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Salt Beef with Vegetables and a Parsley Sauce, and how to cure your own salt beef
Monday, 17 March 2014
My sister has been curing her own sauerkraut and practicing fermenting quite a bit over the past year or so. I have long wanted to try to cure something myself. I had in mind to do some pickled pork or beef, like they make back home in Nova Scotia.
I had been searching for a while to get some Salt Petre to do this, or Potassium Nitrate as it is called. My sister and mother sent me some over in a care package just recently and I have just been waiting for the right to use it.
Well . . . there is no better time to corn/preserve/salt a piece of beef than for Saint Patrick's Day and so a few weeks back I set out to do just that.
I admit to being a tad bit nervous about it. I was worried about spoilage and such. Having had food poisoning a few times in my lifetime, it's not an experience I am eager to replicate.
I admit to being a tad bit nervous about it. I was worried about spoilage and such. Having had food poisoning a few times in my lifetime, it's not an experience I am eager to replicate.
However, having found a really decent article on making your own Salt Beef in the March Issue of Delicious magazine by John Torrode (of Master Chef) I felt secure enough to give it a go. He's a meat master and so I trusted it and went ahead with it.
I only wish I had the photos to show you of the process. I started this a couple of weeks ago and they got lost in the mire which is my photo sludge. (If I don't use them right away, I often lose them.)
In any case all I have to show you is the end result, which was a delicious recipe for Salt Beef with Vegetables and a Parsley Sauce, adapted from the same article, with a few changes.
He did not use cabbage in his recipe. I did. We love cabbage in this house and it's Saint Patrick's Day.
He did not use cabbage in his recipe. I did. We love cabbage in this house and it's Saint Patrick's Day.
You just have to eat cabbage in one form or another. If you are not fond of cabbage, then I suggest you leave it out.
Or maybe you just are not fond of boiled cabbage. If so, then just use a savoy cabbage, shred it coarsely and then steam it for about 10 minutes over boiling water.
Or maybe you just are not fond of boiled cabbage. If so, then just use a savoy cabbage, shred it coarsely and then steam it for about 10 minutes over boiling water.
Drained well, with a bit of seasoning and Bob's your Uncle. It's delicious.
The real star here is the home cured meat . . . and that lovely sauce. Just perfect with both the meat and the vegetables.
The real star here is the home cured meat . . . and that lovely sauce. Just perfect with both the meat and the vegetables.
You use a portion of the cooking liquor in the sauce. It calls for whole milk. I confess, I didn't have any whole milk and so I used 2/3 semi skimmed milk and 1/3 cream.
It was just fabulous . . . all of it and for a home curing virgin, I think I did a pretty darned good job and I will do it again, as soon as I can get my hands on some more salt petre.
It was just fabulous . . . all of it and for a home curing virgin, I think I did a pretty darned good job and I will do it again, as soon as I can get my hands on some more salt petre.
Having done it once I am not as afraid of it as I was before . . . who knows, making my own sauerkraut might be next!
Salt
Beef is essentially corned beef. This long slow cooking ensures a
tender piece of meat and well flavoured vegetables. You will need to
use some of the cooking liquid for the sauce. Old fashioned and
delicious.
2 kg piece of salt beef, rolled up and tied
(About 5 pounds)
4 large carrots, peeled and cut in half crosswise
4 onions, peeled, stem end intact as much as possible
1 small head of white cabbage, trimmed and cut into thick wedges, kept intact as much as possible
1 stick of celery
3 fresh sage sprigs
4 black peppercorns
For the sauce:
50g butter (3 1/2 TBS)
plan on one to two weeks curing in the brine
Salt
Petre, or potassium nitrate, is one of the ingredients used to preserve
the meat in a salt brine. You can possibly get it via a sausage making
site. I got mine from my sister who sent it to me from Canada. It not
only helps to preserve the meat, but also to give it that nice red
colour.
