THAI SWEET CHILLI BURGER WITH CUCUMBER

My fiance has an aversion to chilli and fish sauce yet eats these two wonderful ingredients unknowingly quite often. "why you putting fish sauce in everything?" she said. So i have to go through the monotony yet again of explaining why for one i do not put fish sauce in everything and for two, the use of chilli does not have to mean HEAT! After yet again explaining that the fish sauce has a purpose, and yet again that "no it won't taste fishy", i eventually with some simple explanations manage to make some inkling of sense. You see when i cook food containing Fish sauce or chilli she is normally busying herself elsewhere, so does not see what goes into the dish only the finished meal. Then i go through my usual response and try to remind her that Worcester sauce is in fact made with Anchovies, and this super ingredient she uses quite liberally, in different dishes, with no ill effect.
Anyhow back to the burgers. For a while now i have been wanting to make beef burgers with sweet chilli sauce, and serve them in buns with sliced cucumber! Nothing special, probably bizarre to your average fast food customer, but the result was pleasing and the Fish sauce fiance enjoyed, for me it was just taking ingredients that i enjoy and bringing them together. If you have had the pleasure of eating cucumber in a fish sauce based Thai dipping sauce, then we will more than likely be on the same wavelength!

MAKES 6-8 - DEPENDING ON SIZE

RECIPE;
500g lean mince beef
2 tbsp of Thai sweet chilli sauce(shop bought condiment)
2 tsp of Thai fish sauce
1 small onion (finely chopped)
Sea salt and ground black pepper
Sliced and peeled cucumber

METHOD;
Place the finely chopped onion and mince into a food processor and pulse till it forms a ball. Remove and place into a mixing bowl make a well in the middle and add the chilli and fish sauce, and black pepper to taste. Mix using your hands and form into patties of your desired size , season with salt and pepper. Best cooked on a griddle or griddle pan. Cook to your liking, about 6-8 minutes does the trick! Of course you can cook these under the grill or shallow fry.

TO SERVE;
Rest the burgers for a couple of minutes, meanwhile wipe the griddle of excess fat, then toast your buns or alternatively grill the buns and serve with a little melted strong chedder if desired and sliced cucumber.

CHILLI CON CARNE

Simple cooking at it's best! No claims here for authenticity, because like a lot of popular dishes there will always be elements of controversy, over origins and correct ingredients. The purist will go for no beans and some no doubt will claim small dice of meat over mince. But this is Britain and we are more concerned with feeding ourselves in this financial crisis, rather than having a petty spat over right wrong and who created. Talking controversy my recipe calls for instant coffee, preferably a rich coffee such as Gold Blend. Although first reactions from people at the mention of coffee in savoury dishes normally hails disbelief but believe me in the right quantities(very little) it gives a wonderful depth of flavour, reminiscent of beef!
Serves 4
RECIPE;
2 tbsp of Veg oil
700-750g beef mince
100g pancetta or bacon
1 x 400g tin of tomatoes
1 tin of red kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
2 tbsp of tomato puree
150 ml of water or beef stock
1 medium onion (fine dice)
2 cloves of garlic (fine dice)
1 green bell pepper (fine dice)
1 long red chilli (de-seeded and finely chopped)
1 tsp of gold blend or similar coffee
1 tsp Worcester sauce
1 tsp of dried oregano
Sea salt and Freshly ground black pepper

SPICES;
Half teaspoon each of chilli powder and paprika
1 tbsp of coriander seeds (freshly ground)
1 tsp of cumin (freshly ground)

METHOD;
Fry mince and drain, wipe out the pan and heat the oil, once hot add the onion and peppers, cook for roughly two minutes, then add the de-seeded chilli and garlic. After 1 minute return the mince to the pan (season)and add the tinned tomato, tomato puree, and kidney beans - stir to combine. Add the spices and coffee and Worcester sauce. (season)
Allow to cook for 5 minutes then add 150ml of water or stock if using, cover the pan and simmer for half an hour. Check for seasoning before serving!
TO SERVE;
The serving of chilli con carne is nothing more than a personal choice in my eyes. Baked potato, chips or rice or whatever you fancy! It can be eaten on it's own or with simple accompaniments, left for a day to improve or eaten straight from the pan the choice is all yours. I like a little sour cream, quartered tomato and some strong grated Cheddar with mine, but this is food memories!
For a richer version add a big knob of butter to each serving dish, but whatever you choose enjoy!

