Beef Flank with Brazil Nuts & Spinach Pesto

The Brazilians’ secret to a delicious grilled steak is marinating. The flavoured oil penetrates the flesh giving more flavour and helping to tenderise the meat. A great alternative to a BBQ, this recipe brings the flavours of the outdoors in and can be made with any cut of steak. Here we use beef flank which is tasty and economical.

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Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 1kg-1.2kg beef flank (Bavette)

For the marinade

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
• Juice and zest of 1 lime
• 150ml olive oil

For the pesto

• I tablespoon olive oil
• 1 banana shallot, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 200g baby spinach
• 150g feta cheese
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 125ml evaporated milk
• 50g toasted Brazil nuts
• Salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

To marinate

Mix all the ingredients together and pour over the steak in a zip-top freezer bag. Seal and place in the fridge overnight.

For the pesto

Add the oil to the frying pan and heat on a low to medium setting. Gently fry the shallot and garlic for 5 minutes. Allow to cool.

Add all the pesto ingredients to a food processor including the fried shallot and garlic and blend to an even consistency. Season with salt and pepper, set aside.

To cook the steak

Remove the meat from the fridge an hour before cooking. Take out of the bag and dry on kitchen paper to remove any excess marinade.

Pre-heat the Grillit® on a medium heat setting. Test the temperature of the pan before adding the meat – see Cook’s notes - and when hot enough add the steak and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side (to cook medium rare - depending on thickness). Don’t be tempted to move the steak before this time; allow the surface to seal on the ribs of the pan. When it is cooked it will release easily.

Once cooked, remove the steak from the pan, put onto a warm plate or dish, cover loosely and rest for 10 minutes. This will ensure the meat is juicy as it will retain more moisture when carved.

To serve, slice the steak across the grain in thin slices and serve the pesto alongside.

Cook's Notes

• To check if the Grillit® is hot enough add a few drops of cold water to the hot surface. If it sizzles and the water evaporates almost immediately, it is hot enough and ready for use. If the water produces steam and has no sizzle, heat the pan for a little longer and repeat the test again.
• For a more substantial meal, mix the pesto through pasta or even mashed potato.
• Add a few large fresh prawns to the Grillit® for a couple minutes for a surf ‘n’ turf take on the recipe.

Beef Cheek & Pumpkin Pie

When the cold weather snap arrives and the leaves start falling, we all start craving something warm with a bit of comfort. And my go to dish in autumn has always been PIE! Surprise, Surprise ;-)  

Now, I have combined my love for beef cheeks with beer and pumpkin! This is a great way to use up all those pumpkins that are lying around for Halloween as well. Topped with my ultimate flakey and golden pastry to make the perfect pie that is sure to impress. 

If you can’t find beef cheeks, any other slow cooking beef cuts will work fine such as brisket or ask your local butcher. Also, you may find squash or sweet potato to be a great alternative for pumpkin.

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My Beef Cheek and Pumpkin Pie

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 beef cheeks, cut into 4cm cubes
• 1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 5 cloves of garlic, cut in half skin on
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 500ml pumpkin beer or your favourite ale
• 500g pumpkin, peeled & cut into 3cm cubes
• 750ml of good quality beef or veal stock
• 1 tbsp butter
• olive oil for frying
• salt & pepper

For the Pastry:

• 200g plain flour
• 150g butter, chilled & cut into 1cm cubes
• 50ml sour cream
• 1 tsp salt
• egg yolk for brushing

Method

In a bowl place the beef cheeks, onion, garlic, thyme, beer with a pinch of pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours. 

Next day take the beef cheeks out of the bowl, pat dry and season with salt and pepper. In a heavy based pan, heat some oil to high heat and fry off in batches until brown all over. *Do not overcrowd the pan

Place in an oven-proof saucepan and add the beer marinade and veg to the pan, add the beef stock, cover and cook in a low oven 130C/250F for 3 hours or until very tender but not falling apart.

Carefully strain through a sieve into a clean saucepan reserving beef and stock only but keeping them separate. Discard the remaining veg and herbs. Reduce the stock until thick and glossy then whisk in a tbsp of butter. Add the beef and the pumpkin chunks. The pumpkin will cook when the pastry is cooking (pumpkin will fall apart if cooked too long). Allow to cool and refrigerate until needed.

 

For the pastry:

Add the flour and salt into a food processor, add the butter and combine to a breadcrumb consistently. Add the sour cream and pulse to combine. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.

 

To assemble:

Pre-heat oven to 180C/ 350F or gas mark 4. 

