Archive for the ‘Recipes’ Category

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.

Braised Pork Shanks

Posted on: January 15th, 2017 by gherkinmedia

Ingredients

  • 2 pork shanks, skin removed
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 1/2 cups red wine
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 2 teaspoons chicken stock powder
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 400 gram can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf

Method

  • Place all ingredients in a large heavy-based pan, cover and bring to the boil.
  • Reduce heat and simmer for 2 1/2 – 3 hours until the meat falls away from the bone.

Slow Cooker Roast Chicken

Posted on: January 15th, 2017 by gherkinmedia

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken (1.2-1.5kg)
  • 1 lemon, halved
  • 1 onion, peeled and quartered
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • Freshly ground black pepper and salt

Method

  • Wash your fresh chicken inside and out and place the halved lemon and the onion inside the birds cavilty.
  • Rub the paprika all over the bird so it has a nice colour.
  • Give it a liberal sprinkling of salt and pepper.
  • Ball up 6 balls of aluminium foil and place them in the bottom of the slow cooker.
  • Pour the water around the aluminium balls.
  • Place the bird on top of the foil so it isn’t touching the bottom.
  • Place the slow cooker on high for 1 hour and then reduce to low for 8-10 hours. Alternately leave it on high for a total of 5-6 hours.

Notes

You can add a cup of white wine instead of the water if you would like the wine flavour through your bird.

I sometimes like to add a few garlic cloves into the cavity as well.

Filipino Beef Steak

Posted on: January 15th, 2017 by gherkinmedia

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.

Beef Steaks With Blue Cheese

Posted on: January 15th, 2017 by gherkinmedia

Ingredients

2 (6 ounce) beef tenderloin filets, 1 1/2 inches thick
2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 slices white bread, crusts removed and cubed
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Place meat on broiler pan. Broil 4-6 in. from the heat for 5-8 minutes on each side or until meat is browned and cooked to desired doneness (for medium-rare, a meat thermometer should read 145 degrees F; medium, 160 degrees F; well-done, 170 degrees F).

Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the blue cheese and butter; set aside. In a skillet, saute bread cubes in oil until golden brown. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Top steaks with blue cheese mixture and sprinkle with croutons; broil 1 minute longer or until cheese is slightly melted.

Easy Barbeque Beef Tenderloin Steak

Posted on: January 15th, 2017 by gherkinmedia

Ingredients

  • 2 (2 inch thick) steaks beef tenderloin
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cloves crushed garlic
  • 1 teaspoon meat tenderizer

Directions

Rub meat with olive oil and crushed garlic. Sprinkle with tenderizer. Cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat grill for medium high heat.

Brush grate with oil, and place steaks on the grill. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes per side, or until done.

Pork Steaks

Posted on: January 15th, 2017 by gherkinmedia

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1 bunch green onions
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 6 pork butt steaks

Directions

Melt butter in a skillet, and mix in the soy sauce. Saute the green onions and garlic until lightly browned.

Place the pork steaks in the skillet, cover, and cook 8 to 10 minutes on each side, Remove cover, and continue cooking 10 minutes, or to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).