Author Archive

Veal Roast

Posted on: January 17th, 2017 by gherkinmedia

All types of Veal Roast should be cooked at an oven temperature of  160 C (325 F) and meat thermometer 70 C to 77 C (160 F to 170 F)

A Veal roast should be cooked  fat side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Water should not be added and the roast should not be covered.

  • Leg rump or round roast
  • Loin roast
  • Rib roast
  • Boneless Shoulder roast

All types of Veal Roasts should be cooked at an oven temperature of  160 C (325 F) and meat thermometer 70 C to 77 C (160 F to 170 F)

A Veal roast should be cooked  fat side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Water should not be added and the roast should not be covered.

Using a slow cooker,  crock pot for Roast recipes in general

Brown the veal on all sides in the oil in a large skillet. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Put the vegetables into the crock pot.

Place veal roast on top.

Pour the water into the skillet and scrape the bottom.

Cook over a low heat for one minute, then pour over the veal roast. Cover and cook on the low setting for 8 to 10 hours.

The Right Way to Grill

Posted on: January 15th, 2017 by gherkinmedia

From what I learned from reading and experimenting, the right way to grill is what works for you, and the only way to get really good at grilling is practice. I sometimes ask my wife when out for dinner, “How come when I grill fish it isn’t perfect like this?” The answer is I may grill a piece of fish once every two weeks and professional chefs grill a lot of fish everyday. I guarantee if you grilled as much fish as one of these pros, your fish would be perfect too.

I could do a whole article (and maybe someday I will) on the different cuts of beef which are best for grilling steak. You could write a book about how to use various rubs and marinades to enhance flavors. Also, we often use the terms grilling and barbecuing interchangeably, but they are different. Traditional barbecue is done slowly with low cooking temperatures and a lot of smoke. Grilling depends on a higher temperature to sear what you are cooking to keep the juices in.

Glaze and Carve a Ham

Posted on: January 15th, 2017 by gherkinmedia

Slow-Cooker Orange Chicken with Potatoes

Posted on: January 15th, 2017 by gherkinmedia

Ingredients

  • 8 skinless chicken thighs
  • Kosher salt and pepper
  • 2 onions, quartered
  • 1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 12 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 orange, cut into 1/4-inch rings
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 8 sprigs thyme

Preparation

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. In the bowl of a slow cooker, combine the chicken, onions, potatoes, squash, garlic, orange, broth, honey, and thyme. Set the slow cooker to high and cook, covered, until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Divide the chicken mixture into individual bowls.

If You Don’t Have a Slow Cooker: Heat oven to 325° F. Follow the recipe above using a Dutch oven or large casserole. Bake, covered, until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is cooked through, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Note:
This recipe was tested in a 6-quart slow cooker. Because different models cook at different rates, the cooking time below is presented as a range. Check for doneness at the low end of the range (but not before, as the escaped heat will significantly slow the cooking). If the food is not done, cover and cook to the end of the suggested time range. If using a slow-cooker smaller than 6 quarts, the cooking time may take an additional hour or more, and results may vary.

Lamb Curry with Kumara and Spinach

Posted on: January 15th, 2017 by gherkinmedia

Ingredients

  • 750g diced lamb forequarter
  • 2 Tbsp mild curry paste
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • ½ cup coconut milk
  • 400g orange-fleshed kumara or pumpkin, peeled and diced
  • 150g packet of baby leaf spinach
  • Steamed rice to serve

Method

Season the lamb with salt and pepper and brown in a dash of oil in a hot frying pan. Transfer to a slow cooker.

Stir together the curry paste, beef stock, coconut milk and pour over the lamb. Scatter in the kumara or pumpkin, and cover.

Cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-5 hours. Stir in the spinach leaves, cover and cook a further few minutes until the spinach has wilted. Serve with steamed rice.

Oven cooking instructions

Prepare the casserole as above, adding an extra 1 cup of beef stock. Cook in a lidded ovenproof dish at 160ºC for 90 minutes.

Tips

  • Don’t rush the initial stage of browning the meat. This will make this dish rich in colour and flavour. Brown the meat in small batches over a medium-high heat.
  • A casserole will keep for up to 2-3 days in the refrigerator. Casseroles should be refrigerated immediately after the steam from cooking has evaporated. Place the hot casserole into a shallow container in the fridge so it cools quickly. Do not leave it to cool completely on the bench. To serve bring it slowly to the boil over a medium heat, reduce heat and simmer for about 3 minutes, or until the meat and sauce are both thoroughly hot.
  • Best lamb cuts for casseroling or braising: Diced lamb forequarter, forequarter chops, shanks, frenched shanks, neck chops, lamb topside, leg (bone-in), shoulder (bone-in), easy carve (leg or shoulder bone out), boned and rolled shoulder or leg.

Spiced Sugar-Glazed Corned Beef

Posted on: January 15th, 2017 by gherkinmedia

Ingredients

  • 1.5–2kg piece corned beef with a good fat layer
  • 1 onion, peeled and halved
  • 2 carrots, washed and chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 Tbsp whole cloves
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp mustard powder
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground allspice
  • Juice of one lemon

Method

Turn the slow cooker on to low to pre-warm while preparing the ingredients. Put the corned beef into the pre-warmed slow cooker. Scatter the onion, carrots and bay leaf around the meat. Add sufficient cold water to cover the beef. Cover with the lid. Cook on low for 7–9 hours (it is not recommended to cook this on high).