500g of salt mixed with 100g of salt petre (generous 2 cups of salt, I could not find the equivalent of cup measures
for the salt petre. I suspect it is about 1/2 cup. If you can't get the salt petre, use 600g of sea salt, or 2 1/2 cups)
300g soft dark brown sugar (1 1/2 cups packed)
2.25 lires of freshly boiled water and 750ml ice cold water
(9 1/2 cups boiled water and a generous 3 cups ice cold water)
25g whole coriander seeds (2 TBS)
6 black peppercorns
6 allspice berries
2 whole cloves
1 cardamom pod
3 bay leaves
2 kg of BONELESS beef topside or brisket
(Do NOT use bone in meat or your meat will rot rather than cure. Cut off any large chunks of fat and discard)
Put
the salt and salt petre into a large pan with the hot water and brown
sugar. Bring to the boil. While you are waiting for the water to
boil, place all of the spices, with the exception of the bay leaves,
into a very hot large skillet. Take the skillet off the heat and
shake the pan to toast the spices Get a piece of muslin and tie the
spices up in it and drop it into the boiling water along with the bay
leaves. Boil for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in
the ice cold water. Leave until completely cold. Once it is completely
cold, put the meat in, making sure it is completely submerged. If it
trys to float, weight it down with a few tins, and cover the pan with a
tight fitting lid. Place in the refrigerator and leave for 10 to 14
days. The thicker your piece of meat the longer you will want to leave
it. Longer is better and up to 14 days will ensure a proper cure. It
is important that the meat stay completely submerged. Once cured, it
will keep for about a week in the refrigerator, or a bit longer if you
have used salt petre. It will last up to 3 months, properly wrapped,
in the freezer.
I just have to tell you about this new Smokin' Hot Dog Sauce from Newman's Own. I was sent a bottle of it last week and we have fallen in love with it. It's absolutely gorgeous and went really well with the salt beef also.
From this spring, Smokin' Hot Dog Sauce from all-profits-to-charity brand Newman's Own will be available from Morrisons stores here in the UK. Available later this month, the sauce will launch in time for the summer BBQ season and will form part of a new American Condiments range to be rolled out throughout the year. This is only the first thing of what will be a few products.
I have to say it's the most delicious hotdog sauce I have ever eaten. We had it with some of our salt beef of course, but we've also enjoyed it on a few hot dogs, and in truth I could eat the stuff with a spoon. It's sweet, and smoky and has some sassy spice going on! I could eat it with a spoon! It will be rolled out in the Morrison's chain of supermarkets later this month retailing at £1.89 per bottle and is worth every finger licking penny. What's nice about the Newman's Own products as well is that all of the profits are given over to a variety of charities. Win/win!
*Salt Beef with Vegetables and a Parsley Sauce*
Serves 6 to 8
50g plain flour (scant 1/3 cup)
200ml of whole milk (7 1/2 fluid ounces)
1 TBS English Mustard Powder
a handful of fresh parsley
a handful of fresh parsley
salt and black pepper to taste
(chances are you won't need any salt)
To serve:
boiled potatoes
mustard
Buttered brown bread
Put
the beef into a pot along with the carrots, and onions. Cover with
cold water and add the celery, sage and peppercorns. Bring to the boil,
then reduce to a slow simmer and cook, tighty covered for about an
hour, skimming off any scum which rises to the top from time to time.
Add the wedges of cabbage and cook, tightly covered, for a further 30 to
40 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender. At the end of that time
remove the meat to a large platter and tent to keep warm. Strain off
300ml (1 1/4 cups) of the cooking liquid and reserve. Leave the
vegetables in the cooking liquor to keep warm.
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour and mustard powder. Cook for about 1 minute, then slowly whisk in the reserved cooking liquor and the milk. Cook, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens and boils. Cook for a minute. Remove from the heat. Bang in the parsley and blitz with a stick blender or in the food processor until you have a greenish sauch with bits of parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
Slice
the meat if you can, or tear into large chunks. Serve a portion of
meat on heated plates along with a portion of the cooked vegetables and
some boiled potatoes. Pass the sauce and or mustard if desired, and
buttered brown bread.Melt the butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour and mustard powder. Cook for about 1 minute, then slowly whisk in the reserved cooking liquor and the milk. Cook, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens and boils. Cook for a minute. Remove from the heat. Bang in the parsley and blitz with a stick blender or in the food processor until you have a greenish sauch with bits of parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
*How to Make Your Own Salt Beef*
Serves 6 to 8for the salt petre. I suspect it is about 1/2 cup. If you can't get the salt petre, use 600g of sea salt, or 2 1/2 cups)
I just have to tell you about this new Smokin' Hot Dog Sauce from Newman's Own. I was sent a bottle of it last week and we have fallen in love with it. It's absolutely gorgeous and went really well with the salt beef also.
