The Waitakere Redneck's Kitchen: beef

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Beef Wellington

We have always been fascinated when the contestants in Hell's Kitchen stuff up Gordon Ramsay's beef wellington. Of course we were intrigued as to how they could mess up something as simple as cooking a piece of meat wrapped up in pastry.

It is actually not hard to make but the trick is to cook the meat just right. In fact we love it so much that I am always on the lookout for mushrooms on special. I prefer to make our own flaky pastry as it is far less fattening than puff pastry.

A 5-star restaurant meal for a fraction of the cost.

Ingredients
400g mushroom
¼ onion

350g beef sirloin or scotch (or any tender cut)
2 slices bacon or parma ham
300g homemade flaky pastry or puff pastry

salt and pepper
mustard
egg yolk or beaten egg

Beef Rendang 'Shiok' ~ Spicy Dry Coconut Beef

This particular rendang uses a bit more spices than the kerisik rendang but they are both equally good. We love our rendang and always have a container or two in our freezer for that quick and easy meal.

Rendang Daging

Ingredients
1 kg beef (stewing beef, shin, rump or any other cut)
300ml coconut cream + ½ cup water
3 stalk lemon grass
6 lime or tahitian leaf
4 slices blue ginger (galangal)
½ tsp salt

Curry Beef Mince Pie

Pies are something to be enjoyed once in a blue moon. It can be quite fattening. My favourite has to be with a curry mince filling. Time and time again I have been disappointed by pies bought from the bakery. They are soggy and the filling has more goo in them than anything resembling meat. At least by making my own, I get to eat a pie with real meat in it.

I bake mine in the pie maker but it is just as easy to make mini size pies using muffin tins to mould the pastry. This pastry is very light and crispy and a bit healthier than ordinary short crust as it uses less fat.

Makes 4 or 5 , 5" size pies

Ingredients
260 gm flour
60 gm butter
40 gm shortening
¼ tsp salt
95-105 ml ice cold water
1 tsp vinegar or lemon juice (add to water)

curry mince filling

Method
1. Follow steps 1-4 on making the pastry dough here.

2. Roll pastry to required thickness of 2-4mm (I prefer a thickness of 4mm). Pasta machine can be used.

rolling with a pasta machine and cutting the pastry with the pie maker cutters

Beef Curry Mince

I use this curry mince mainly as a pie filling. It can also be used as a curry puff filling or just served simply with rice or bread.

Ingredients
500gm beef mince
1-2 Tbsp oil
1 big onion, chop fine
3 clove garlic, chop fine
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, chop fine
2 tsp chilli paste or powder

2 potato, cubed
1 cup frozen peas or diced carrot
1 cup water
1½ tsp salt
2 tsp cornflour or potato starch mix with 1 Tbsp water or soy sauce

Spices
1 tsp tumeric powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp curry powder

Ngau Yoke Yuen ~ Springy n' Bouncy Beef Balls

I have made these umpteen times and they have always turned out bouncy. However cooking is not always smooth sailing and I have to confess that I did 'muddle' up the steps once and the ngau yoke yuen did not have even a hint of a 'spring'.

It is not so much the ingredients that makes the beef balls springy but the process of making it. If you do try it please follow the instructions very carefully. I have videoed the whole process to make it easier to follow as well as to remind myself of the steps so that I won't muck up ever again.

As the meat is minced to mush, the cut of beef is not important. I have used chuck, bolar, blade and even rump steak.

Makes 35-45 beef balls

Ingredients
560 gm beef, cut to small pieces

½ cup (125ml) icy cold water
1 Tbsp fish sauce
½ tsp salt
½ Tbsp sugar
½ Tbsp oil
2 Tbsp cornflour
1¼ tsp baking powder
½ tsp kan sui (lye or alkaline water) {optional}

Beef Kheema

Beef Kheema is an indian mince curry that is delicious with Naan. The meat we used is minced aged rump steak with the fat removed making it healthy and tender.

This dish if cooked without the addition of too much liquid could even be used as a pie filling.