SPAGHETTI WITH MEATBALLS AND TOMATO SAUCE

I have made more meatballs than i care to remember, different styles and different meats, but however much the recipe changes, however many times i vary the sauce, i always end up back with what i enjoy the most - meatballs,tomato sauce and spaghetti. I would like to think that cross cultural boundaries can be put aside, so that i can call these Italian meatballs, with the inclusion of fresh Parmesan, a good fistful of parsley, images of Italy are sure to be evoked, but whichever way you look these are quality meatballs that hit the mark, authentic or not who cares, they are good. Serves 4-6 give or take a bit!





RECIPE - MEATBALLS;


500g beef mince or 250/250 mix of pork and beef mince
75g bread (day old fresh loaf)
50g Parmesan
Good handful of fresh flat leaf parsley
1 clove of garlic
Salt and pepper
Milk (enough to just cover)
Olive oil


METHOD;


Blitz the bread in a food processor, when finely crumbed add a touch of milk, enough so that all of the crumbs are coated. Once the bread has absorbed the milk add the parsley and garlic - blitz. Add the mince and Parmesan blitz again to break down the mince, then season with salt and pepper. The mince is now ready to be formed into meatballs, this recipe will yield 32 meatballs of the size of a golf ball. Reserve.

NOTE;

If you do not have a food processor, use your hands and a mixing bowl. The food processor is used for a finer texture.

Now that the meatballs are made they will need a nice , rich tomato sauce. As you have 32 meatballs you could use all of them or save some for a rainy day! The tomato sauce recipe is adaptable, i will normally only use 1 can of tomatoes, but 2 cans give an excellent result.

RECIPE;

2 x 400g good quality tinned tomatoes

125g tomato puree

125 ml red wine

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic (crushed or minced with a little salt)

2 shallots (finely chopped)

1 tbsp of fresh oregano or 1 tsp of dried

Sea salt/ black pepper

METHOD;

Heat a skillet or large saucepan over a medium heat, add the shallot and cook until softened, add the garlic, cook for 30 seconds before adding the tomatoes - season. Cook the tomatoes for 5 minutes before adding the tomato puree and red wine. Allow the sauce to absorb the wine, then add the oregano - season. Allow to simmer on a low heat for 30 - minutes.

BRINGING THE DISH TOGETHER;

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. While waiting for the water to boil heat a large frying pan with enough olive oil to make a film across the base. Fry the required amount of meat balls for 5 minutes to give good colour, transfer to the simmering tomato sauce for a further 15 minutes. 12 minutes from the end of cooking place the desired amount of spaghetti into the boiling water. Garnish with freshly torn Basil.

NOTE;

If only using, say half the meatballs the sauce can be reduced from 2 cans of tomatoes too 1, with excellent results. Remaining meatballs can be frozen.

LEFTOVER BOLOGNESE

What to do with leftover bolognese? If greed runs through your veins like myself you will probably wait until all is quiet, grab yourself a spoon, and devour all that is left for yourself!
There are ways you can actually spread out what is left, possibly even stretch the leftovers for a lunch time treat. Try warming the bolognese, toast some thinly sliced bread, rub with a little garlic, drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil onto the slices, spread a thin layer of bolognese on each slice, a little torn basil and some cheese. Parmesan, Pecorino,Mozzarella or your favourite Cheddar. Pop this under the grill, melt the cheese, you have lunch! It is important that the bread is thinly sliced and the layer of bolognese is spread evenly. Eating will become a chore unless you have a mouth the size of jordan. Of course you could sit and use a knife and fork but where is a the fun in that!

