The Aussie Butcher

Ingredients

500 g beef mince
2 tbsp water
¼ cup tomato sauce
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
Halved crusty rolls
Lettuce leaves
Sliced tomato
Sweet chilli sauce
Diced avocado
Toasted pine nuts

Method

1. Combine the beef mince, water, tomato sauce and parsley. Mix lightly and shape into 4 burgers.
2. Preheat the barbecue flat-plate or pan to moderately-high. Lightly brush or spray the burgers with oil. Add burgers to the barbecue or pan, after 1 to 2 minutes lower the heat to moderate.
3. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes each side or until thoroughly cooked. Turn them once only. To serve, place lettuce and sliced tomato on rolls, add burgers, drizzle each with sweet chilli sauce and top with avocado and pine nuts.

Directions

Pour liquid smoke over brisket. Rub with onion salt and garlic salt. Roll brisket in foil and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Place brisket in a large roasting pan. Cover and bake for 5 to 6 hours. Remove from oven, cool, and then slice. Put slices back into pan.

In a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, ketchup, butter, water, celery salt, liquid smoke, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt and pepper. Stir, and cook until boiling.

Pour sauce over meat slices in pan. Cover and bake for 1 more hour.

Ingredients

• 750g piece beef Scotch fillet
• 2 tsp horseradish cream
• 2 tsp prepared mustard
• 2 tsp brown sugar

Mushroom Sauce

• 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 tsp minced fresh garlic
• ½ cup port or medium-sweet sherry
• 1 cup beef stock
• 4 portobello mushrooms, chopped
• 220g can Wattie’s Mushrooms in Butter Sauce

Roast Potatoes

• 6 small to medium starchy (roasting) potatoes
• 2-4 tablespoons oil

Method

Brown the Scotch fillet on all sides in a dash of oil in a hot frying pan. Transfer to a chopping board.

Mix together the horseradish cream, mustard and brown sugar and spread this mixture on the top and sides of the meat. Place on a foil-lined baking tray.

Place in 220°C oven and then turn down immediately to 200°C and roast for 40 minutes.

Set aside to rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving with Mushroom sauce, Roast Potatoes and freshly steamed vegetables.

Mushroom Sauce

Cook the onion in a dash of oil in a saucepan over a moderate heat for about 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.

Stir in the port or sherry and simmer until reduced by half. Add the beef stock, chopped mushrooms and mushroom sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Roast Potatoes

Peel the potatoes and place in boiling salted water. Bring to the boil and boil for 5 minutes. Drain and return to the saucepan. Shake the potatoes over the heat to rough up the outside edges. Alternatively, use a fork to score the outside of the potatoes, so that the edges are rough.

Roll the potatoes in the oil so that they are evenly coated and place on a baking tray.

Cook at 200°C for 15-20 minutes until golden.

This roast fillet of beef takes less than half an hour to cook, with the sauce easily made while the meat is resting. Follow the simple steps below to prepare and tie the fillet – this can be done well in advance and then kept refrigerated until about an hour before cooking, when you should bring the meat to room temperature before placing in the oven. Serve with your favourite roast vegetables or a pan of creamy scalloped potatoes.

Ingredients

• 1 whole Quality Mark beef fillet trussed (see below) – approx.1.2 kg for 6 serves, 1.7 kg for 8 serves
• Olive oil for marinating and cooking
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• ½ Tbsp each rosemary & thyme sprigs
• Several good grinds of black pepper
• ½ Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 10 shallots peeled
• 350g mushrooms cut into quarters
• 2/3 cup red wine
• 1 cup beef stock

Method

For the marinade, crush or pound 1 Tbsp olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, pepper and balsamic vinegar to form a paste. Pat the meat dry with paper towels and rub the marinade thoroughly over.

Cover and marinate at least half an hour. If marinating in the fridge, remove the meat from the fridge at least an hour before cooking. When ready to cook, remove the meat from the marinade and pat dry. Preheat oven to 230°C.
Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a heavy-based frying pan and when very hot sear the fillet 1-2 minutes each side (not the ends) until browned all over.

Transfer the meat to a shallow roasting pan, add remaining oil and toss the shallots around the meat, coating lightly in the oil.

Roast 20 minutes for rare, or 25 for medium rare. Ten minutes into cooking, add the mushrooms to the roasting pan.
Remove the meat, cover and keep warm for 15 minutes before carving.

While the meat is resting, place the roasting pan with the shallots and mushrooms on the stove, heat and add the wine, stirring any bits off the bottom.

Simmer until reduced by half then add the beef stock and simmer again until reduced by half. Add any meat juices to the sauce and serve the beef in thick slices with the warmed sauce.

Preparing the beef

Eye fillet has a thin membrane called silverskin which needsto be removed if your butcher has not already done so. Use a sharp knife to carefully remove all the membrane. If left on, it will shrink during cooking causing the fillet to curl up.

For even cooking and attractive presentation, the meat should be as uniform as possible and tying the joint, called ‘trussing’, is the key. Using individual pieces of kitchen twine, tie the joint firmly at 4-5 cm intervals, spaced evenly between each truss. Tuck the thinner tail of the fillet underneath and tie in place.

Ingredients

• 4 beef fillets, 3cm thick
• 1 cup merlot (or use merlot/cabernet sauvignon blend)
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 4 juniper berries, crushed
• Sprig parsley
• Freshly ground black pepper to season
• 8 prunes

Prune Jam

• 1 small red onion, peeled and sliced
• 1 tablespoon each butter and oil
• Prunes from the marinade
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup port
• Grated rind and juice of 1 orange

Method Steaks

Tie the fillets with string to keep their shape if wished. Place in a sealed plastic bag or container and pour in the wine, garlic, juniper berries, parsley sprig, pepper and prunes. Seal and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

Remove the meat from the marinade and dry on a paper towel. Heat a frying pan until very hot. Brush the steaks with oil and pan-fry over a high heat, allowing 2-3 minutes each side, depending on how well done you prefer your steak.

Allow the meat to stand for 1-2 minutes before serving over pan-fried mushrooms with the Prune Jam and garnishing with fresh herbs. Serve with your favourite vegetables or salad.

Prune Jam

Cook the onion in the butter and oil in a frying pan until softened and beginning to brown. Add the prunes from the marinade, brown sugar, port, orange rind and juice and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until the mixture is thick and jam-like. Crush the prunes with a wooden spoon during cooking.

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.

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.

Ingredients

• 1 lemon, juiced
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 pounds New York strip steak, sliced thin
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

Directions

Whisk the lemon juice, soy sauce, sugar, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl. Place the sliced steak in a large bowl; pour the lemon juice mixture over the steak and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the cornstarch and lightly mix. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour, up to overnight.

Heat 1/4 cup vegetable oil in a large skillet. Remove the beef slices from the marinade, shaking to remove any excess liquid. Fry the beef slices in batches in the hot oil until they start to firm, and are reddish-pink and juicy in the center, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Remove the beef slices from the skillet and set aside on a serving platter.

Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir the onion and garlic in the hot oil until the onion is golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes; pour over the beef slices.