Slow-Cooked Beef Ribs with Damson Plums

A tradition of meat and fruit

Cooking meat with dried fruit is a technique known both in the Ottoman palace kitchen and in ordinary Anatolian homes. Plums, quince, apricots or grapes: the acidity and sweetness of the fruit balance the rich, filling flavour of the meat. Our slow-cooked beef ribs with damson plums carry that long tradition onto a modern plate.

The damson (mürdüm) is a dark purple, fleshy plum that becomes noticeably sweeter when dried. As it cooks it gives the sauce both colour and body, leaving a gently caramelised flavour with its sharpness softened. Combined with the richness of the ribs, every bite moves between sweet, sour and savoury.

Plums and meat at the Ottoman table

Written sources on Ottoman cooking record many recipes in which meat and fruit are cooked together. Stews with quince, apricots, plums or grapes appeared in the palace kitchen and at the tables of grand households alike. The fruit lightened the heaviness of the meat and gave the sauce both sharpness and natural sweetness.

These recipes live on across Anatolia today; meat with plums, lamb with quince and chicken with apricots are still special-occasion dishes in many homes. Our beef ribs with damson plums are a modern member of that family: bone-in ribs instead of a classic stew, with keşkek, Anatolia’s ceremonial dish, on the side.

Why ribs, and why low and slow?

Beef ribs are a cut rich in connective tissue and marbling. Cooked quickly, they stay tough; cooked for a long time at low heat, the connective tissue turns to gelatine, the meat softens until it pulls apart into strands, and its flavour seeps into the sauce.

On our menu we describe the dish in a single line: beef ribs slow-cooked over a low flame. It takes patience, but the result is meat you will barely need a knife for.

Keşkek: an Anatolian classic on UNESCO’s list

The ribs come with keşkek. Keşkek is made by slowly cooking pounded wheat and beating it until smooth; in Anatolia it is prepared in huge cauldrons for weddings, religious holidays and village gatherings. The ceremonial keşkek tradition was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2011.

On the plate, keşkek meets the intensity of the ribs and plum sauce with a soft, grainy texture. Because it is made from wheat, please note that this dish contains gluten.

What to expect on the plate

The ribs come on the bone, and thanks to the long cooking the meat slips off easily. The best bite is a piece of meat with a little keşkek and plum sauce together. The keşkek softens as it soaks up the sauce, and the plums add a small sweet-sour accent to every mouthful.

It is a filling plate and makes a complete dinner on its own. If you are ordering several mains for the table, it is also a good one to share. For meat lovers, the Lamb Shank and Gerdan-ı Sultan (roasted lamb neck) on our menu follow the same slow-cooking approach.

What to pair it with

As a rich meat dish with a sweet-sour sauce, it is best preceded by something fresh; the rocket salad or the finely chopped kaşık salad on our menu is ideal. For wine, a soft, fruity red talks to the plums in the sauce: Kocabağ Kalecik Karası or one of the Côtes d’Avanos labels are good choices.

Hearty enough on its own, it is also a good dish for sharing. Order it together with the testi kebab and you can try two Anatolian classics in one evening.

On our terrace in Göreme

Cratus Premium Restaurant serves on its 90-seat terrace on the top floor of Cratus Stone Palace in Göreme. Slow-cooked food and long dinners belong together; an evening on the terrace, from sunset until the valley lights come on, is the most natural companion for this dish. We are open every day from 08:00 to 23:00.

Frequently asked questions