Cooking Tips & Recipes:
The perfect steak
Rare, medium or well-done?
Heat dry frying pan or BBQ over medium-high heat before adding steak (this seals the meat surface, trapping in the juices).
- Only brush the steak with oil to prevent it sticking, don't add oil to fry pan.
- Cook a 2cm-thick piece of steak for 2-3 minutes each side for rare.
- 4 minutes each side for medium.
- 5-6 minutes each side for well-done.
- Turn steak only once, otherwise it will dry out.
- Always use tongs to handle steak as they won't pierce the meat, which allows the juices to escape.
- To test if your steak is done, press the centre of the steak with the back of the tongs. Steak will feel soft if it's rare, slightly firmer and springy when it's medium and very firm when it's well-done.
- Transfer cooked steak to a plate, cover with foil and set aside for 3-5 minutes to rest. This allows the juices to settle and the muscle fibres to relax, which ensures the steak is tender.
CORNED
BEEF- THE OLD FASHION WAY
Ingredients
1kg
corned beef
5 cloves
1 onion, cut into quarters
2 tablespoons brown sugar
50 ml brown vinegar
Method
- Rinse corned beef under cold
water.
- Put all ingredients into a
pot or slow cooker and fill with enough cold water to cover the beef.
- Bring to boil then reduce to
a simmer.
- Cook for 2 hours minimum, drain all liquid and leave to rest in pot
for a minimum of 1hr or overnight (the longer it rests the more tender it
is).
5. Cut the meat across the grain. Enjoy.
Ingredients:
1 kg
beef, tenderized round steak
2 tbs
orange juice
1 tbs
olive oil
6-8
garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp
achiote powder
1 tsp
ground cumin
Salt
Preparation:
- Mix the orange juice, olive
oil, garlic, achiote, cumin, salt and pepper together to make a marinade.
- Slice the meat in strips and
season with the marinade and refrigerate for a couple of hours.
- Slide the meat onto the
skewers and grill on each side until done, depending on your grill this
should just take a few minutes per side, make sure the grill is very hot.
- Serve immediately.
Warm Beef Salad With Chilli Dressing
Ingredients
450 g thick rump steak
30 ml fish sauce
30 ml sesame oil
1 Chinese cabbage, thinly sliced
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
150 g bean sprouts
125 ml fresh coriander leaves
12 mint leaves, sliced
DRESSING
30 ml fish sauce
30 ml lime juice
30 ml sesame oil
5 ml chilli paste
2 ml castor sugar
Method:
Put rump in a dish. Combine fish sauce and sesame oil and pour over meat,
turning it to coat. Marinate for 1 hour. Heat a heavy-based frying pan over
medium to high heat and sear rump for 3 minutes, pressing down into the pan.
Turn and sear the other side for 2 minutes. Allow to rest in a warm place for
10 minutes. Combine cabbage, red pepper, bean sprouts, coriander and mint
leaves in a bowl. Mix the dressing thoroughly, pour half over the vegetables
and toss well to combine. Thinly slice the rump and toss with remaining
dressing. Gently mix the salad with the beef.
Serve immediately. Serves 4.
Beef stroganoff -
Cooking Time 25 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 tbs olive oil
-
500g
Beef Strips
- 1 medium brown onion, cut
into thin wedges
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 300g mushroom flats, sliced
- 2 tsp cornflour
- 1 250g carton sour light
cream
- 2 tbs tomato paste
- 125mls (1/2 cup) beef stock
- 2 tbs finely chopped fresh
continental parsley
- 400g dried fettuccine pasta
Method
·
Heat 2
tsp of oil in a wok or frying pan over high heat until just smoking. Add 1/2
the steak and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until just cooked. Remove from wok.
Repeat with another 2 tsp of oil and remaining steak. Remove from wok.
·
Reduce
heat to medium. Add remaining oil to wok. Add onion and garlic and cook for 5
minutes or until soft. Add mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes or until soft.
·
Combine
cornflour, sour cream and tomato paste in a bowl. Add to wok with stock and
stir well. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes. Return steak to
wok and stir well. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until steak is just heated through.
Stir in parsley.
·
Meanwhile,
cook pasta in pan of boiling water,
following packet directions; until al
dente. Drain. Serve with beef stroganoff.
Beef Casserole - Cooking Time 120 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 tbs olive oil
-
700g
Diced Beef
- 1 medium brown onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 stick celery, diced
- 1 medium carrot, diced
- 1 400g can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1 sprig of thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method
·
Heat oil
kin frying pan, add onion, garlic, carrot and celery and cook for 5 minutes,
remove to oven proof dish.
·
Brown
beef and add to oven proof dish. Add
diced tomatoes, stock, thyme, salt and pepper to taste. Stir well.
·
Cook
uncovered in moderate oven for 2hours. Serve with steamed rice and garnish with extra
thyme. Enjoy!
EASY MEATBALLS
For
the sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1
large onion, finely diced
- 1
tin chopped tomatoes
- 75ml
water or vegetable stock
- 1
tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1
tsp dried oregano
- Salt and
pepper
- Rice
and Greek yoghurt to serve
Ingredients
- 2 thick slices of bread
- 3 tbsp milk
- 500g minced beef
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic,
crushed
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- Nutmeg
- Flour for dusting
- Crumb the bread in a blender or food
processor. In a large bowl add the mince, onion, garlic, egg, a good
grating of nutmeg, milk and season well with salt and pepper. Mix
really well until they are thoroughly combined.
- Shape the meatball mixture
into balls the about size of a whole walnut shell. If you have time, place
in the fridge for about an hour to firm up.
- Heat the olive oil in a
large frying pan. Toss the meatballs in flour (this can be done in a large
sandwich bag) and then add to the hot oil. Sauté until evenly browned.
- Stir second onion into the
pan to absorb some of the oil, and then add the tomatoes, water or
stock, oregano and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for about 10
minutes, partially covered with a lid until the sauce has thickened and
the meatballs are cooked through.
- Serve with cooked rice and a
spoonful of yoghurt drizzled over.
Braised Beef With Tomato And Bacon
- 1 kg Beef Chuck 4cm long pieces
-
Olive
Oil for cooking
- 4 - 8 whole peeled Onion
- 1 large brown onion sliced
- 2 rashers Bacon sliced
- 2 Cloves Garlic sliced
- sea salt to taste
- 8 large Brown Mushrooms in
wedges
- 1 cup fresh Tomato puree
- 1 fresh Bay leaf
- 1 sprig Rosemary
- 2 sprigs Thyme
Method
- Brown off the beef in a little olive oil, in a
large roasting tray.
- Remove the meat when well
coloured on all sides and set aside.
- Add the onions to the same
tray and caramelize well on all sides.
- Add the sliced onion, bacon,
garlic and salt.
- Reduce the heat so the onion
doesn't colour too much but rather just softens and sweetens.
- Add the mushrooms, stir
through, then return the meat to the roasting tray and mix all ingredients
together well.
- Add the tomato puree, enough
to just cover.
- If it doesn't quite cover
the meat, you can top up with chicken stock or water.
- Add the herbs, cover with
foil and braise in a medium oven for 2 ½ hours.
Serve with your favourite vegetables or salad
and plenty of soft polenta.
