Monday 18 March 2013

MOROCCAN MEATBALLS


Recipe courtesy of Jacqueline Guglielmino www.everydaycook.com.au

INGREDIENTS
 500g lean minced lamb
 1 finely chopped onion
 2 garlic cloves crushed
 2cm chunk root ginger, grated
 1 tsp of chilli power
 2 tsp ground cumin
 1 cinnamon quill
 2 tsps of tumeric
 good pinch of saffron threads
 olive oil
 2 pieces of preserved lemon
 2 x 400g tins plum tomatoes
 200ml chicken stock
 ½ bunch coriander, chopped

HERB COUSCOUS

 200g couscous or quinoa
 50g butter
 350ml chicken stock, boiling
 ½ bunch coriander , chopped
 ½ bunch parsely, chopped

Method

 1. Put the lamb, onion, half the garlic, half the ginger and half the spices in a bowl and season well. Mix (clean hands are best) and form into little meatballs (you’ll make around 30).

 2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large non-stick pan and add the meatballs in batches, frying until browned all over. Scoop out, then add the rest of the garlic, ginger and spices and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and stock and season. Simmer for 10 minutes, then add back the meatballs and cook for at least another 20 minutes until sauce is thickened. Stir in the coriander. Save some coriander for serving to sprinkle on

 3. To make the couscous put in a bowl with the butter and some seasoning. Pour over the chicken stock and cover with glad wrap. Leave for 10 minutes. Stir the herbs through and serve with meatballs. If you choose quinoa, you must wash the quinoa first, thoroughly and then gently simmer win the chicken stock and butter until softened. Add herbs before serving.

HUNGARIAN GOULASH


Recipe courtesy of www.thestockmerchant.com.au

 
A soup or stew of meat and vegetables, goulash is a deeply satisfying comfort food and almost all families in Hungary have their own special or inherited recipe. Our goulash has a few twists to it. First, we prefer to use olive oil instead of lard to sweat the onions and cook the beef. Second, we add a dash of smoked sweet paprika which gives the dish a little something special, perfect for those cold Hungarian (or Australian!) winter nights.

Serves: 2-3 people
Requirements: A large pot, preferably with a heavy base
Preparation and cooking time: 45 minutes or 2.5-3 hours

INGREDIENTS
5 tablespoons extra virgin Australian olive oil
2 onions, diced
3 or 4 carrots, peeled, quartered, cut into 2 centimetre sections
1 medium red capsicum, cut into chunks
1 medium green capsicum, cut into chunks
500g free range grass fed beef (use chuck or blade). Trim the fat, and cut into 4-5 centimetre cubes.
2 tablespoons flour
500ml The Stock Merchant Free Range Beef Stock
3 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 can of diced tomatoes
½ teaspoon sweet paprika
½ teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
Generous seasoning of salt
Dash of freshly ground black pepper

METHOD
 1. Finely dice onion and fry gently in 3 tablespoons of olive oil until soft.
 2. Add carrots and capsicums. Stir until mixed and cook for 5 minutes.
 3. Remove the vegetables with a spoon and set aside.
 4. Brown cubed meat in 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
 5. Sprinkle flour over beef, stir until flour is cooked.
 6. Remove from heat, add stock and stir.
 7. Return over heat and add potatoes, tomatoes, paprika, salt and pepper.
 8. Combine and turn down the heat to its lowest level and let it simmer for 30 minutes. For really tender beef, braise for 2-2.5 hours.
 9. If you want your vegetables well done, throw them in now. If you’d prefer them to still be crisp and fresh, add them during the last 15 minutes of cooking.
 10. Plate the dish, serve with crusty bread and Pepe Saya butter.

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BENITO'S POLPETTA (ITALIAN MEATBALLS)



Recipe courtesy of Jacqueline Guglielmino www.everydaycook.com.au

 
For the meatballs
500 grams of pork mince
500 grams of beef or veal mince
3 tablespoons of Pecorino cheese
2 eggs
1/4 cup of chopped continental parsley
1 cup of breadcrumbs
salt and pepper

For the sauce
Diced garlic (up to you how much)
2/3 of the bottle of Passata sauce
1 clove of garlic diced
some beef stock if the sauce becomes to thick


Method
Place all the meatball ingredients together in a bowl and mix really well. Roll into small balls, the size is up to what you prefer.

Put two tablespoons of olive oil in a large deep fry pan and fry the meatballs gently. Turning over so all sides are cooked.

Then add the diced garlic and 2/3 of the bottle of the Passata sauce on top of the meatballs. Place the lid on the fry pan and leave to simmer for thirty to forty minutes.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

When serving grate fresh pecorino on top of the meatballs and sprinkle with more chopped continental parsley.

Serve with bread or pasta.

Bellisimo!!


Sunday 17 March 2013

BEEF BOURGUIGNON

Recipe courtesy of www.thestockmerchant.com.au

Serves 3-4 people

INGREDIENTS
3 tsp olive oil or Pepe Saya butter (Australia’s best cultured butter)
700g free range grass fed beef, preferably chuck or blade, cut into large chunks
100g smoked streaky free range bacon (sliced)
350g shallots or pearl onions (peeled)
250g brown mushrooms (about 20)
2 garlic cloves, sliced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
500ml red wine (a Shiraz or Merlot is perfect)
500ml The Stock Merchant Free Range Beef Stock

METHOD
1. Heat a large oven proof pot (like a Le Creuset) and add 1 tablespoon oil or
butter. Fry beef a couple of pieces at a time until browned on all sides, transfer
meat to holding pot when finished, use more oil or butter if necessary.