FAMILY MEALS - SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE

A firm family favourite, more than likely in the repertoire of most people, some will claim to have the family secret, others will be happy to use a branded jar. If you really take a step back and weigh up the pros and cons of say this recipe, how much longer does it actually take to make? what 10 minutes maybe 15 at most. I know of very little people who just empty a jar of sauce onto the beef mince, most will at least add a little extra garlic, perhaps chop an onion, slice a few mushrooms, so the extra time is really only spent at the chopping board! Although this version will push the cost of this meal up a little, the addition of a little red wine gives an added depth of flavour you, just will not find with the shop bought sauces!
The beauty of Spaghetti bolognese - especially for me, is the nostalgia of this hybrid of a dish, with no real version's existing anywhere, the closet being the Italian Ragu (recipe soon), you really could use my own personal recipe as a base to launch all manner of additions.
Serves 4

RECIPE;
100g pancetta (diced or cubed)
700g beef mince ( increase mince to 1000g for a six person serving)
1 400g can of good quality tomatoes
200ml of red wine
1 lge onion (finely chopped)
1 carrot (finely diced)
1 stick of celery (finely diced)
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp sweet paprika
3 tbsp of tomato puree
3 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic ( crushed with a garlic press or minced with the back of a knife and a little salt.
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
optional mushrooms 6-8 quartered

METHOD;
Cook off the mince and drain excess fat. Using the same pan(wipe out if desired, i do not wipe out, as i like the flavour from the small amount of beef fat that remains in the pan) add 3 tbsp of olive oil, when at a medium heat, add the onion,carrot and celery, cook for 5 minutes or until softened, now add the diced pancetta. Cook for 2 minutes, add the mushrooms if using, once the mushrooms have softened add the mince and garlic. Give a good stir, then add the wine, when the wine has reduced to a sauce consistency add the canned tomatoes, tomato puree and paprika. Add the red wine vinegar and give a good stir before turning down the heat and allowing to simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Before serving allow enough time for a large pan of water to boil and cook your spaghetti according to your liking, allowing 80 - 100g per a person.

TO SERVE;
Fresh Basil leaves torn. If preferred roll into a cigar shape and finely slice to produce a chiffonade, a good pinch for a person.

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

NOTES;
Try to season at regular intervals, and do not be afraid of the salt, this is not processed food. If you desire a wetter sauce you can add 100 ml of hot water during cooking or some good quality beef stock. I prefer too use hot water if the sauce is too dry.

BEEF RENDANG- PICTURE SEQENCE

Spices blended with a pestle and mortar. A spice mill or blender attachment can be used in lieu of a decent pestle and mortar. Onion,garlic and ginger passed through a blender. Blended to the consistency of a puree.

Coconut bought to the boil at the first stage.

Coconut milk with the addition of spices and onion puree. This is the first change of colour to be experienced during the cooking of this rendang.

You will notice the slightly darker colour of the dish at this stage. Do not give up at this stage and serve the dish a little patience is all that is required. Believe me the dish will change to the desired colour.

Towards the end of cooking time you will notice that most of the coconut milk has been reduced and absorbed by the beef. This is the stage that requires a little more attention. You will need to keep a close eye on the beef to prevent the beef from burning and drying out. Believe me at this stage it is possible to lose the dish. When most of the sauce has been absorbed and you are left with a dark mass of beef with a thick coating of sauce. You are ready to serve!

The final product. At the beginning of cooking you will wonder whether the dish is too light in colour, will it ever reduce, be patient the dish will happen!

BEEF RENDANG

This dish is great, but is adaptable in the amount of beef you use. I allow 250g of beef per a person up to 1kg for this recipe. Allowing 250g of beef per a person is really not that much if you consider this dish is not bulked out with other ingredients like most curry dishes. You can cook this with 500g or 750g if desired, as the rest of the ingredients remain the same. Beef Rendang originates from Sumatra in Indonesia, with Malaysia having similar versions. During research for this dish, i did come across many versions with different recipes claiming to be authentic. My recipe is not far off the mark, but this aside it is still very tasty and a dish that is cooked many times in our household. The Rendang method was originally created as a way of preserving meat before the times of refrigeration. This dish does require a lot of time to make but the results are worth the wait. The puree of onion,garlic and ginger that is used to help thicken this dish is very adaptable for other curry dishes, and is a wonderful method of thickening and developing flavour.

