Lamb ribs with corn and red onion slaw

Quick. Easy. Delicious!

PREPARATION TIME: <0 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Serves 2 people

Ingredients

• 1 Rack of lamb ribs

• 100 ml hoisin sauce

• 50 ml honey

• 1 clove garlic

• 1 large red chilli, seeds removed

• 2 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tsp paprika

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

• 1 coriander seeds, toasted

• 1 tbsp cumin seeds, toasted

• 1 head of corn, husked and kernels cut from the cob

• 1 small red onion, peeled and finely sliced

• 1 red cabbage, shredded

• 100 ml mayonnaise

• 1 handful flat parsley leaves, coarsely chopped

• 1 handful coriander leaves, coarsely chopped

• 1 red chilli, finely chopped

• 1 lemon

• Salt and pepper

Method

1. For the marinade: smash the garlic, chilli and seeds using a mortar and pestle. Place the pulverised ingredients in a mixing bowl along with the paprika. Fold through the hoisin, honey, soy and oil and mix thoroughly to combine. Marinade the ribs in the paste for at least 6 hours in the refrigerator.

2. For the slaw: combine the shredded cabbage, onion, corn kernels, parsley, coriander and chilli in a mixing bowl. Stir through enough mayonnaise to coat the ingredients, squeeze a wedge of lemon and season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Preheat the oven to 190⁰C. Remove the ribs from the refrigerator and after 15 minutes, place on a rack inside a roasting tray, season with salt and roast for 25 - 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

4. Season with salt and lemon juice and serve with the slaw.

Dukka crusted lamb leg with crispy lemon potatoes

This update to the classic lamb roast will become your go to recipe when it is time to celebrate. 

PREPARATION TIME: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 90 minutes
Serves 6 people

Ingredients

• 1.4kg lamb leg, bone in

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 2 tbsp lemon thyme leaves

• 2 cloves garlic, crushed

• ¼ cup (35g) dukkah +extra, to serve, if desired

• ¾ cup (185ml) vegetable stock

• 700g kipfler potatoes, scrubbed, halved

• Zest of 1 lemon

• 2 cups (290g) frozen peas

• 3 cups (400g) frozen broad beans

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 1 tbsp honey

• ⅓ cup mint leaves

• 60g soft feta

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160° fan-forced). In a small bowl, place 1 tablespoon oil, lemon thyme, garlic and dukkah. Season and stir to combine. Make small incisions in lamb with a sharp knife and place lamb in a roasting pan.

2. Using a spoon spread dukkah mixture over the lamb and rub to coat. Pour stock around base of lamb and cover with foil. Roast covered for 60 minutes, remove foil and cook for a further 20 to 30 minutes, or until cooked to your liking. Set lamb aside covered in foil for 15 minutes. Reserve any pan juices.

3. Meanwhile place potatoes on a large baking tray lined with baking paper. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with lemon zest. Season, toss to coat and roast in oven for 35 to 40 minutes with lamb or until golden and tender.

4. Cook peas and broad beans in boiling water for 5 minutes or until tender. Drain. Remove broad beans from shells. Place vegetables on a platter and sprinkle with mint and feta

5. In a screw-top jar add remaining oil, vinegar and honey. Season, shake well to combine and drizzle over salad.

   Slice lamb, drizzle with any pan juices and serve with potatoes, pea salad and extra dukkah, if desired.

Mum's roast beef and garlic roast potatoes

For added garlicky flavour cut small slits all over the roast and insert garlic slivers into the slits. Serve with roast potatoes or small new potatoes and baby carrots. 

PREPARATION TIME: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Serves 4 people

Ingredients

• 1 kg piece rib eye/scotch fillet
• 1 tbsp dried thyme
• 1½ cups beef stock
• steamed vegetables to serve
   
• Garlic roast potatoes
• 1 kg potatoes, peeled and cubed
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 3 cloves peeled, sliced garlic

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200ºC. Brush beef lightly with oil and brown on all sides in a frypan. Season the beef with salt and pepper and the thyme.
2. Place beef on a rack in a roasting dish. Roast for 40 minutes for rare, 50 minutes for medium and 60 minutes for well done.
3. Remove beef, cover loosely with foil, and rest beef for 15 minutes before carving.
4. While the beef is resting remove any excess fat from the roasting dish and place the dish over a medium heat. Add the stock and scrape up any meat residue. Bring to the boil and reduce by one third. Serve with the sliced beef, accompanied with the Garlic roast potatoes and vegetables.
5. To make Garlic roast potatoes: Place the potatoes in a pan of cold water, bring to boil, boil 1 minute, drain. Spread potatoes on absorbent paper to dry. Place olive oil in a roasting dish, heat in the oven for 2 minutes, and add potatoes and garlic. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes.

