Heilie
Pienaar, in her new book THE KARAN BEEF COOKBOOK, tackles the subject
from A to Z and is right on target with her practical yet creative
approach to versatile beef, a universal favourite.
After
years of 'East meets West' and light and bright Californian style cuisine,
Heilie returns to comfort food and takes us step by step through roasts,
fabulous steaks and nourishing stews but does not neglect quick and easy
stir fries.
This
is the perfect book to teach emerging cooks exactly how to choose their
cut and prepare bountiful succulent beef dishes to their best
advantage.
ROAST
BEEF with a mustard topping
For
a traditional roast, omit the topping and serve with Yorkshire pudding
BEEF
2 kg
topside or fillet, or 2,5 kg prime rib
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 Tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
vegetables of choice, such as potatoes, butternut or onions
TOPPING
1/4 cup
(60 ml) wholegrain mustard
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 Tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
2 Tbsp (30 ml) chopped fresh sage or
2 tsp (10 ml) dried
Serves
6-8
1.
Season
the beef and drizzle with oil. Mix all the topping ingredients together
and spread over the top of the beef.
2.
Place the beef on a rack in an oven roasting pan and cover the topping
only with foil. Roast in preheated oven at 160șC for 15-20 minutes per
500 g, plus an additional 15 minutes for rare, or 20-25 minutes per 500
g, plus an additional 20 minutes for medium done. Remove the foil from
the beef for the last 45 minutes of cooking, add the vegetables and
drizzle with extra olive oil.
3.
Remove the roast and place on a serving platter. Leave in a warm place
for about 10 minutes before carving.
4.
Using the pan in which the beef was roasted, make the gravy according to
the instructions alongside. Serve with the roast beef and
vegetables.
A
CASSEROLE to chase away the winter blues
2
Tbsp (30 ml) cooking oil
750 g goulash cubes or brisket slices
1 onion, peeled and chopped
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
200 g (about 4) baby marrows, thickly sliced
3/4 cup (200 ml) fruit chutney
3/4 cup (200 ml) tomato sauce
45 g packet brown onion soup
340 ml can cola
1/2 cup (125 ml) water
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Serves
4-6
1.
Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan and brown the beef until golden.
Add the onion and saute until soft, then remove with a slotted spoon
into a large casserole dish. Top with the potatoes and baby marrows.
2.
Mix all the remaining ingredients together and pour into the casserole,
covering the meat and vegetables. Cover and bake in a preheated oven at
180șC for about 1 œ hours.
TIPSY
COTTAGE PIE
1
Tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
500 g mince
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped (optional)
1 Tbsp (15 ml) chopped fresh thyme or
1 tsp (5 ml) dried
1/2 cup (125 ml) hot beef stock
2 Tbsp (30 ml) cream sherry (optional)
2 tsp (10 ml) cornflour for thickening
1/3 cup (40 g) frozen peas
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
TOPPING
3 large
potatoes, peeled and quartered
3 Tbsp (45 ml) butter
about 2/3 cup (160 ml) warm milk
Serves
4-6
1.
Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan and fry the mince until it
changes colour. Add the onion and sauté until soft. Add the carrot,
celery, thyme, stock, sherry and cornflour, and simmer uncovered for 20
minutes. Add the peas and seasoning and cook uncovered for 5 minutes, or
until the sauce thickens. Spoon the mixture into a large ovenproof dish.
2.
For the topping, boil the potatoes in salted water until tender, then
drain. Mash the potatoes, stir in the butter and gradually add enough
milk to make a smooth consistency. Pipe or spread the topping over the
mince, then bake in a preheated oven at 180șC for about 30 minutes or
until browned and heated through. Serve with a crisp salad.
VARIATION
Substitute
half the potatoes with butternut, or flavour the mash by adding roasted
garlic, citrus zest or chopped fresh herbs.
DETERMINING
WHEN MEAT IS DONE
Apart
from ensuring the correct cooking method, it is just as important to
make sure the meat is done to your liking. A guideline is give for each
cooking method, but apart from timing, visual indications may help. For
large cuts the traditional meat thermometer, inserted at the beginning of
the cooling process, is used. Push the thermometer into the thickest
part of the meat, ensuring it does not touch the bone.
STEAK
COOKING GUIDE
WELL-DONE
75șC
MEDIUM: 70șC
RARE: 65șC
FACTORS
THAT INFLUENCE COOKING TIMES
>
Thickness
of the cut - a long, thin roll will cook in a shorter period than a
short, thick roll.
>
Amount
of bone - bone is a good conductor of heat, therefore cuts that include
bone cook in a shorter period.
>
The
larger and more compact the cut, the longer it will take to cook.
>
Age
of the animal - meat from a young animal is more tender and cooking
methods with short cooking times are generally used. For meat from an
older animal, use a cooking method with a longer cooking time, such as
stewing.
>
Cuts
along the vertebrae are tender and can be prepared with dry-heat
methods. All the other cuts contain a large proportion of white
connective tissue, which is converted into gelatine during moist-heat
cooking methods.
>
Matured,
ripe beef cooks more quickly than freshly slaughtered meat.
>
The
temperature of the meat before cooking will also determine the cooking
time.
BLACK
PEPPER STEAK with balsamic vinegar
4
tsp (20 ml) freshly ground black pepper
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1/4 tsp (2 ml) salt
2 tsp (10 ml) olive oil
4 rib-eye steaks
1 Tbsp (15 ml) balsamic vinegar
Serves
4
1.
Combine the pepper, garlic and salt in a bowl. Sprinkle the oil over
both sides of the meat and rub the seasoning mixture into the steak.
2.
Heat a griddle pan until very hot and grill the steaks for 4-5 minutes
per side for medium-done. Drizzle with vinegar and serve with potato
chips or wedges.
TIP
The
pepper plant is a climbing vine. Its fruit ripens from green to red and
finally to brown. Black pepper is dried, unripened pepper. It quickly
loses flavour and aroma when ground, so for the best results, use a
pepper mill and only grind when required.