From this spring, Smokin' Hot Dog Sauce from all-profits-to-charity brand Newman's Own will be available from Morrisons stores here in the UK. Available later this month, the sauce will launch in time for the summer BBQ season and will form part of a new American Condiments range to be rolled out throughout the year. This is only the first thing of what will be a few products.
I have to say it's the most delicious hotdog sauce I have ever eaten. We had it with some of our salt beef of course, but we've also enjoyed it on a few hot dogs, and in truth I could eat the stuff with a spoon. It's sweet, and smoky and has some sassy spice going on! I could eat it with a spoon! It will be rolled out in the Morrison's chain of supermarkets later this month retailing at £1.89 per bottle and is worth every finger licking penny. What's nice about the Newman's Own products as well is that all of the profits are given over to a variety of charities. Win/win!
Thankfully I was always a good cook and quite adept at creating something very delicious out of not a lot! Tasty dishes such as this stone soup I am showing you today . . .
There
was a method to my madness . . . while they might not have gotten
excited about a bowl of cabbage soup, calling it Stone Soup immediately
made them want to tuck in!
I
am sure you are familiar with the story of the beggar who went to a poor village looking for a place to sleep and a bite to eat. The villagers were very suspicious however and were not that eager to help, but being as canny and smart as he was, he inspired them into helping him create a delicious stone soup that the whole village shared together at the end of the story. You can find the story here.
Its a wonderful story with a great moral to it, teaching children that if we can work together on things, then amazing things will begin to happen!
Things like delicious pots of soup that started with not a lot more than half a cabbage, an onion, a tin of tomatoes, some water and a vegetable stock pot.
Of course there are a few seasonings involved as well, which are never a problem in my house because I always have a well stocked herb drawer.
With a bit of crusty bread on the side this soup goes down a real treat! We have always loved it. It takes the humble cabbage and lifts it up into something quite, quite magnificent!
*Stone Soup*
Serves 4 generously
There was another meal that my children used to gobble up that I called Monkey in the Middle, which was simply stewed meat in the middle of a plate, surrounded by a ring of corn and then a ring of rice. The children loved that. It was simple and delicious and made all the more so for its name. Funny how that goes! Bon Appetit!
Can you ever have too many coleslaw recipes? I think not! I love coleslaw and I am always figuring out new ways of presenting it, flavours to add to it, etc. I especially like this version here today, which is a tad bit different than the usual variety. Salad season is one of my favourite seasons! But then having said that, I could eat coleslaw any time of the year!
I thought it would be fun to share some healthy Saint Patrick's Day options today which I have gathered from around the www. All look tasty. All look simple. All are very healthy, diabetic friendly and sure to a smile on your Saint Patrick's Day loving family's faces! So put on your green and lets eat some healthy grub!
The Toddster is a real meat and potatoes man. I could serve him meat and potatoes every night of the week and there would be no complaints from him!
He loves a pork chop more than anything else. We aren't real big eaters of red meat, but when it comes right down to it, if he had his choice, he would pick a pork chop over a steak every time!
I, on the other hand, would rather have a steak. With a baked potato and a salad on the side. That is my heaven.
This is a beautiful one dish bake that is perfectly sized for two people.
Layers of cabbage, potato, green beans are put into a baking dish, and then topped with pan browned chops. Apple juice is poured over all . . .
You then cover it tightly and bake it for a time . . . uncover, sprinkle with buttered bread crumbs and bake it for a little while longer to brown the crumbs.
The end result is flavourful, fork tender pork chops . . . succulent. I like to use old fashioned bone in chops . . .