Essential tips

• Suggested roasting times per 500g for: Rib eye/scotch fillet, rump, sirloin, fillet/tenderloin, standing rib roast, rolled rib beef roast. Cook at 200ºC. Rare 15-20 min per 500g, Medium 20-25 min per 500g, Well done 25-30 min per 500g.
• 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.

Roast beef with horseradish Yorkshire puddings

Serve the Yorkshire puddings the moment that they come out of the oven, they are at their best while still crisp and puffed. Be generous with the slices of roast beef and gravy too!

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes
Serves 6 people

Ingredients

• ½ kg piece rib eye/scotch fillet
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• roast potatoes, steamed vegetables to serve
   
• Horseradish Yorkshire puddings
• 2 cups plain flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1¾ cups milk
• 3 tbsp creamed horseradish
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200ºC. Brush beef lightly with oil and brown on all sides in a frypan. Season beef with salt and pepper. Smear the mustard over the beef.
2. Place beef on a rack in a roasting dish. Roast for 45 minutes for rare, 60 minutes for medium and 75 minutes for well done. For ease and accuracy use a meat thermometer.
3. Remove beef, cover loosely with foil, and rest beef for 20 minutes before carving.
4. While beef is resting cook the Yorkshire puddings. To serve slice the beef into thin slices and serve with the Yorkshire puddings.
5. To make Horseradish Yorkshire puddings; While the beef is cooking make the Yorkshire pudding batter. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and beat in the milk, horseradish and eggs until smooth. To cook puddings, spoon the oil into 12 non-stick 1/2 cup muffin holes. Place the muffin pan in the oven to heat for 5 minutes. Take muffin pans out of the oven and pour in the batter. Bake for 20 minutes or until puffed up and cooked.
6. Serve with roast potatoes, steamed vegetables and gravy.

Essential tips

• Suggested roasting times per 500g for: Rib eye/scotch fillet, rump, sirloin, fillet/tenderloin, standing rib roast, rolled rib beef roast. Cook at 200ºC. Rare 15-20 min per 500g, Medium 20-25 min per 500g, Well done 25-30 min per 500g.
• 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.

BBQ pork skewers with tomato chilli jam

This marinade is also great on barbecue pork forequarter chops or pork steaks!

Prep time 30 minutes
Cook time 15 minutes
Serves 4 people

Ingredients

• 600g diced lean pork (topside)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 2 tablespoons coriander leaves, roughly chopped
• Salt and pepper

Tomato Chilli Jam

• 2 ripe tomatoes, finely diced
• ¼ cup sweet chilli sauce
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 12 bamboo skewers, soaked

Method

1. Combine the olive oil, lemon zest and juice, coriander, salt and pepper in a glass bowl.
2. Add the diced pork to the marinade and marinate for as long as possible, up to 12 hours.
3. Thread 3-4 marinated pieces of pork onto each of the skewers.
4. Preheat a griddle pan or BBQ on medium to high heat and cook skewers for 4-5 minutes turning and basting frequently. Remove and allow the skewers to rest in a warm place for 5 minutes.
5. Combine all the ingredients for chilli jam in a small pan and cook, stirring over a medium heat for 8-10 minutes until the jam is thick and syrupy.
6. Serve skewers on a large serving platter with chilli jam on the side.

(Recipe and photo thanks to Australian Pork)

Vietnamese noodle and beef salad

This main course beef salad is tasty, yet light. Add extra herbs if you fancy, add basil, Thai basil or even flat-leaf parsley with the mint. 

PREPARATION TIME: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 500 g beef strips
• 1 stalk lemon grass, finely chopped
• 1 small red chilli, seeded and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 200 g mung bean thread vermicelli
• 1 tbsp oil
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• 1 red capsicum, cut into strips
• 1 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
• 2 tbsp mint leaves
• lime wedges to serve

Method

1. Place the beef strips in a bowl. Pound together the lemon grass, chilli and garlic in a mortar or blender. Add the fish sauce, soy sauce and sugar, mix well. Combine with the beef strips, marinate for 30 minutes.
2. Soak the noodles in boiling water until just tender (about 5 minutes). Drain and snip into manageable lengths with scissors. Add the oil to the beef, mix well
3. Heat the wok, ensure it is hot. Stir-fry the beef strips in 3 batches, reserving each cooked batch to rest in a bowl. Reheat wok between each batch.
4. Toss beef together with the noodles, spring onion, capsicum and tomatoes. Scatter with the sesame seeds and mint.
   