Fill four individual pie dishes with the beef and pumpkin filling. Separate the pastry into 4 and roll into circles/ovals, 10mm thick making sure they overlap each pie dish to make a lid. Brush egg yolk around the rim of the pie dish then top with a circle of pastry, seal and crimp the edges and trim around the sides to neaten.

Brush pastry with the egg yolk and prick the top with a knife. Bake for about 20-­25 minutes till the pastry is golden brown. Cool for 5­-10 minutes before serving.

photos by Carolina Menendez. 

BBQ Beef Short Ribs with Pear, Walnut & Blue Cheese Slaw

British summertime is here! PANIC… Everyone BBQ!!!

That seems to be the supermarket's strategy year in year out in this country, it's like end of days every weekend in the aisles with bags of briquettes crammed in every available space and deals on sausages and chicken cuts.

I’ve said for some time now that although I like BBQs, I’ve always just preferred the idea of eating good food outside. The Italians do this right with ‘al fresco’ dining. For a while, I have romanticised of 8-course lunches on white linen tables with seafood, pasta, meats and wine to match. All spread over 4-5 hours in a meadow with friends and family on a hot sunny day. Although admittedly this probably comes from watching too many Godfathers and mafia themed films.

See I find the idea of burnt sausages, chicken cuts and over/under-cooked steaks and a potato salad a little dull to be honest.
However in the past 4-5 years this has all changed over here in Blighty. The continuing popularity of North American BBQing in street food and relaxed dining scene with many small businesses emerging across the UK shows just how serious we are about cooking over coals. And with events like Grillstock (meat, music & Mayhem!) being held throughout the country showcasing not only up and running business but also awards and competitions for amateurs and enthusiasts, BBQing has now been raised to another level. I was lucky enough be invited to be a judge at the Grillstock Manchester in the 'Chefs Choice’ category and over the weekend got to hang with traders, Dr. BBQ and drinking buddy Dr. SweetSmoke.

This is what I learnt, use the right equipment, use the best quality ingredients and don’t rush. The time and passion that goes into BBQ is what makes it so special with most recipes taking between 3-12 hours, low and slow (also giving lots of time to socialise ;) So with a weekend spent asking questions and happily being given answers (thank you guys). I’ve come back with a recipe that is simple but tastes great. I'm using beef short ribs that are for me the 'King of BBQ' meats and has such deep and meaty flavour. I’ve decided not ‘smoke’ them as I find it can be a little too overpowering and by marinating overnight with the dry rub I think it will add more than enough flavour. 

The slaw with the creamy blue cheese, sweet pear and crunch from the cabbage works perfectly with the dark, charcoaled ribs. I also served with homemade triple cooked chips making it a special feast. Sautéed new potatoes will work just as well if deep frying is a bit too much. Many thanks to Team Smokin' Penguin for the amazing rub, it packs so much flavour and really made the dish. Also Dr. Sweet Smoke (thanks, Al) for answering all my never ending questions.

Oh, as I got to explain my visions of ‘al fresco’ dining over a late beer or two with Dr. Sweet Smoke to which in a slight southern drawl he replied… “Andy, grow some balls and man up, boy. It's all about BBQ!" Indeed, it is :)

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serves 4

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE Beef Short ribs:

• 4 large beef short ribs on the bone
• 1 cup/large handful of smoking penguins beef rub or any other BBQ dry rub
• 2/3 bottles of beer of your choice

FOR THE Pear, walnut & Blue Cheese Slaw:

• 1/2 small head of white cabbage cored & thinly sliced
• 1 pear, cored and julienned (skin on)
• 1 banana shallot or red onion, thinly slicked
• 1 handful of roughly chopped walnuts
• 100g blue cheese
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 4 tbsp soured cream
• 2 tbsp cider/white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• salt & pepper

Equipment 

• BBQ (kamado ideal)
• baking tray and wire rack (that fits into your bbq with lid on)
• tongs
• baster
• large mixing bowls

METHOD

For the Beef Short Ribs: 

The night before place the ribs into a large bowl and scatter all over with the dry rub mixture, toss a few times to combine then individually wrap each rib tightly in clingfilm and refrigerate overnight.
*Don't be tempted to use olive oil as it creates an additional barrier and doesn't let the rub penetrate into the meat. 

The next day, before noon, if you want to be eating at a sensible time ;) Take the ribs out of the fridge and allow to come up to room temperature.