Ingredients
500gm beef mince
1-2 Tbsp oil
1 big onion, chop fine
3 clove garlic, chop fine
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, chop fine
2 tsp chilli paste or powder

Beef & Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

Satay is an all time favourite with almost anyone. I decided to experiment and create my own combination of marinade and satay sauce. It also gave Mr Redneck a chance to test out the new barbecue. Needless to say he was pleased with the performance of the bbq - it passed the satay test without burning the sticks or the satay! The satay and sauce were good and Mr Redneck said it was by far the best and most authentic satay sauce I have ever made and it tasted like those we had from Malaysia.

Don't let the long list of ingredients deter you. The tedious part in making satay is the stringing of the meat to the sticks but Mr Redneck does a wonderful job of this.

Makes 21 chicken & 31 beef satay

Ingredients
600 gm chicken breast
400 gm porterhouse beef

Marinade
1 Tbsp ground coriander
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp ground fennel
1 tsp ground tumeric
3 stalks lemongrass, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp garlic flake or fresh garlic
1 Tbsp sugar
½ tsp salt

Method
1. Soak 50-60 satay skewers in cold water for at least 2 hours to prevent them from burning during grilling.

2. Cut the meat into small strips about 2" long and 3/4" wide.

3. Grind marinade ingredients until fine and mix with the meat to marinate overnight.

4. Thread 4-5 pieces of the meat onto the skewer.

Rolled Rib Roast

Mr Redneck is very good at cooking roast and this meal is a fine example. The outer layer is the best but most unhealthy part of the meat. This rolled rib roast does not involve hours of preparation or marinating.

Ingredients
1 kg beef rolled rib roast

onions (cut to small pieces)
garlic (cut to small pieces)
dry or fresh mixed herbs
sweet fruit chutney
soy sauce

cornflour for dusting

Kerisik Rendang ~ Spicy Coconut Beef

I find this method of cooking rendang easier and healthier with less cholestrol as no coconut milk is used, only fried dessicated or fresh coconut making the whole dish very aromatic.

Ingredients
A
1 kg rump steak - cut into cubes
2 cups water

B - grind finely
1 Tbsp Baba chilli powder
3 large red onion
4 garlic
3 stalk lemon grass
1 " ginger
2 candlenut - optional

Beef stir fry with Spring Onions

I had some snitzel in my freezer that I wanted to use up, so decided to do this very simple yet delicious dish of beef, stir fried with oyster sauce and spring onions. Very versatile as far as ingredients goes. The beef have to be stir fried very quickly on a high fire to prevent it from stewing and turning chewy.

Ingredients
500gm beef snitzel, cut to thin strips

Marinade
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp cornflour
dash of black pepper

Beef & Prune Casserole

This beef and prune casserole dish originated from the south of France. The casserole has a rich gravy and goes very well with either mashed potatoes, rice or noodles. Helena shared this recipe from Margaret Fulton : A Passionate Cook.

Serves 6

Ingredients
2 ½ cups (625ml) beef stock
10 preserved prunes
1 kg rump, chuck or blade bone steak
2 Tbsp plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
2 Tbsp oil
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 bay leaves
2 ripe tomatoes, skinned, quartered and seeded

Beef Roll with Grand Marnier sauce

This beef roll has to be one of my favourites - easy to prepare and full of intense flavour. It is more of an asian dish but who is to say we can't have a fusion of styles.

The beef roll served with fried potatoes, mushroom and with vegies or salad on the side.

Ingredients
2 slices beef schnitzel
½ carrot cut into sticks
4 french, long or butter beans
1 mushroom, cut into thin sticks
¼ capsicum, cut into thin sticks
potato starch or corn flour for dusting

Satay

We love satay and this is the first time I did not have to 'sweat' over the sauce. I have tried various recipes but they just don't measure up, but this is good . Satay will now make a more regular appearance on our table.

Ingredients:
1 pc chicken breast without skin
2 pcs beef sirloin
24 satay sticks(soaked in water overnight)