BEEF CHEEKS - My favourite recipe from Movida

Have you ever cooked beef cheeks before? If you haven't you are missing out. It's another one of those cuts that requires a little bit of pre planning as you have to cook it, slow & low. It'll take a few hours cooked at a very low temperature and you'll be rewarded with a 'melts in your mouth' full flavoured cut of beef. You won't even need a knife!

I've cooked beef cheeks a few different ways over the years but I always come back to this recipe from the first Movida cookbook.

All of the ingredients are very easy to source except for the Pedro Ximenez sherry. For this you'll have to go to a decent bottle shop. The good ones will have a range of them differing in price. For this recipe, a cheaper one is absolutely fine. You're looking at around $27 for a 750ml bottle. Be sure not to use any other type of sherry, especially the dry ones. It has to be Pedro Ximenez to get the right results.

The left over sherry is lovely to sip on after a meal. Its sticky, sweet & raisiny in flavour and goes beautifully with dark chocolate. Or, pour a little over some good vanilla ice cream for an easy dessert.

Here's the link to the recipe.
http://movida.com.au/slowly-braised-beef-cheeks-in-pedro-ximenez-with-cauliflower-puree-carillera-de-buey/

How do you cook your beef cheeks?

FRESH THYME & VERJUICE ROAST CHICKEN WITH DUCK FAT POTATOES

Who doesn't love a good ol' roast chook? It's comfort food at its best. The beauty of it is that really, it's like a blank canvas. Chicken loves being cooked with a multitude of different flavours so you can use almost any fresh herb to change it up a little and make it different each time if you want to.

This will be the first of many roast chook recipes we'll post because there are so many different ways to do it. This method is fairly fool proof and of course the exact cooking times will also differ depending on the exact size of your bird and also your oven.

How will you know if it's cooked? My mum taught me to pierce the skin down near the thigh joint and if the juices run clear, then it's cooked. Be sure to catch all of the juices though.

Another fool proof way is to invest in a thermometer. The $10-$20 is a clever investment in my opinion. It takes all of the guess work out and you'll never ruin a fantastice piece of meat again. This way you won't lose any of the juices either. Measure the temperature of the thigh, close to the bone. There are differing opinions on this (just google and you'll see what I mean) but you want it to be at around 72-75 degrees according to health regulations. Maggie Beer, bless her, likes her chook cooked to no more than 68 degrees. Heston Blumenthal reckons 60 degrees is enough! See what I mean... It's confusing.

INGREDIENTS

1 x Dakota Vale Farm free range chook* (approx 1.6-2kg)
verjuice
duck fat
olive oil
fresh thyme
4 large potatoes
bunch of asparagus
8 Swiss Brown mushrooms

For the gravy
 20ml dry white wine
 250ml chicken stock
 1 tsp Dijon mustard (optional)
 1 sprig of thyme

Method:

Remove chicken from fridge 30 mins before cooking. Preheat oven to 220 degrees. 
Peel, cut into required size and par boil potatoes (half cook). Drain and leave to dry. 

Place chicken in a roasting pan place a few sprigs of thyme into the cavity and then drizzle a little olive oil & verjuice, salt & pepper in there as well. Place a few sprigs of thyme between the leg & wing bones. Rub the outside of chicken with olive oil then drizzle verjuice all over the bird & season with salt & pepper.  Place chicken in the oven and reduce heat to 180 degrees. Cook for 1 hour & 20 mins. Remove from oven, cover loosely with foil and let rest for 15 mins before serving.

The potatoes require approx 1 hour cooking time. Heat 2 tbsp duck fat in a roasting tray. Coat potatoes in heated duck fat, season liberally with salt & pepper and roast until golden & crunchy, turning once or twice during cooking.

Grill asparagus on a medium heat with olive oil & a dash of verjuice. Sautée mushrooms in olive oil with some fresh thyme, salt & pepper.

If making the gravy...
Remove chicken from roasting pan to rest. Place pan on a medium-high heat. Add the white wine and stir, gently scraping the crunchy bits off the bottom of the pan (this is called deglazing). Add the chicken stock & some chopped thyme leaves and cook until liquid reduces to a sauce. Before serving, stir in the mustard if you're using it and warm through. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

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!!

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.

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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…