BEEF ENCOUNTER

Sheila has been posting recipes and updating the blog and also encouraging me to put “pen to paper”

I eventually checked out the blog, and immediately noticed a glaring omission under the “food for thought tab” – Beef!

Beef is the preferred meat choice of many, which is not that surprising when you examine the numerous forms it takes.

So many joints to choose from, so many ways of cooking.

Roasting a delicious rib of beef or a lovely piece of Sirloin (so special that a king knighted it).  Cuts of  silver-side, Topside or brisket all splendid for pot roasting. Chuck steak for stews and casseroles, meat and potato pie. (accompanied by mushy pies) Mince, Ragu sauce, a perfect burger- the list is endless.

Ask your butcher for a lamb steak and that’s what you get. With beef you will be asked “do you want Rib eye, Porterhouse, entrecôte, rump?”  There is another cut, our favourite in France Onglet (in England it’s called skirt or feathered steak)

Griddle very quickly over a high heat and preferable served rare, otherwise, it is far too tough. It has more bite  then more fashionable (and expensive) steaks but makes up for it in flavour. See recipe

Onglet is relatively inexpensive, however, may restaurants in the UK are now charging a premium for it.

Beef Offal: Delia Smiths steak and kidney pudding –  delicious. See recipe

Which other meat can you enjoy raw?  Steak Tartare or Carpaccio of beef.

The appreciation of all food, not just beef starts with eyes. A lovely piece of matured beef should be plum red, with its on covering of fat a rich creamy yellow, which is firm to the touch. Until recently aged beef or steaks were a rarity in France but, we are starting to see the changes.

Secondly comes the smell of the food cooking, with is promise of things to come. Sunday’s  with the cooking smells permeating  throughout the house.

To give you an opposite case scenario. We cooked  heston Blumenthal slow cooked roast rib of beef. You brown the meat very quickly, then put into the oven at 55°C for 4 to 6 hours, for medium rare. The beef is cooked to perfection and remains pink inside and we did enjoy it. Missing was the smell of roasting meat to whet your appetite.

Taste. What is your preferred Sunday Lunch?

What can match a plate of rare roast beef, crunchy roast potatoes, served with a Yorkshire pudding, and a steaming bowl of gravy, made with meat juices mmmmm How very English, but how delicious, and listen don’t forget the sandwich next day, with a dribble of moist maker (the gravy) perhaps a sliced red onion. Perfect. English Mustard or Horseradish that’s the question

So what ever piece of beef you choose, which ever cooking method you choose, you know you are going to enjoy a tasty flavoursome dish of food.

……..then at the end of the day you can sit down with a cup of tea and a slice of toast and beef dripping with, if you are lucky, the deep brown jelly ………..

Well perhaps in another life!