateries capitalising on this well-loved combination. Beef and waffles is a more unorthodox take on the savoury waffle dish – though not entirely unheard of with James Martin and the chefs at the Calgary Stampede having previously experimented with slow-cooked shredded beef atop waffles.

We crafted the recipe below for a Dovecote Park take on the savoury waffle – we’ve used short ribs here, but brisket could also work well. The trick is to give the dry rub some time to permeate the meat, and to reduce the sauce before pouring it on the shredded beef. This is a rich and indulgent dish, with the bourbon providing a subtle boozy undercurrent which plays off the sweetness of the sauce and the waffle. We also quickly pan-fried the waffle in a bit of veal fat – this isn’t totally necessary, but gives it a lovely light savouriness. Why not mark this Nordic celebration with our teams Braised Bourbon Short Rib Waffles - recipe below.

INGREDIENTS (to serve 2)

Two Waitrose British beef shortribs
4 x waffles (ideally home-made, but store bought will work just fine)
Veal fat, or beef dripping (for frying)

For the dry rub

1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp sea salt
½ tbsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp fivespice

For the sauce

500ml beef stock
Generous glug of bourbon (we used 50ml – feel free to increase if you like more!)
1 tbsp runny honey
1 bay leaf

METHOD

1. Assemble the dry rub, and rub all over the short ribs. Leave for 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 170 C.
3. Place short ribs in a pan. Cover with beef stock, honey and add bay leaf and a generous shot of bourbon. Make sure meat is fully covered.
4. Cover lid of pan and cook at the bottom of the oven for about 2.5-3 hours, until meat is tender and falling off the bone.
5. Drain sauce into a separate pan and reduce by half.
6. Quickly pan fry the waffles in veal fat (or beef dripping).
7. Shred the short ribs with two forks, and place atop the waffles.
8. Drizzle the reduced sauce over top of the shredded beef, and enjoy! If after a side dish, a spot of pickled red cabbage or coleslaw works perfectly