Philly cheese steak

Bathurst ...for me a day where I don't venture too far from the TV ( go Tim Slade) and I think this recipe will go down a treat, serve it on a crunchy crusty baguette. Or maybe some brioche sliders......  Have a top weekend!

--Ian and crew

Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)

600 g oyster blade steak, trimmed and very thinly sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 red capsicum, thinly sliced
4 long bread rolls
150 g provolone cheese, thinly sliced

Method

1. Preheat a large frying pan over a high heat. Mix the meat with 1 ½ tbsp olive oil and coat well. Cook the slices in a single layer for a minute on each side or until cooked through. You will need to do this in several batches. Set aside on a plate.
2. Wipe out the pan, place over a moderate heat and gently cook the onion and capsicum in the remaining oil for 10 minutes or until soft.
3. Meanwhile, roughly chop the cook steak and stir it through the softened vegetables to warm through. Season well with salt and pepper.
4. Cut the rolls in half and fill with the meat and vegetables. Top with the cheese slices and chilli sauce (if using).

Tip

You can substitute the provolone cheese with Swiss or Cheddar cheese.

Miso beef burgers with wasabi mayonnaise

Spring is in the air... it's time to fill the gas bottle and dust off the barbecue! I am making a batch of these burgers to sell in store for the weekend...

--Ian

Preparation Time: 15 minutes / Cook Time: 8 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 600 g lean beef mince
• 2 tbsp white miso paste
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• 1 tsp wasabi paste
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 2 Lebanese cucumbers
• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
• 2 tsp rice wine vinegar
• ½ tsp sesame oil
• 4 buns

Method

1. Mix the beef, miso paste and spring onions together and form into 4 patties.
2. Mix the wasabi paste and mayonnaise together and set aside.
3. Peel the cucumber into thin ribbons, discarding the watery centre. Toss with the sesame seeds, vinegar and sesame oil and season with salt and pepper.
4. Preheat a ridged chargrill or barbeque to moderately high. Lightly brush the patties with vegetable oil. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until cooked to your liking. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes.
5. Place the cut side of the buns on the grill to warm through and lightly colour them. Spread the mayonnaise onto the base of the buns. Top with a patty and the drained cucumber salad and serve.

Essential tips

1. White miso paste is a Japanese fermented soya bean paste, available from Asian grocery stores and supermarkets.
2. For a healthier version, try it without the bun and/or mayonnaise.
3. To up your vegetable intake, try adding other salad ingredients such as sliced tomato, shredded lettuce and grated carrot or beetroot.
4. Add a little more wasabi to the mayonnaise if you prefer a spicier kick.

Herb & Mustard Roast Beef with Cauliflower Mash

With the last few weeks of winter approaching(officially) why not have a roast beef this weekend ... I think this recipe throws a bit of different spin on the traditional bolar roast...

-- Ian

Preparation Time: 15 minutes / Cook Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 800 g bolar blade roast
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp finely chopped rosemary
• 2 tsp finely chopped thyme
• 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 250 g desiree potatoes, peeled, chopped
• 500 g cauliflower, trimmed, cut into florets
• ⅓ cup fresh ricotta
• 2 tbsp chopped chives
• Roasted cherry tomatoes and steamed green beans, to serve

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160°C or 140°C fan forced. Brush beef with the olive oil. Preheat a large non stick frying pan over a high heat. Cook beef, for 1-2 minutes each side or until evenly browned. Transfer beef to a rack over a roasting dish.
2. In a small bowl combine the mustard, rosemary, thyme and parsley. Brush the mustard mixture evenly over the top and sides of beef. Roast beef in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes for medium, or until 65°C on a meat thermometer. Remove from oven, cover loosely with foil, set aside to rest for 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cook potato and cauliflower in a saucepan of boiling water for 12 minutes, or until tender. Drain. Return to saucepan, mash until smooth, stir through ricotta and chives.
4. Cut the beef, across the grain into slices of even thickness. Divide mash between plates, top with some slices of beef. Serve with roasted cherry tomatoes and steamed green beans.

Tip: To roast cherry tomatoes, place 250g tomatoes on a baking tray and spray with olive oil. Roast for 10-12 minutes, or until just wilted.

Beef and Portobello Mushroom Pie

We have lots of local grass-fed stewing cuts available, especially chuck steak or blade!

-- Ian

Delicious straight out of the oven and even better for lunch the next day. 