Light your BBQ and allow the coals to come up to a high heat. Seal of the ribs, getting caramelisation and a deep brown colour all over. Remove from the grill and rest the ribs on a baking tray with the wire rack. 
Add heat defectors to the BBQ if applicable or push the coals to one side for lower temp cooking. Return the grills back and place lid back on. Using vents on top and bottom of BBQ ‘choke’ the airflow to reduce the cooking temperature to 125C or 250F.
Once the above temperature has been reached, remove the lid from the BBQ and place the baking tray with ribs on the grill. Pour the beer over and around the ribs leaving a gap between the beer and ribs on the baking tray (the steam from the beer will keep the ribs moist while cooking). Make sure not to submerge the ribs in beer and end up braising them.

Return the lid and cook for around 5 hours, topping up with beer if necessary and basting every hour. After the 5 hours, cover the tray tightly with foil and cook for a further hour, this method giving the ribs an extra injection of moisture.

Remove the foil and cook for a further hour again without basting to create a delicious BBQ ‘bark’/crunchy crust and remember to rest for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Keep an eye on the temperature while cooking making sure you maintain low and slow.

 

For the Pear, Walnut & Blue Cheese slaw:

In a small bowl mix, all the wet and dairy ingredients until well combined. Then in a large bowl combine the pear, cabbage, shallot, and parsley. Pour the wet mixture over and stir through to combine. Season with salt and pepper and top with a handful of chopped walnuts. 

Serve together on a large board with plenty of yummy beers.

*Remember timing is the key to food service. While the ribs are resting, this gives you time to clear down and mix the slaw. 

Slow-Baked Indian Spiced Brisket

From Incredible Indian With Anjum Anand on the 'Big Eat' on Food Network UK...

The idea of this recipe is a mix of North American cuisine and Indian, two of my favourite cuisines coming to together in this fusion feast. It's basically pulled brisket & slaw, INDIAN STYLE! I have used a simple but tasty beef curry to cook the brisket in and then once cooked, reduce the sauce to a glaze and pass through the 'pulled' beef. The 'riata style' slaw takes the heat from the beef and adds texture as well as freshness. Serve in a wrap or naan for tasty hand held snack.

Chef's Tip: Use a pressure cooker to speed up the cooking time of the brisket.

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my slow-baked indian spice brisket

Ingredients

For the brisket:

• 1kg brisket
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large onion
• 5 garlic cloves, pureed
• Thumb size piece of ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 3 teaspoons cumin
• 3 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 500ml beef stock
• Bunch of coriander
• 2 red chillies, finely chopped

For the Indian slaw:

• ½ head of savoy cabbage, core removed and thinly sliced
• ½ red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 carrot, peeled and grated
• 50g raisins
• 50g toasted onions
• 150ml yoghurt
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• Bunch of chopped mint
• Salt and pepper

 

Method

Heat a saucepan on a medium heat and add the vegetable oil and the onion and sweat for 5 minutes without adding any colour to them. Add the chilli, garlic and ginger and cook for a further 2 minutes, add the spices and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, beef stock and the brisket. Bring it to the boil, cover it and allow it to simmer for 3-4 hours, or until the meat is tender.

Remove the meat from the pan and cover it with foil until needed. Blitz the remaining juices and put them on the heat and reduce it to a sticky glaze.

Pull the meat using two forks and pour it over the beef and garnish it with the fresh coriander and chilli.

For the slaw, add all the ingredients apart from the curry powder to a bowl. Heat the curry powder in a frying pan, until fragrant and add it to the bowl. Mix it all together until it is well combined and serve.

Beef Jerky Salad

Back in Sao Paulo, My guide Flora wanted me try something South American, to be more specific from Bolivia. The Bolivian community is the fifth biggest ethnic group in Brazil, about 250,000 based in Sao Paulo. I was taken to Feira Rua Coimbra, which was started because a Bolivian lady began selling street food in the square and it became a real point of referral for the community, they then developed a need to set-up a proper fair. Rene Quisbert has been proudly selling his Bolivian fare since 2007, his speciality dishes are dried lama meat and peanut soup. I have to say that I was not familiar with Bolivian food. Rene made me stir-fried lama meat which is shredded and served with a boiled egg, potatoes, corn and peanut soup (which he served fries on top of... A first for me!)  I asked Rene why lama meat and why all the carbs? Lama meat? Because it is much leaner than beef and just as tasty and the carbs is due to the type of food that was traditionally served to workers in fields to sustain them through long working days,

Well, I have never seen or tasted street food quite like that, but the flavours do work and the combinations are like none other that I've tasted. The lama reminded me of dried beef jerky which I use in the next recipe for a spicy salad that would be ideal served for brunch.