I use frozen whole green beans and this keeps them from over cooking too much. They are just right. I cut my potatoes about 1/4 inch thick. They absorbe the meat juices and the apple juice, and that cabbage at the bottom . . . wow
I adore cabbage and do does Pork. Pork and cabbage are beautiful partners. The whole dish, with everything put together is simply marvelous! Whenever I cook this, Todd is one very happy camper!
*Autumn Pork Chop Dinner*
Serves 2
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/gas mark 4. Have ready an 11-inch by 7-inch by 2-inch deep baking dish.
Heat the oil in a skillet. Dust the chops with salt, black pepper, sage and thyme. Brown on both sides in the skillet.
Toss the cabbage together with the brown sugar and parsley. Spread out in the bottom of the baking dish. Season with a bit of salt and black pepper. Top with the potato slices. Season with a bit of salt and black pepper. Scatter the green beans over top and then lay the pork chops on top of everything. Pour the apple juice over all. Cover tightly and then bake in the oven for 45 minutes until the pork chops and vegetables are tender. Uncover. Mix together the bread crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle over top. Return the baking dish to the oven and roast for a further 15 minutes until golden brown.
Quantities can very easily be doubled or tripled to feed more. I think you are really going to love this if you make it. In fact, if you like pork chops and cabbage, you are going to adore this! Bon Appetit and Happy Autumn!
Now that the calendar has rolled over into December, I don't feel guilty at all about sharing Christmas recipes with you! It's full steam ahead now for the holidays, and with that in mind I wanted to share with you today a tasty recipe from the people at Schwartz which is perfect for holiday meal celebrations! Braised Red Cabbage is a delicious side dish that goes wonderfully with your holiday roasts, be it turkey, beef, pork, gammon, bacon . . . whatever!
My Todd is a real meat and potatoes kind of a guy. If I want to keep him happy food wise, it's not all that hard to do. A bit of meat and some mashed potatoes and he's as content as can be.
One of his favourite meat fests happens to be Sausage and Mash. A fluffy and buttery pile of hot mashed potatoes, topped with two juicy grilled sausages . . . the whole thing smothered in onion gravy. This is truly the way to his meat loving heart.
It's a bit boring though . . . or at least that's my thoughts . . . I like to amp it up a bit if I can. Not so much that it becomes poncey . . . just a tad to add excitement and interest.
Adding a bit of Parsnip to the regular mash gives it a wonderfully different flavour . . . just a hint of sweetness that goes so very well with the herby flavour of a plump rich butcher's sausage.
Cabbage . . . stir fried and retaining a bit of a bite . . . the perfect go with.
Topped off with a delightfully tangy honey mustard vinaigrette, with the garnish of wonderfully crunchy toasted hazelnuts, this went down a real treat.
He never even missed the gravy. Bisto who??
*Herby Sausages with Parsnip Mash and Stir Fried Cabbage*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe
Pan grilled sausages, all sticky and brown and served along side of a delicious parsnip mash and tasty cabbage, drizzled with a tangy honey mustard dressing. Delicious!
1 ½ pounds good quality thick meaty herby sausages (I use Cumberland
as they are my favourites, but any well flavoured one will do, Irish herb ones
are nice too.)
750g floury potatoes, peeled and cut into small dice
4 parsnips, peeled and sliced into rounds
4 TBS crème fraiche
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 TBS grainy mustard
2 tsp white wine vinegar
1 TBS runny honey with a mild flavour, like acacia
3 TBS mild extra virgin olive oil
2 ounces hazelnuts, chopped and lightly toasted
2 ounces butter
1 savoy cabbage, finely shredded
Place the sausages in a lightly greased and heated skillet. Cook over medium heat, turning from time to time, until nicely browned all over, and cooked through. Keep warm.
While the sausages are cooking, put the potatoes and parsnips into a saucepan of lightly salted water. Bring to the boil. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until tender. Drain well and return to the hot pot. Shake over the residual heat on the burner to dry them out a bit and then mash well along with the crème fraiche. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Keep warm.