THE RECIPE;

The puree;

250g onion

3 cloves of garlic

10g ginger

Small pinch of sea salt

2 tbsp of water or c/milk

The spice mix;

2 tsp coriander seeds

2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp turmeric

2 black peppercorns

The rest;

1 kg Beef steak(cut into decent chunks)

400ml coconut milk

1 bay leaf

1 stick of lemon grass

1 tbsp fresh lemon

4 chilli peppers(de seeded)- Depending on the amount of heat required seeds can be left!

2 -3 tsp of palm sugar

Optional Garnish;

Fresh tomato

Spring onion
Sliced chilli

THE METHOD;

Ground the spices in a pestle and mortar or spice mill to a fine powder, Reserve.

Chop the onion, garlic and ginger and add to a blender to make a puree. You will need to use the water or coconut milk to loosen the mixture and help the puree along. Season with a pinch of sea salt, reserve.

Add the coconut milk to a suitable skillet, and bring to the boil, after a couple of minutes add the spices, cook for 2 minutes before adding the onion puree, cook for a further 2 minutes before adding the chilli,lemongrass and bay leaf. Allow too cook for a further minute then add the Beef. Coat the beef with the coconut then add the lemon and palm sugar.

Over a low to moderate heat allow the dish to cook until all the sauce has been absorbed by the Beef, this will take somewhere between one and one and a half hours. Do not worry during cooking as the sauce will not take on the dark Rendang colour until all of the sauce is absorbed. During the last 10 minutes of cooking more attention is required as the sauce is absorbed to prevent the Rendang from burning.

The finished dish will look like a sticky dark brown mass, lovely and rich. Turn out into bowls and serve with boiled rice.

I like to eat Rendang with a garnish of tomato, spring onion and sliced deseeded chilli.

BEEF CHOW MEIN

Fried noodles(chow mein) can be served with most forms of protein, a favourite of mine is beef.

In this recipe i am using rump as the beef is seared in a wok first, then cut across and tossed with the noodles when ready to serve. My version of beef chow mein is rather dry, but by increasing the soy,oyster and rice wine too 2 tbsp each you will achieve a moister chow mein, if that is your preference.

RECIPE;

serves 2

150g egg noodles

175g rump steak(APPROX)

2 tbps groundnut oil or vegetable oil

1 tbsp light soy

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp of rice wine(shaoshing)

1 large clove garlic

1 pak choi(sliced on the diagonal)

6 chestnut mushrooms

pinch of sugar

beansprouts(1 handful)

sesame oil

salt(to taste)

pepper(to taste)

METHOD;

Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, meanwhile add a tbsp of oil to a wok or saute pan and cook the beef for 2 minutes a side, then set aside. Reserve the cooking juices in the wok. Add the noodles to the boiling water and cook according to the manufacturers instructions. Now reheat the wok and add the other tbsp of oil and stirfry the garlic then add the mushrooms,pak choi and the bean sprouts, cook for 2 minutes. Then add the oyster and soy sauce, stirfry and add the rice wine and a pinch of sugar. Drain the noodles and add to the wok, toss to combine then add the sliced beef,toss again then adjust the seasoning if required and turn out onto a plate with a drizzle of sesame oil to taste.

RISSOLES

Rissoles a comfort food not so far from the beef Pattie to be alien, but somewhat different. The beauty of the rissole is that, it can take many forms with ingredients you have to hand or more elaborate preparations. Rissoles are known the world over. Here is a standard from my kitchen.