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My Beef Jerky Salad 

Ingredients

• 3½ oz (100g) beef jerky
• 0.4 pt (250 ml) beef stock
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
• Thumb-sized piece root ginger, peeled and grated

For the dressing:

• 2 tbsps olive oil
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1-2 tbsps reserved beef stock (from soaking beef jerky)
• Pinch caster sugar
• Sea salt and black pepper

For the crispy shallots:

• 4 banana shallots, peeled and finely sliced
• Vegetable oil for deep frying

For the salad:

• 1 cucumber, peeled, deseeded and cut into chunks
• 250 grams cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3 baby gem lettuce, leaves separated
• 250 grams French beans, trimmed and blanched
• Small bunch basil, roughly chopped
• Small bunch coriander, roughly chopped
• Small bunch mint, roughly chopped
• For serving:
• 4 eggs
• White wine vinegar
• Handful salted peanuts, crushed
• Lime wedges

Method

Put the beef jerky into a heatproof bowl and set aside.

Pour the stock into a small saucepan, add the chilli, garlic and bring to the boil. Pour the hot stock over the beef jerky, cover with clingfilm and leave to soak for 10 minutes until the beef jerky has softened.

Strain the beef and reserve the stock. Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing and set aside.

Tip the shallots into a small saucepan, cover with oil and set over a medium to high heat. As the oil gets hotter, the shallots will start to turn crisp and golden; at this point remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Season with sea salt while still warm then set aside.

Meanwhile combine the beef and salad ingredients in a large bowl, toss with the dressing then tip into a large serving bowl.

Heat a large pan of water to simmering point and add the vinegar. Crack the eggs into the pan and poach gently for 4 to 5 minutes or until cooked to your liking. Remove from the pan and drain thoroughly.

Lay the poached eggs on top of the salad, scatter with the crispy shallots and crushed peanuts and serve with lime wedges.

Brazilian Beef Brisket & Coffee Pie

Bruno and I roasting coffee

Bruno and I enjoying a cup of his coffee

Minas Gerais is the biggest producer of coffee in Brazil and Brazil handles a third of all the coffee in the world. To put it into perspective, out of every three cups of coffee produced worldwide, one of them is from Brazil. So I wanted to find out more and I was told there's a place where they passionately believe the preparation and consumption of coffee is an art - The Coffee Academy. I hadn't even gone inside yet and there was an amazing aroma of fresh coffee. I met Bruno Souza, the owner of this two-story coffee haven, where he creates, tastes and evaluates everything coffee! Bruno is a fourth generation of a coffee making family, he is a real character and exudes enthusiasm and information. That day, I roasted coffee for the first time.  To joke with Bruno, I asked him how much coffee he drinks through the day and he says that on an average about a litre and a half of brewed coffee and two or three espressos. Could you imagine yourself after that amount of coffee?

Bruno explains to me that coffee is not just for sweet dishes but also for savoury dishes, that was surprising to me. So I left with a bag of Bruno's coffee and used it to inspire me to create my very own savoury dish, CHECK IT OUT! 

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My Brazilian Beef Brisket & Coffee Pie 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1.5 kilograms beef brisket, cut into large chunks
• 75 grams plain flour
• Sea salt and black pepper
• 2 onions, peeled and finely sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 2 red peppers, deseeded and diced
• 2 dried ancho chillies, soaked in boiling water until soft then roughly chopped
• 400 millilitres dry white wine
• 500 millilitres freshly brewed coffee
• 2 x 400 millilitres cans black-eyed beans, drained and rinsed
• Small bunch coriander, roughly chopped

FOR THE CASSAVA MASH:

• 1 kilograms cassava, peeled and cut into chunks
• 50 grams unsalted butter
• 50 millilitres double cream
• 100 grams mature cheddar cheese, grated

METHOD

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based casserole. Toss the beef in seasoned flour and fry in batches until golden brown all over.

Add a little more oil to the pan then add the onions and fry for 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic, peppers and ancho chilli and fry for a further 5 minutes. Add the wine, bring to the boil and cook for 5 minutes to burn off the alcohol.

Return the beef to the pan, pour over the coffee and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Stir through the chopped coriander and season to taste.

Meanwhile, boil the cassava in a large pan of salted boiling water for 20 minutes until soft. Drain thoroughly then mash with the butter and cream.

Spoon half of the mash into the bottom of a heatproof serving dish, top with the beef and spoon the sauce over the top.

Top the beef with the remaining mash, sprinkle with cheese and cook under a hot grill for 5 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbling.