Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Roast Rib-eye with winter root vegetables, Yorkshire pudding and horseradish cream

Roast Rib-eye with winter root vegetables, Yorkshire pudding and horseradish cream

Ingredients:
1.5kg rib-eye (allow approx. 400g per person)
Handful of rosemary and fresh thyme
2 garlic cloves
Winter root vegetables (swede, pumpkin, turnip, parsnip, potatoes), chopped
Salt, pepper, olive oil
Horseradish cream (whisk together 1 tablespoon thickened cream, 1 teaspoon horseradish, pinch of salt and pepper)
Yorkshire pudding:
1 cup of flour
1 cup of eggs
½ cup milk
½ cup water
* Serves 4

Method:
Preheat oven to 140˚C. Season beef with salt and pepper; heat 1 tablespoon of oil in large frypan and add beef when pan is very hot. Seal beef on each side, remove from frypan and place in oven. Slow roast for 45 mins or until internal temperature is at 42˚C. To test without using a thermometer, pierce meat with a metal skewer until at the centre. Remove and press skewer to skin (upper lip is best as it is most sensitive). Beef is ready when skewer temperature is comfortably warm on the skin. When ready remove beef from oven, cover with foil and rest for about half the time it was cooked for – in this case, about 20 minutes.
Increase oven to 200˚C. Warm some oil in a frypan, add root vegetables and toss through oil until coloured. Transfer to a shallow baking dish, add a handful of thyme and rosemary, whole garlic cloves, salt, pepper and a coating of olive oil. Place in oven.
Roast vegetables for 20 mins, or until browned. Five minutes before serving, place beef back in oven for another five minutes. Vegetables and beef will then be ready to serve together.
Yorkshire pudding:
Heat oven to 220˚C.. Half fill each cup of a muffin tin with beef dripping (or lard) and place in hot oven. Whisk wet ingredients together then pour slowly into flour, stirring constantly. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, hand whisk until mixture resembles a batter, with soft, firm peaks. When dripping/lard is bubbling in muffin tins, remove from oven and carefully ladle in batter until full. Bake on 220˚C. for 20 minutes then continue at 150˚C. for 10 minutes.

To serve:
Carve beef and arrange on plate with a bed of roast vegetables, one Yorkshire pudding and a dollop of horseradish cream.

Roast rack of pork with braised cabbage and caramelised apples

Given that we've well and truly plunged into winter in Melbourne, I thought it was time to share an all time favourite roast dish...definitely one to warm the soul during winter I reckon!

Roast rack of pork with braised cabbage and caramelised apples

Ingredients:
1 eight-point pork rack (2.5kg – with bone on; 1 point per person)
½ savoy cabbage (finely shredded with veins removed)
1 x carrot; stick of celery; white onion
½ celeriac
1 white onion
2 cloves garlic
100g pancetta
Herbs: 1 bay leaf, 1 sprig sage and thyme
8 granny smith apples
1 cup x white wine vinegar; olive oil
Sea salt and pepper
100g butter
100g caster sugar
100ml dry white wine
* Serves 8

Method:
Pork: Score pork skin to criss-cross pattern, rub with vinegar and leave in fridge overnight to dry. Pre-heat oven to 230˚C. Remove pork from fridge, rub with olive oil and salt then place in hot oven. After 15 mins, reduce oven to 160˚C and cook for further 35 to 45 mins, or until core temperature is 42˚C. Remove from oven, cover with foil and rest for 20 mins.
Braised cabbage: Whilst pork is cooking, dice all vegetables and pancetta. Warm 1 tablespoon of duck fat (or olive oil) in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, then add diced vegetables, shredded cabbage, crushed garlic, pancetta and a pinch of sea salt. Sweat vegetables for 5 – 10 mins or until the vegetables soften. Add white wine and herbs. Cook with lid on for 35 mins.
Caramelised apples: peel apples, cut into quarters and remove core. Melt butter in fry pan, add apples quarters and cover with caster sugar. Toss in pan to ensure apples are covered with caramel sauce and simmer for 15 – 20 mins, or until apples start to soften and produce juice. If caramel gets too dark, add a splash of white wine.

To serve:
Carve pork between each point and arrange one chop per person on the plate, with a bed of braised cabbage and four apple pieces. Drizzle remaining caramel over pork.