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 800 g oyster blade steak, trimmed and diced
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 200 g portobello mushrooms, sliced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 200 g butter puff pastry
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• To serve, mashed potato and steamed greens

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170ºC. Place a heavy based casserole over a moderately high heat. Toss the beef in the flour, coat well and shake to remove any excess. Fry the beef in the oil in 2 batches, for 6-8 minutes or until well coloured.
2. Turn the heat down to medium and place all of the meat back into the casserole. Add the onion, mushrooms and bay leaf and stir with the meat for 2 minutes or until the vegetables are lightly coloured. Add the wine and stock and bring up to the boil.
3. Cover and place in the oven for 2 hours or until the meat is very tender. If you want the sauce a little thicker you can place it over a high heat to reduce slightly. Add the vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large pie dish and allow to cool thoroughly. You can refrigerate for up to 2 days.
4. Preheat the oven to 220ºC. Roll the pastry into a piece a little larger than the pie dish. Place over the cooled meat mixture and gently tuck in the sides. Brush with the beaten egg and cute a few slits in the pastry to allow the steam to escape.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Serve with mashed potato and steamed greens.

Pappardelle with Mediterranean Lamb Stew

We have some awesome salt bush lamb in stock at the moment...come in and grab some portion cut shoulder this weekend ...it will suit this dish perfectly

--Ian

While not strictly Italian, this luscious recipe highlights the flavours of the Mediterranean so well we couldn’t leave it out. The rich sauce and chunks of tender meat coat the pappardelle beautifully. 

Lamb cut: Lamb Forequarter Chops. Prep time: 10 minutes. Cook time: 2 hours.

Ingredients / serves 4

800 g lamb forequarter chops
400 g fresh Pappardelle
400 g can diced tomatoes
4 tbsp basil, chopped
100 g Kalamata olives, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
50 g small mushrooms, sliced
1 bay leaf
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 tsp smokey paprika
1 tbsp brown sugar
700 ml beef stock
100 g Parmesan cheese (optional)
salt and pepper

Method

1. Season the chops with salt and pepper and brown both sides in a hot casserole dish with olive oil. Remove and set aside.
2. Using the same dish, add the onion, carrot and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Add the browned lamb, olives, paprika, sugar, mushrooms, tomato and stock. Check seasoning, reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 hours.
3. Cook the Pappardelle as per packet instructions. Serve with the stew and fresh basil.

Tip

Lamb forequarter chops could be replaced with a lamb leg.

Rich beef ragu rigatoni

This dish will suit the weather perfectly for this weekend...

I also have some venison (local) in stock that could be used instead of beef for something different!

--Ian

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 500 g minced beef
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 stems of silverbeet, leaves and stalk coarsely chopped
• 1 carrot, coarsely chopped
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp coarsely chopped thyme, plus extra to serve
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• 1 cinnamon quill
• 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
• Pinch of grated nutmeg
• ¾ cup red wine
• 2 400g cans chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup beef stock
• 8 swiss brown mushrooms or button mushrooms, thickly sliced
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, or to taste
• 400 g rigatoni
• Finely grated parmesan and crusty bread, to serve

Method

1. Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add beef and brown well, breaking up with a wooden spoon. While you’re doing this, blitz the silverbeet stalks, carrot, onion, celery and garlic in a food processor, then stir into beef along with herbs and spices. Add wine, bring to the boil and reduce by half (1-2 minutes), then add tomatoes and stock, bring to the simmer and cook for about 15 TO 20 minutes until well-flavoured. Stir through silverbeet leaves and mushrooms in the last couple of minutes cooking along with vinegar.
2. Meanwhile, cook rigatoni in a large saucepan of generously salted boiling water until al dente, drain and toss through ragu. Serve hot scattered with parmesan and extra herbs and with crusty bread.

Cumin roasted lamb with baked eggplant and pumpkin

Ingredients

1½ kg easy carve lamb leg
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 medium eggplant cut into 3 cm cubes
600 g peeled and seeded pumpkin, cut into 3 cm pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp warm honey
100 g feta cheese, crumbled
couscous or boiled baby potatoes to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place lamb in a roasting dish and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with cumin seeds. Roast for 1 hour for rare, 1 hour and 15 minutes for medium, or 1½ hours for well done.

2. Toss eggplant and pumpkin in oil and place on a tray lined with baking paper. Drizzle with the warm honey. Roast in the oven with the lamb for 40 minutes or until golden.

3. Remove lamb, cover loosely, and rest for 15 minutes before carving. Serve with the eggplant and pumpkin scattered with the feta cheese. Accompany with couscous or new potatoes.

Tips

Suggested roasting times per 500g for lamb: Lamb loin (boned and rolled), leg or shoulder (bone-in), easy carve leg or shoulder. Cook at 180ºC. Rare 20-25 min, Medium 25-30 min, Well done 30-35 min. 

Judging your roast’s degree of doneness using a meat thermometer. The internal temperature for: Rare – 55-60ºC, Medium rare – 60-65ºC, Medium – 65-70ºC, Medium well – 70-75ºC, Well done – 75ºC.

You can also use tongs to test the roast’s doneness. Gently prod or squeeze the roast – rare is very soft, medium rare is soft, medium is springy but soft, medium well is firm and well done is very firm.

Roasts need to rest for about 10 to 20 minutes before carving. This gives the juices in the meat a chance to redistribute, giving a moister and more tender result.

--Ian