Stovetop Option

Place corned beef, onion, carrots and bay leaf in a large saucepan. Add sufficient cold water to cover the beef. Simmer, covered for 1½ – 2 hours until tender.

Turn off and leave the corned beef to cool in the liquid for 2–3 hours. At this stage the corned beef can be well-wrapped and refrigerated overnight.

Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Line a deep-sided baking tray with foil. Place the meat on the prepared tray. Stud the beef with the whole cloves. Mix the brown sugar, mustard powder, cinnamon and allspice together with the lemon juice and spread half of the mixture over the beef.

Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour, basting occasionally with the remaining glaze. Serve with your favourite vegetables.

Beef and Guinness Casserole

Posted on: January 15th, 2017 by gherkinmedia

Ingredients

  • 1kg lean blade steak
  • About ¼ cup oil for frying
  • 4 onions, peeled and diced (or 16 baby onions or shallots)
  • 1 Tbsp minced garlic
  • 4 Tbsp flour
  • 2 cups Guinness
  • 2 cups beef stock
  • 4 rashers bacon, chopped
  • About 4 sprigs fresh thyme, or ¼ tsp dried
  • 12-18 dried prunes
  • Pared rind 1 orange

Method

Cut the blade steak into 5cm cubes. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and brown the meat over a moderately high heat until well browned. Transfer to a casserole. This is best done in 2-3 batches.

Add the onions or shallots to the pan and cook for about 3 minutes, before adding the garlic and cooking a further minute.

Sprinkle the flour over and stir well to coat the onions. Gradually pour in the Guinness and beef stock and bring to the boil to make a smooth sauce. Pour over the meat in the casserole and then mix in the bacon, thyme, prunes and orange rind.

Cook at 160°C for 1½ – 2 hours or until the meat is tender. Serve over mashed potatoes.

Braised Oxtail

Posted on: January 15th, 2017 by gherkinmedia

Ingredients

  • 2kg meaty oxtail, cut into joints and trimmed
  • ½ cup seasoned flour
  • 2-3 Tbsp oil or clarified butter
  • 2 large onions, peeled and chopped
  • 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 4 tsp minced garlic
  • 3 cups tomato juice (or 1 cup red wine, 2 cups tomato juice)
  • 2 bay leaves, crushed
  • 1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme or ½ tsp dried
  • 1 tsp celery salt or celery seed
  • ½ cup beef stock, red wine or water

Method

Dust the oxtail with the seasoned flour. Heat the oil or butter in a flameproof casserole or frying pan. Brown the oxtail a few pieces at a time, removing them as they brown. When all are nicely browned, return them to the casserole or transfer to one.

Add the onions, carrots, garlic, tomato juice (or wine and juice), herbs, celery salt or seed and beef stock, wine or water. Stir and cover. Bake at 150-160°C for about 3 hours. Lift out the meat with a slotted spoon, blot the surface fat off the liquid with paper towels then return the meat to the sauce and reheat gently. Season with salt and pepper. If you wish to thicken the sauce, mix a little flour to a smooth paste with cold water, stir into the juices and simmer for 5 minutes or more.

Serve with creamy mashed potatoes.

Apple Pork Slow Cook

Posted on: January 15th, 2017 by gherkinmedia

Ingredients

  • 600g 100% New Zealand Pork shoulder chops (2 large -3 medium sized chops)
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped into a large dice.
  • 2 large cooking apples
  • 1/2 cup raisins (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
  • 2 cups apple cider (or apple juice and 1 tablespoon cider vinegar)
  • 3 sage or bay leaves

Method

  • Cut the chops in half leaving bone on.
  • Heat the oil and brown the pork on both sides and transfer to slow cooker.
  • Brown the onions and place on top of pork.
  • Peel, core and dice one apple and place on top of onions.
  • Leaving peel on, cut remaining apple into 8 slices, quickly brown and add to slow cooker.
  • Sprinkle over the raisins.
  • Stir mustard into cider and pour over.
  • Add leaves, cover with lid and cook on Low for 6-8 hours.
  • For stove top cooking using a lidded heavy-based saucepan, bring to the boil and then simmer with lid on lowest heat for 1.5 hours.

To serve

Serve with mashed potatoes and steamed green vegetables.

Hint/Tips

  • Spray the inside of slow cooker with cooking spray before adding meat.
  • Stir 1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard through the mashed potatoes.
  • Cooking meat on the bone adds flavour.

Apricot Pork Slow Cook

Posted on: January 15th, 2017 by gherkinmedia

Ingredients

  • 500g 100% New Zealand Trim Pork Pieces
  • 2 medium sized onions, peeled and diced
  • 1 Tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 400g can apricots in juice
  • 1 cup water or vegetable stock
  • Zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh chilli (optional)
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Method

  • Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat and fry the pork and onion until golden brown.
  • Preheat oven to 170ºC.
  • Transfer pork and onion to an oven proof baking or casserole dish.
  • Add all remaining ingredients, cover and cook in pre-heated oven for 1 hour.

To Serve

Serve with a kumara mash and green vegetables or a salad.

Handy Hints

  • If there are no pork pieces available use Trim Pork medallion steaks.
  • To use a slow cooker simply fry the pork and onion to golden brown, add to slow cooker with all other ingredients and cook on low for 8 hours.
  • This recipe is also great when spiced up with Moroccan spices and served with lemon couscous.