   Serving suggestion: Serve with lime wedges if desired.

Essential tips

• Cook meat in small batches, at a maximum of 250g at a time. When you add the meat to the wok, work from the outer side of the wok into the centre where it will be hottest.
• Best beef cuts for stir-frying: Use beef stir-fry strips or prepare your own from rib eye/scotch fillet/tenderloin, sirloin/porterhouse/New York, rump, boneless blade, round, oyster blade or topside steaks.

Mustard rack of lamb with minted ricotta

Frenched lamb racks have had the fat and meat between the ribs removed and the bones have been scraped clean, so they look rather fancy. Regular lamb racks will work as well in this very tasty dish. 

PREPARATION TIME: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 frenched racks lamb, (8 cutlets in each rack)
• 4 roma tomatoes
• balsamic vinegar, to drizzle
• olive oil, to drizzle
• 2 bunch asparagus, trimmed
• extra 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp French mustard
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp dried mint flakes
• mashed potato to serve
• 
  Minted ricotta
• 150 g fresh ricotta
• ⅓ cup cream
• ⅓ cup finely chopped mint

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160ºC. Halve tomatoes lengthways, place on a tray lined with baking paper, drizzle with a little balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Cook for 30 minutes. Then add the asparagus to the baking tray and brush lightly with olive oil. Bake for a further 15 minutes or until the tomatoes and asparagus are tender. Remove from oven. Increase the oven temperature to 200ºC.
2. Place the lamb racks in roasting dish. Smear each rack with the combined extra olive oil, mustard, garlic and mint. Roast for 20 minutes for rare, 30 minutes for medium and 40 minutes for well done.
3. Remove lamb, cover loosely, rest lamb for 10 minutes before serving. To serve, cut racks in pairs and serve 2 pairs on each plate and drizzle with any pan juices. Arrange the tomatoes and asparagus on the side and top with the minted ricotta. Serve with mashed potato.
   
   To make minted ricotta: mix the ricotta and cream until smooth. Add the mint and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Essential tips

• Suggested roasting times for Rack of lamb, four rib roast, crown roast. Cook at 200ºC. Rare 20-25 min total regardless of weight, Medium 30-35 min total regardless of weight, Well done 40-45 min total regardless of weight.
• 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.

Herb-crusted lamb cutlets

PREPARATION TIME: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 frenched Lamb cutlet racks (3 cutlets in each)
• ¼ cup fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 tsp pesto
• roasted vegetables like red onion wedges, zucchini and sweet potato to serve
• 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard

Method

• Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place lamb in a roasting dish in a pan and brown all side and then brush on half a tablespoon of mustard onto each rack.
• Combine the breadcrumbs, herbs, garlic and pesto in a bowl, mix well. Press the breadcrumb mixture evenly over lamb racks.
• Roast lamb uncovered for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 160°C and cook for a further 15-20 minutes (medium rare) or cook until lamb is cooked as desired.
• Remove lamb, cover loosely, and rest for 5 minutes before cutting the racks into cutlets and serve lamb with roasted vegetables including red onion wedges, zucchini and sweet potato.

Char-grilled beef skewers with tomato vinaigrette

Wedges of sweet red onion team beautifully with the beef, alternate the onion with red or green capsicum if you like. Baste the skewers with a mix of olive oil and a little lemon juice. 

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 beef sirloin steaks
• 2 red onions, cut into wedges
• Tomato vinaigrette
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • 3 tomatoes, peeled, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled, chopped
  • a pinch each of sugar, salt and pepper
  • 1 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar

Method

• Cut each sirloin steak into cubes, thread on to metal skewers with red onion wedges. Brush each skewer lightly with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Preheat the char-grill pan to hot before adding the meat.
• Let the beef skewers cook on one side until moisture appears before you turn. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove from the heat and cover loosely with foil, rest skewers for 3 minutes before serving.
• Serve beef skewers with the warm tomato vinaigrette.
• To make the tomato vinaigrette: heat the oil in a small pan, add the tomatoes, garlic, sugar, salt, pepper and parsley. Cook over a high heat for one minute to just soften the tomatoes. Stir in red wine vinegar.

Serving suggestion: Serve with a green salad.

Essential tips

• The char-grill pan needs to be heated until it is hot before adding the beef skewers. It should be hot enough so that the skewers sizzle when they touch the pan.
• Best beef cuts for char-grilling: fillet/tenderloin, rib eye/scotch fillet, sirloin/porterhouse/New York, T-bone, rump, round and blade, oyster blade, silverside and topside steaks.