Beef Wellington – Another guest post by Stuart

Tags

Beef, beef wellington, dinner, fillet, red wine sauce, tenderloin

Nice cuisson (fortunately)

So this time we decided that I should go big.  On one trip to Bordeaux we went to Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant and I had beef wellington.  So this was definitely a more adventurous dish for me to try as far as preparation compared to prior dishes.  The challenge is fun though especially when there are parts that you have never done before.  Having to create a sauce and reduce it down was interesting to see how it turned out.

Here is the prep before putting the beef back into the fridge to chill.  This is to help mould it together before being wrapped with the pastry.

I think the pastry turned out well.

The end result turned out really well and I was a bit surprised it was as good given that it is a bit more work and trickier than anything I had done before.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 x 200g/7oz beef fillets
• 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 250g/8oz mixture of wild mushrooms, cleaned
• 1 thyme sprig, leaves only
• 1 sheet puff pastry
• 4 slices of Parma ham
• 1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 tbsp water
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the red wine sauce: (this makes more than you need but freezes beautifully)

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 large shallots, peeled and sliced
• 6 black peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 thyme sprig
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 500ml / 2 cups red wine
• 250ml / 1 cup beef stock

Preparation:

1. Wrap each piece of beef tightly in a layer of cling film to set its shape, then chill overnight.
2. Remove the cling film, then quickly sear the beef fillets in a hot pan with a little olive oil for 30-60 seconds until browned all over and rare in the middle. Remove from the pan and leave to cool.
3. Finely chop the mushrooms and sauté in a hot pan with a little olive oil, the thyme leaves and some seasoning. Continue to cook over a high heat for about 10 minutes until all the excess moisture has evaporated and you are left with a mushroom paste. Remove from the pan and leave to cool.
4. Lay a large sheet of cling film on a work surface and place 2 slices of Parma ham in the middle, overlapping them slightly, to make a cross. Spread half the mushrooms evenly over the ham.
5. Season the beef fillets, then place them on top of the mushroom-covered ham. Using the cling film, roll the Parma ham over the beef, then roll and tie the cling film to get a nice, evenly thick log. Repeat this step with the other beef fillet, then chill for at least 30 minutes.
6. Cut the pastry sheet into 2 rectangles.
7. Remove the cling film from the beef, then wrap the pastry around each ham-wrapped fillet. Trim the pastry then chill for 20 minutes.
8. Meanwhile, make the red wine sauce. Heat the oil in a large pan, then fry the beef trimmings for a few minutes until browned on all sides. Stir in the shallots with the peppercorns, bay and thyme and continue to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the shallots turn golden brown.
9. Pour in the vinegar and let it bubble for a few minutes until almost dry. Now add the wine and boil until almost completely reduced. Add the stock and bring to the boil again. Lower the heat and simmer gently for 1 hour, until you have the desired consistency. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve lined with muslin. Check for seasoning and set aside.
10. When you are ready to cook the beef wellingtons, score the pastry lightly and brush with the egg wash, then bake at 200°C/400F for 15-20 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and cooked. Rest for 10 minutes before carving.
11. Meanwhile, reheat the sauce. Serve the beef wellingtons sliced, with the sauce as an accompaniment.
12. Enjoy!

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Beef cheeks/ Daube de joue de boeuf

Tags

Beef, beef cheeks, cheeks, comfort food, daube, joue de boeuf, Pasta, stew

When it is cold and grey and wet outside, there is nothing better than a hearty stew cooking for several hours in wine and infusing your kitchen with the most tantalizing aromas. Now, you could do a Boeuf Bourgignon but you could also try something different – tender, melt in the mouth morsels of succulent meat bathed in a rich, deep sauce and served with pasta. Perfect.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1.2kg / 2 1/2 lbs beef cheeks (about 3 cheeks)
5 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 branch of celery, finely chopped
1 leek, finely chopped
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bouquet garni
grated zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange
1 bottle of red wine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
60g / 4 tablespoons butter
15ml / 1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon piment d’Espelette
30g / 2 tablespoons flour
225g / 8oz chopped tomatoes
30g / 1oz good quality dark chocolate (at least 80%) , optional
1 to 2 cups beef stock (as needed)
Fresh parsley, chopped for garnish

Preparation:

Place the beef cheeks,, carrots, celery, leek, shallots, garlic, bouquet garni, lemon and orange zest and red wine in a large bowl and refrigerate for at least 4 to 6 hours, even overnight
Preheat the oven to 150C / 300F
Drain the meat and the vegetables, reserving the liquid
Pat dry the beef and season with salt and pepper and the piment
Melt the butter and oil in a large dutch oven , I use a Le Creuset, over medium heat
Add the meat and sear it, until browned on all sides, then leave to one side
Add the vegetables and cook for about 1 minute
Return the meat to the pan
Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes
Pour in the reserved wine from the marinade
Add the tomatoes
Grate in the chocolate if using
Pour in enough stock to just cover the meat and bring to the boil
Cover the dish and place in the oven for 4 hours, stirring once or twice
Remove from the oven and place on the stove top
Remove the cheeks from the dish, then place the dish over a high heat
Cook rapidly until the sauce reduces and thickens
Return the meat to the pan to warm it and coat with the sauce
Sprinkle with parsley
Serve with pappardelle or tagliatelle pasta
Enjoy!

Steaks with bacon mushroom sauce

Tags

bacon, BBQ, braai, faux filet, mushrooms, rump, sauce, steak, white sauce

 

The picture unfortunately does not do the meal justice, But, believe me it was delicious. And there is a good reason for the quickly executed photo – it was 35 degrees in the shade at 19h and I did not want to wait around as everything, including me, was melting. Not, that steak can melt, of course, but I am sure you get the picture.

I used faux filet, about 2 1/2cm thick (1 inch) from my butcher but any good steak would work.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

marinade
2 tablespoons (30ml) mustard powder
2 tablespoons (30ml) braai / barbecue spice
1/4 cup (60ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
meat
4 faux filet or rump steaks, 2 1/2cm (1″) thick
sauce
3 tablespoons (45g) butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
125g (4oz) bacon, cut into small pieces
125g (4oz) button mushrooms, quartered
1 cup (250ml) cream or milk
2 tablespoons (30ml) flour
1/4 cup (60ml) chutney

Preparation:

Mix all the marinade ingredients together
Pour the marinade over the meat and marinade for 3 to 4 hours or up to 2 days (I use a zip lock bag)
Melt the butter in a pan over medium high heat
Add the onion, bacon and mushrooms and sauté until lightly golden
Add the remaining ingredients
Stir over medium heat for about 6 minutes until sauce thickens
Heat the BBQ, remove the meat from the marinade and cook according to your preference (about 5 minutes for medium rare)
Serve the steaks with the sauce, french fries and a green salad
Enjoy!