Wednesday, October 12, 2016

BEEF ENCOUNTER





(The second chapter of my previous post -"The Art of Growing Up...One Step at a Time" will probably be posted next week)
 
I’ve got a quite a few beefs, but I won’t bore you with them.  I won’t be a beast of burden and off-load them onto you. I’m sure you have more than enough of your own to deal with than to listen to my tripe. When I have a bone to pick I try to iron things out privately, in private, by telling myself to just get on with things. I give myself a virtual slap on the cheek, telling myself to get over it; to stop wasting energy on things over which mostly I have absolutely no control.  Sometimes I miss the mark, and I whack myself on the flank; and that hurts!  There really is no point stewing over things.  Doing so just makes matters worse; but, of course, like with many things, it’s easier said than done.

However, when we realise the only person we’re stressing out is one’s own true self, it’s time to wake up and smell the roses...not the manure.  

When I discover I’ve by-passed the roses for the manure I chuck a wobbly, and then give myself a good roasting. 

Once I’ve got all the beefs out of my system I don my favourite skirt and head out in the hope I’ll run into Sir Loin who has his lion share of fans, by the way.  

Sir Loin lives above the Porter House, around the T-Bone bend on the top side of the road.  I love to rib him by pulling his leg.   Often I teasingly call him “Sweetbreads”. In retaliation he calls me “Sweet Cheeks”.  It’s all in the name of fun; I’d stake my life on that. 

Our ribbing beefs things up in what often is a dreary world.  

He tells me – “I’ve got my eye on you, young lady!”  (He generously uses “young”. I don’t have the heart to contradict him). 

Laughingly, although sometimes tinged with a hint of ire, he gives me a tongue-lashing. However, within seconds, like kidney stones, the slightest sign of annoyance passes.  

Sir Loin never wakes up with, as my Nana used to say when my Mum woke up in a grumpy mood – “Your mother woke up with S-O-L this morning!”  (In other words - “blank” on the liver!  You can fill in the blank)!
  
I wonder if anyone uses that descriptive term these days, or like many other things, has it gone out of fashion?  

Although his hair is a little on the silver side these days, Sir Loin’s wit is still as sharp as a blade.  “The world is your oyster” is one of his sayings.  

He sometimes sternly states; “Knuckle down! Get your rump into gear!” 

He and his brother “Short” Loin are similar in tastes as well as other things.  They’re cut from the same beast, so to speak.

 “Short” is a good sport. Whichever way you look at it both are tender Loins.  

I enjoy tearing strips off them. I pretend to kick them in the shin, or dig them in the ribs. It matters not – they have spare ribs.

Rather than being a stiff neck and having a beef I prefer to have fun and a belly laugh.  
If you give me the cold shoulder I’ll rack off. 

Relax! I won’t get on a roll and list all my beefs; just a couple...

To round off - the other day I did have a beef as big as a grass-fed Santa Gertrudis.  I had a problem with a service and was forced to talk with someone in the Philippines, Timbuktu or Uzbekistan who spoke quietly at a rapid rate of knots. Her accent was difficult to decipher, and, annoyingly, the line (on her end) also kept breaking up. 

Grinding my teeth, I tried not to get hot under the collar. I failed...not miserably...I just failed and I was miserable.  I did my best to disguise my mood.  I needed the problem fixed so figured going with the approach....a little oil helps fix squeaky wheels (and it soothes cranky beasts, too, I think).

Secondly, I’ve a constant beef about those who’ve forgotten the two simple words in the English language (or in any other language, for that matter – I’m not here to split hairs or to be pedantic) – “Thank you”.  So simple, and yet, so hard for some to say....

Thirdly...I’ve no beef with folk who don’t mince their words, unless they’re unnecessarily frank, thoughtlessly hurting the feelings of others. There’s no stock in doing so.

That’s enough beefs for one day....

Braised Beef Cheeks: Heat 2tbs olive oil in a heavy pan; sear 1.5kg trimmed beef cheeks in batches over med-heat on all sides, until a nice crust. Remove beef; add 2tbs olive oil, 200g thickly sliced speck, 2 trimmed, chopped leeks, 4 sliced carrots, 4 sliced celery stalks and 4 garlic cloves; toss well; cook 5mins. Add 500ml red wine; simmer 5mins; add 400ml chicken stock, 2tbs tomato paste, 4 anchovy fillets, 2 bay leaves, 4 thyme sprigs, 2 rosemary sprigs; season. Return beef cheeks; simmer 5mins. Tightly cover; cook in 150C oven 4-1/2hrs or until tender. To serve, pick out herbs; strain half cooking liquid in to pan; boil until glossy; serve cheeks with mashed potato, pasta or polenta; ladle reduced sauce over top.