Cracked potato Rissole

Recipe;

400g beef mince

350g waxy potatoes

1/2 medium onion finely chopped

15g unsalted butter

2 tbsp chopped parsley

2 tbsp of sweet pickle

1 tsp lemon

Half a large chilli de-seeded and finely chopped

Dash of Worcester sauce

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Oil for frying

Method;

Peel and dice the potatoes into 5cm cubes.Bring a lightly salted pan of water to the boil and cook the potatoes until just cooked but holding there shape, drain and reserve.
Brown the mince with the finely chopped onion and add the butter to the pan, once the onions have softened season with a pinch of salt and a turn of pepper, now add the lemon, parsley and chilli cook for a further minute and add the Worcester sauce. Cook for a further 2 minutes and transfer to a dish large enough to hold all the mixture. Combine with the potatoes and sweet pickle and form into small patties.
Heat a skillet with your choice of oil and fry the patties for 2 minutes a side or till golden brown.

These rissoles are wonderful as a stand alone dish, or could be used as part of a meal or even made into tiny patties they could become part of a buffet.

KOBE BEEF @ kABUKI: SIAM PARAGON

The search had started months before the scheduled flight to Krung thep a.k.a the city of angels but better known to you and i as Bangkok for that mythical piece of beef known as kobe. This may seem a long way to go for a sample of the worlds most expensive beef, but their was a method behind the madness. For one i would not be able to afford to sample Kobe beef in London, without a second mortgage. Bangkok seemed to be a good choice to start, seeing as japan would not be on the culinary radar for at least a couple more years, and a large Japanese presence in Bangkok, means good Japanese food. Bangkok must at least, be one of the major culinary destinations in our modern world, with some very good restaurants to boot,fabulous local cuisine, extraordinary street food that turns even the most ardent of food snobs into drooling animals whilst dripping namh prik down the front of there overpriced and over sized designer labelled clothing.


I started my search on that trusted friend google, with results showing a smattering of establishments that serve imported Kobe beef. The first was a joint that specialized in steak of all kinds and at reasonable prices with the Kobe steak coming in at 13 Thai baht a gram, on the other side there was the big hotels with even bigger names that import Kobe but again the problem being the big price! I eventually settled on Kabuki restaurant in the Siam paragon mallhttp://kabukithailand.com/. Kabuki was offering Kobe for 20 Thai baht a gram while not the cheapest, in my mind it would offer the better experience being a Japanese restaurant, and association was to be a key element of this dining experience.


To be classed as Kobe beef the cattle must be born in hyogo prefecture, fed by a farm in hyogo prefecture and be slaughtered in hyogo prefecture. The cattle being Tajima ushi breed of wagyu cattle. WA- meaning Japanese and Gyu meaning cattle, so wagyu translates as Japanese cattle. Tajima cattle originated from ancient stock, called kuroge wagyu translated as black haired Japanese cattle. Wagyu cattle are now bred in Australia,America and Britain but cannot be classed as Kobe due to the strict breeding measures! Kobe cattle and associated products still retains an air of mystery with the strange breeding practices you read about being true. The cattle are fed beer, but not as a luxury. The beer serves a purpose, and is used to help stretch expensive feeds, increase the appetite in the summer months and fatten the cattle. Another practice that is employed is massage with the use of sake! Massaging the cattle may sound extreme, but one purpose of this technique is to make the meat more tender as tajima cattle are prone to inactivity, therefor the massage stimulates the effect of muscles being worked.

Kabuki restaurant is located on the ground floor of Siam paragon an ultra modern top end mall, with the ground floor being dedicated to food.

On entering Kabuki you are greeted immediately then shown to either a private booth or a central seating area. In my case i was shown to a private booth with seating for four, probably on account of my enquires seconds earlier about the availability of the infamous and elusive Kobe beef, which incidentally is hard to find. Kobe was offered in two different cuts sirloin or fillet.

Fillet being 25 Thai baht a gram, i decided on sirloin at 20 baht a gram which was bought out on a platter with the best part of £500 worth of steak on show, the marbling of each piece being an extraordinary off white colour, with a good ratio, almost equal of red meat to white fat. My choosen steak being priced at 3900 baht for a 190 gram steak roughly- £69/$115 us.

I started my meal with an 8 piece sushi roll set that was moist and succulent with the rice clinging to the roll providing a lovely texture. A small piece of toro sushi nigiri that cost 250 baht was next and a new experience for me. The tuna belly melting into the mouth and dissolving on the tongue like a pillow of air, giving me an insight into the Japanese Psyche about quality fresh tuna of superior grade!