2. After finishing beef, fry bacon, shallots, mushrooms, garlic and bouquet
garni until lightly browned. Mix in tomato puree and cook for a few minutes,
return beef and juices to pot.

3. Pour wine and stock into mixture, bring to boil and either simmer on stove
for 3 hours or put into oven at 150C. Ensure that the pot is covered with foil
with a downwards cone in the middle (so condensation drips back into the
mixture). Ensure lid is on.

4. Cook for three hours or so. Take out of oven and if the sauce is still watery,
let sauces thicken by simmering on oven with the lid off. Add a slurry of flour
or cornstarch to further thicken if required.

5. Serve with mashed potatoes or rice.


BEEF & LAMB KEBABS

 

Meat Kebabs
250g Minced Lamb 
250g Minced Beef
tblsp tomato paste (optional)
1 small red onion, grated
2 tblsp coarse chopped flat leaf parsely
½ tsp dried wild Greek oregano

Garlic Yoghurt
250g natural yoghurt
garlic clove or 2 grated finely/pureed
good dash of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Pinch or two of salt

To serve
Lebanese flat bread or tortillas
Chopped ripe tomatoes
Red onion slices
baby spinach
lemon quarters

In a bowl, thoroughly mix minces, tomato paste, grated onion, parsley, oregano and 1 tsp of salt. Divide into 4 or 6 (depending how big you want them) and roll into a sausage shape.

Preheat your frypan to medium/high, brush meat kebabs with a little oil and cook until a light crust starts to form (3-4 minutes). Turn over and repeat on other side. Be careful not to overcook the meat and dry it out. One of the best things about these kebabs is the moist, juicy meat.

Whilst the meat is cooking, mix together the yoghurt, garlic, EVOO & salt.

To serve, spread the garlic yoghurt up and down the centre of the flat bread leaving a 3cm space at one end. Add the tomato, onion, baby spinach and a meat kebab. Squeeze a little lemon juice over the meat and then sprinkle with a little salt & pepper. Fold the 3cm end up and over the fillings, grab one side of the flatbread and turn it up and over the filling. Keep a firm grip on the filling and keep rolling over until you’ve got a perfectly wrapped kebab!

Enjoy…

CUMIN CRUSTED LAMB RIBS

Serves 2-3 
Serious meat eaters will be in heaven with these soft, fatty full flavoured ribs.

The flavours in the Greek(ish) salad work really well as a side. The vinegary tomatoes & cucumber help to cut through the richness of the ribs.

INGREDIENTS
2kg lamb ribs
approx 2 racks (8 ribs 10cm length)

Spice Rub
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried mint
2 garlic cloves pureed
2 tbs olive oil
1tsp salt
1tsp ground pepper

Greek(ish) Salad
*use whatever quantities you like. No rules here.
cherry tomatoes chopped in half
1 Lebanese cucumber chopped
Snow pea sprouts
chopped feta
half small red onlion sliced thinly
handful kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
Handful flat leaf parsley
EVOO & Red wine vinegar for dressing
Salt & pepper
Preheat oven to 140 degrees.

In a bowl, combine the spice rub ingredients. Cut rib racks into individual ribs and toss well through the spice mixture ensuring all of the ribs are coated. If you have time, leave to marinate for a few hours. If not, don’t worry about it and get them in the oven in a single layer on a roasting tray, covered tightly with alfoil.

After 1.5 hours, take the alfoil off, turn up to 180 degrees and cook for a further 30 mins. This will crisp them up nicely.

Serve with the Greek(ish) salad.

Wednesday 13 March 2013

ROAST PORK LOIN WITH APPLE GRAVY

Serves 4-6
 
Leave pork uncovered in the fridge overnight or a
few hours prior to cooking for the best crackling results.
 

INGREDIENTS

Pork
1.5kg rolled pork loin (skin on)
2 apples (cored, cut into large chunks lengthways)
2 carrots (quartered, cut lengthways)
10 peeled cloves of garlic
1 large brown onion (cut into large chunks)
tsp fennel seeds (toasted & lightly crushed)
oil
2 tbs butter
gravox (optional)

Mashed potato
4-6 large potatoes
1 cup of milk
tbs butter
 
Lemon & Parsley  Green Beans
500 green beans (topped and tailed)
juice of 1 lemon
EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
chopped flat leaf parsley

METHOD
Preheat oven to 220 degrees.
 
Remove pork from the fridge 30 minutes prior to cooking. Rub butter, fennel seeds and plenty of salt into the pork skin.

In a roasting pan, make a bed of  apple, carrot and onion for the pork loin. Place pork on top, add half a cup of water and a glug of oil to the pan. Cook for 20 minutes and then drop temperature to 180 degrees.

Check crackling after an hour. If not crispy enough, increase temperature again to 220 degrees and cook for a further 20 minutes otherwise leave temp at 180 degrees for the final 20 mins.

Remove pork from the pan and cover loosely with alfoil to rest while you make the gravy. Place the roasting pan on a low heat. Drain off some of the excess fat firstly if you wish. Remove carrots & onion, leaving the apple pieces and garlic in the pan. Now just make the gravy as you normally would using gravox.
While pork is cooking, boil potatoes until tender. Drain water and mash with milk, butter, salt & pepper in the saucepan over a low heat so it doesn’t go cold. Steam or blanche beans. Serve warm dressed with the EVOO, lemon juice & parsley just before serving. If you dress with the lemon juice too early, the beans will turn brown on the cut ends.
 
Slice the pork and serve with the mash, beans, carrots, onion & gravy.