With all the different cuts of beef, veal, lamb, goat and pork, both fresh and cured, there’s a lot to discover in the world of meat cookery. From a simple steak dressed up with an easy sauce to a complex braise or casserole; in soups, salads and sandwiches; for special occasions, picnics or late night snacks, here are some of my favourite meat recipes.
Gnocchi Fritti with Salumi Join my Small Group Food & Wine Tours to Emilia-Romagna, Home of Gnocchi Fritti Gnocchi fritti are crisp puffs of deep-fried dough served with salumi all over Emilia-Romagna, they’re also popular in neighbouring Lombardy where they’re called chisolini. If you (or your guests) don’t eat salumi, they’re excellent with smoked salmon […]
Bresaola, Watercress & Egg Salad I fell in love with bresaola when I was researching A Lombardian Cookbook in Italy with Alessandro Pavoni. A specialty of Lombardy, bresaola is salt-cured beef eye round that’s dried in the crisp Alpine air. Virtually identical to Swiss bündnerfleisch (viande des Grisons) from just across the border in the […]
Lamb Loin Chops with Garlic Oregano Marinade Lamb chops were a fixture on the menu when I was a kid and I’d forgotten how good they are until I noticed them recently at the butchers and thought I’d give them another try. They’re like tiny T-bone steaks and just delicious dressed up with this simple […]
Axoa d’Espelette (Basque Veal Stew) I discovered axoa d’Espelette, a classic Basque dish, when I visited the town of Espelette in southwestern France, famous for its mild dark red chillies drying under the eaves of the whitewashed houses. I brought home jars of the ground piment d’Espelette which flavours this and so many other Basque […]
Potato Salad Potato salad is my go-to dish for picnics, barbecues and any family gathering, it’s delicious with virtually everything, including veal schnitzel. For me, hard boiled eggs are a must; the yolks break up a little and add their creaminess to the dressing. Pancetta is optional, I like its saltiness, but you can make […]
French Onion Soup Soup, bread, cheese: three of my favourite comfort foods. I love French onion soup because it combines all three! Beef stock is considered the traditional base, but I often use chicken stock or just water. Sometimes I use the stock leftover from poaching veal for vitello tonnato and find the vinegar cuts […]
Rare Roast Beef Sandwich Rare roast beef sandwiches are popular in the USA, especially the north east, as a closed sandwich, often with American cheddar-style cheese melted over the beef. I prefer an open version without the cheese, using delicious Sonoma miche bread. The essentials are thinly shaved rare roast beef, a creamy sauce (usually […]
Wagyu Hamburger A discovery of wagyu beef patties at Vic’s Meat Market inspired me to make my own wagyu hamburgers – bringing back wonderful childhood memories of family road trips down the south coast of NSW. Stopping at a milk bar along the way for a hamburger was a rare holiday treat that ended up […]
Rare Roast Beef A simple piece of rare roast beef is a great centrepiece for any table. Two tips ensure success: bring the meat to room temperature before cooking it (about an hour out of the fridge depending on the weather) and rest it for at least half as long as you cook it. I […]
Steak Tartare As a reformed vegetarian, it’s odd that my favourite way to eat meat is raw, but I can rarely resist this dish when I see it on a menu. I love the theatre of it being mixed tableside by an experienced waiter and the traditional crinkly pommes gaufrettes with it, though crisped baguette […]