The Kobe arrived on a small black plate with three pathetic chips and a garnish of julienned vegetables. When you are paying this much for a steak the garnishes make little difference, a little soy would have been a better gesture, rather than an attempt at haute cuisine arrangement with crap chips that a fast food restaurant would be happy to serve!

My steak was very good but unfortunately did not compare to a wagyu meal i had in Singapore several months previous. Now don't get me wrong this was far superior to what your average person has ever eaten or will probably eat with out taking the plunge and parting with serious money, but something was lacking the steak was a little over done, and a little seasoning would have benefited the meat rather than trio of crap chips! While melt in your mouth tender, i struggled a little bit with the amount of fat content!

If i was to compare wagyu and kobe to 4 and 5 star hotels obviously Kobe is the 5 star, but i prefer to stay 4 star, much more comfortable!

I have eaten in some very top restaurants around the world, but have never managed to spend £92 on a complete meal and be in and out of a restaurant in under 40 minutes. Incidentally on leaving the restaurant prangs of guilt set in with the amount i had payed and the less fortunate i passed on the streets of Bangkok, becoming a top concern. With no access to welfare, i dug deep into my pockets and spent half that amount again in handouts to the needy and not the greedy, as i was feeling the wrath of greed!

Kabuki(Thailand)co.ltd

• Siam Paragon
• G27 ground floor. 991/1
• Rama 1 rd. Pathumwan
• 10330 Bangkok Thailand
• Tel: (66) 0-2129-4423
• Fax (66)0-2129-4424

Open daily from 11.30-2115(last orders)

Sky train stop Siam BTS.

info@kabukithailand.com

http://www.kabukithailand.com/

LOW TEMPERATURE COOKING

Consider this lovingly cooked piece of beef.Would you believe that this has been cooked for 17 hours! Welcome to low temperature cooking.

A method of cooking i have utilised for the past 5 years, which gives surprising results. Cooking at low temperature for long periods is not a new practice and is used extensively in the restaurant world, with many top restaurants using sous-vide water baths to cook for extended periods, with results far behind the reach of the normal oven.Now the problem. Like most people, myself included i do not have access to sous-vide, but by cooking at very low temperature in a domestic oven you can achieve wonderful results, and even turn lower quality beef, lamb into a special treat. I will not urge people to buy cheap meat or even intensively rear meat that sees the animals living in below standard conditions, but it is a fact of life for many of us who struggle on day to day that at some point we will buy supermarket beef, and globally we are having to watch the Penny's more, with the recession that appears to be taking a grip. In the UK the main supermarkets have taken to selling joints of beef which are only marked roasting joint, this is not a lot of help to the home cook. Think beef wrapped in netting then sealed in plastic, the consumer has no say in what they are buying or the quality which appears to be hit and miss at times. Independent butchers that care about the product they sell are always going to be the best bet for quality, with the major advantage of being able to see what you buy, with advice as part of the purchase! You can't go far wrong in this scenario but we do not live in an ideal world, and unfortunately for the majority, expensive beef is beyond everyday reach.

I first started to use low temperature cooking after an accident in the kitchen left me with a shorter index finger. I was preparing to cook a lamb dish not much different in execution than Kleftico(traditional Greek bandits meal), when a three legged cat ran across the garden shed roof. This was in my field of vision, which resulted in a fraction of a seconds loss of concentration, which caused a slip of the knife. After this little accident a rapid loss of appetite ensued, so a haphazard approach to the rest of the prep occurred with the lamb shanks being thrown into the oven on the lowest possible setting! With the oven temperature set around 50c, i trundled off to the pub for local anaesthetic. Six hours later i returned to the oven feeling no pain to retrieve my lamb, and what a delight! That was my introduction to low temperature cooking. Of course over time we adapt our methods, so i adapted this for roasting with the theory being that what ever the oven temperature is set to the meat will not reach a higher temperature inside. This theory is OK as long as you use an oven thermometer to calibrate your oven as most ovens vary quite a few degrees in their true cooking temperatures. With science playing a bigger part in our cooking today i could waffle on about collagen and molecules but that is best left to the super cooks!