Melt the butter in another skillet. When it is foaming, add the cabbage and cook, stirring it until it begins to soften, but still retains a little texture. Season to taste.
Whisk together the mustard with the vinegar, honey and a bit of salt. Whisk in the olive oil and hazelnuts.
Divide the hot mash equally between 4 heated plates. Top with several sausages and add a spoonful of the cabbage on the side. Drizzle all with the honey mustard vinaigrette and serve immediately.
I try to take a list with me whenever I go grocery shopping, and I try really hard to stick to it . . . but I always inevitably come home with a few things that weren't on my list. And it's not normally something like biscuits or other naughty bits . . . it's more than likely to be a fruit or a vegetable that's just caught my eye and created a craving.
The other day I came upon some Cavolo Nero Cabbage, and it looked really tasty . . . really nice, dark green and very fresh looking . . . it's leaves all tightly crinkled. Flavorsome and mildly astringent, it is a lovely brassica that is a real favourite of mine. It's chock full of vitamins and good things. It's also known as Black Cabbage, Tuscan Cabbage and Black or Dinosaur Kale, due to it's upright and extremely wrinkled black green leaves. Of course I had to bring some home with me.
It's just lovely shredded and added to vegetable soups, and is lovely when braised. You can even toss it with some olive oil and seasonings and then bake it in the oven until it is crispy like Kale Chips. Today I decided to just make a simple gratin with it, using up some things in my fridge that needed using up. I had some pancetta cubes that were coming close to their sell by date and a pot of double cream . . . just perfect for using up in this delicious dish. Very easy to make . . . I like easy to make as I am rather lazy at times. I put my hand up and admit it.
You will want to wash it really well as, with all of those little crinkles . . . it has a tendency to hold in grit and dirt. Just wash it under some running water and shake it dry. I always cut the middle stems out of the Cavolo as it can be a bit stringy and fibrous, and I am not all that fond of the texture. Then I just simply slice it crosswise coarsely, and steam.
Bacon and cabbage are perfect partners and so I sauteed the pancetta until it was just beginning to crisp and let out it's juices and then I added a chopped onion, and cooked it all until it was golden and soft. Then I dumped in the pot of cream and a tablespoon of Dijon mustard.
I put the steamed cabbage into a shallow baking dish and then I poured the delicious cream mixture over top, sprinkled with come crisp and buttery crumbs and then banged it into the oven until the whole thing was bubbly and the crumbs were turning a nice golden brown.
The sauce was rich, but not overly so . . . with smokey undertones from the bacon and a bit of sharpness from the mustard . . . and then of course there was that golden sweetness of the onions . . . all going very well with those dark green, slightly bitter and astringent leaves.
It made a fabulous simple supper tonight, along with a crusty loaf and a few slices of cheddar cheese. A simple supper for a cool Monday evening . . . warming and satisfying.
*A Tasty Gratin of Cavolo Nero*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe
Simple and delicious.
300g of Cavolo Nero
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
140g of diced pancetta (about 1/2 cup)
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
375ml of cream
1 heaped TBS of Dijon mustard
buttered crumbs
Wash the Cavolo Nero well. Trim out and discard the thick ribs in the center, and coarsely chop. Fill a large skillet half full of water. Season generously with salt and bring to the boil. Add the Cavolo Nero and cover. Steam for about 5 minutes, then drain well. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/gas mark 4.
Add the diced pancetta to the skillet and cook until it begins to release it's fat. Add the onion. Cook and stir until the pancetta is lightly crisped and the onion has softened. Add the Dijon mustard and cream, whisking all together. Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat. Taste and adjust seasoning as required with salt and pepper.
Butter a gratin dish. Place half of the steamed cabbage in the dish. Drizzle with half of the cream mixture. Add the remaining cabbage mixture, piling it up slightly in the centre. Pour the remainder of the cream over top and sprinkle with buttered crumbs.
Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, until bubbling and the top has nicely browned. Serve warm.
Thanks so much to all of you who purchased my Christmas Cook-booklet yesterday. I do hope that you are enjoying it! If you happened to miss it and are interested, you will find all of the information about it up on the right hand side of my page. I think it's a real fun little book.
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