Method:

Pre- heat your oven to the required setting somewhere in the region of 53c-63c. Season your meat all over with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper.Take a skillet or saute pan big enough to brown your meat. Brown your meat, in a little oil on each side for a minute or so or until a dark brown. Remove from the pan and place in the centre of the oven, direct onto the oven rack, with a roasting tin placed at the bottom to catch drips!

Sit back and relax!

Notes;

For fan assisted ovens i have not got a clue! I have utilised these methods with gas and electric only.

If your not the one cleaning the oven, tell whoever is that you got this method from some telly chef, and not this dodgy blog!

If you crucify your nice expensive joint of beef don't blame me, because it was obviously you who messed it up as i was not there!

This method of cooking is not really used for expensive lean cuts, it is best used for cheaper cuts or cuts with good marbling.

Cooking at 53c will give you rare beef, so please bear this in mind if you decide to cook this way!

Using this method to cook at 100c is stupid so don't bother!

Cooking at 63c will give superb results!

COTTAGE PIE

This, a basic recipe that will yield a very tasty pie. Of course other ingredients can be added at your whim, the inclusion of a little brown sauce works a treat, a member of my family will often add peas, what ever you do, this is a treat to eat. A time consuming dish to make, but the results are superb. A hearty meal that all the family can enjoy with seconds, if you desire! There are several methods, which include browning the mince first, then removing , then adding your flavour base, removing and a simple de-glaze,with red wine. We like to stick to this recipe as it's simple.





Here is our recipe;



2 tbsp of vegtable oil

1000g beef mince(lean)

1lge onion

2 sticks of celery

2 lge carrots

2 cloves of garlic

200ml of red wine

300ml of beef stock

1 tbsp of plain flour

2 tbsp of tomatoe puree

3 tbsp worcester sauce

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

You will need to finely dice the carrot,celery,garlic and onion, as this will be your flavour base.
Once you have prepped your vegtables for the flavour base, you will need a good size skillet or saute pan, add 2 tbsp of oil, place on the heat and add your onions, saute for 2 minutes, then add your carrots and celery cook for a further 2 minutes, add a good pinch of sea salt, and a good grind of pepper, now add your garlic and saute for a further 5 minutes.
Add your mince, cooking to the mince changes colour(you will need to keep the ingredients in the pan moving, to avoid sticking and clumps of mince forming).
Once the mince has changed colour, turn down the heat to low, add 1 tbsp of flour, passed through a sieve, cook for a further 1 minute till the flour is mixed. Add 2 tbsp of tomatoe puree, whilst keeping the ingredients moving, cook for a further 1 minute, before adding 3 tbsp of worcester sauce. Incorporate the worcester sauce, before adding red wine and beef stock.
The cottage pie mixture is now covered and left simmering for 40 minutes, check regularly for seasoning,with a stir now and then being a good idea.

Mashed potato topping;

1.2 kg potatoes

25g unsalted butter

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

Whilst the cottage pie filling is simmering, you will need to bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, prepare the potatoes, cutting into pieces the same size to encourage even cooking. Once the potatoes are cooked and tender(pierce a potato with a sharp knife, if the potato, easily slides off the knife, they are ready). Drain, then mash with the butter and olive oil and season to taste.By this time, you should be ready to remove the cottage pie filling from the hob, place in your desired dish, allow to cool a little. Then spread your mashed potato evenly over the top of your filling, i will leave your desired pattern as a personal choice.

Place your pie/pies in a pre-heated oven about 190c/375f/gas 5 this should be sufficient. Cook for approximately 35minutes or until your topping is golden brown, and the inside of the pie is very hot.

This will serve 4 very hungry people, or six average sized portions.

Note;

This recipe does not require the fat from the mince to be drained. Lean mince is used, and the inclusion of a little that adds wonderful flavour.

We like to eat this, with seasonal vegtables.

Please see note in archive on flavour bases!