Beef Olives: Heat 1tbs olive oil in pan; add 3tbs pine nuts and 1tbs cumin seeds; stir over med-heat until nuts are golden and seeds start to pop. Soak 1/4c currants in boiling water, 1min. Steam 1 bunch spinach until just wilted; drain; chop. Combine pine nuts, cumin, currants, spinach, 1/4c chopped coriander, grated rind of 1 lemon and 1c cooked couscous; season; then firmly press into sausage shape.  Cut 1kg topside steak into 8 thin pieces; flatten with meat mallet. Place the stuffing in centre of beef pieces; fold beef over to enclose; tuck ends in; secure firmly with string. Heat 2tbs olive oil in large casserole; brown beef rolls on all sides; remove from casserole. Add 2 chopped onions; cook until golden. Add 500ml red wine, 2c beef stock and2tbs tomato paste; bring to boil; add beef; cover; cook at l170C, 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Remove string. Serve beef olives with sauce poured over top, along with roasted kumara mash and fresh spinach and rocket tossed salad.   ** This is a variation on one of the first recipes I cooked during my Home Science course taken when I was going to High School.  I still have the original recipe written and illustrated in the original book I'd put together for school.

Beef Mince Wellington: Chop 1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 celery stalk and 1 med-potato into 1cm cubes. Put 2tbs olive oil in pan; add vegetables, sprinkling beef stock powder and mixed herbs. On med-heat, fry 9mins; add 2 minced garlic cloves. Cool; add 500g beef mince; season.  Lightly beat 1 egg; add half to mince; mix together. Place mince along one long side of puff pastry sheet in sausage shape; brush edges with egg; roll pastry over mince; seal. Put on baking tray; brush with egg; bake 1hr in 175C oven.

24 comments:

  1. I don't fool around much with beef. I buy a steak, fry it up a little more rare than medium and eat it. Sometimes I'll save half and slice it for a sandwich the next day.
    Or I'll buy mince and add eggs, crumbs and herbs to make burgers/patties/rissoles. Whatever you want to call them. I'll fry the loot, then freeze what I don't eat right away, in meal sized portions.

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    1. I'm not sure what you mean be "fooling around" with beef. The recipes given are pretty simple, I feel. I like my food to taste tasty.

      In fact,I don't eat a lot of beef these days, but I'll never completely give it up and become a total vegetarian. When I do have myself some beef...I like it to be of good quality; and I savour it.

      Thanks for coming by, River. :)

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    2. "Fooling around" is what I think when I'm looking through a cookbook and some of the recipes are so complicated it would take me hours to make.
      I prefer something simple, like just frying a steak, or like your recipes here, quick and easy. The longest beef recipe I have is the beef casserole I make and the beef potroast, they both take a similar amount of time.

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  2. D'Oh! Loot should be lot (*~*)

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  3. No beef for me (despite having far too many beefs). And not a lot for himself when he is home.
    You are so right about it being better to enjoy the roses than to wallow in the manure though.

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    1. Hi EC....as I said in my response to River, I don't eat a lot of beef, but when I do, I want it to be of good quality and I enjoy it. I guess I'm more of vegetarian than anything these days. I do love my salmon fillets and chicken...with a good steak thrown in once in a while. Weeks can go by before I eat red meat, and then when I do I want it to be worthwhile. I love lamb, too; and again, I don't eat it all the time, either.

      Thanks for coming by. :)

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  4. I crave a delicious rump roast cooked the way Mom always did. One problem...can't afford that roast these days.. and that is my biggest beef.

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    1. Hey Annie....Now I think I might just have to get myself a little piece of rump to roast...with loads of roast vegetables, perhaps even a broccoli or cauliflower au gratin to accompany it...and some delicious gravy to join the gang - and some horseradish cream! Yum! Yum!

      Thanks for coming by. :)

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  5. Good use of all beefy terms.

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    1. Hi Gail...it was all a bit of fun! Thanks for coming by. :)

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  6. That was very clever. I try not to get into beefs because in the long run, I am chicken.

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    1. Hahahaha...very good, Arleen! I love it! Thanks for coming by. :)

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  7. I haven't eaten beef for over 20 years I do eat bison though, less fat content similar taste but a bit sweeter if beef can be sweet. when I read your title I kept saying in my mind Brief Encounter. Ha.

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    1. Hi Linda...my title was a play on "Brief Encounter"....so you were on the right train! :)

      I don't eat a lot of beef...but that doesn't mean I don't like it...I do. I pretty much like and eat everything...in moderation.

      Thanks for coming by. :)

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  8. Mmm... beef cheeks. My daughter and I recently had them in a great little restaurant called The Samuel Fox in nearby Bradwell. Divine. So tender and in a lovely rich sauce. Some of the comments above this one needed beefing up in my humble opinion.

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    1. Hey Yorkie...I'm a carnivore, vegetarian, vegan, sweet eater et al...and proud of it. Nothing is off my menu. I'm not allergic to anything - other than some people - there is little I don't enjoy. I don't eat a lot of processed foods, nor do I eat junk food such as Kentucky Fried, McDonalds and the like.

      And there's nothing quite like roast beef with Yorkshire Pudding and a rich, beef gravy...yum!

      Thanks for coming by, Sweet Cheeks! :)

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    2. So pleased you like to chow down on a Yorkshire pudding Lee.

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    3. Hahahahaha! I refuse to comment further in the fear of incriminating myself! It's probably too late....I probably already have!

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  9. I find it funny that I can cook better beef on my BBQ at home than I ever got in 30 years in the UK! Got to love the food here!

    Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

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    1. Yes, we are very fortunate, Stewart, and we so often take it for granted. Our availability of fresh meats, seafood, fruit and vegetables is not to be scoffed at.

      There's nothing quite like a good piece of beef cooked over a grill. A flavour unique unto itself.

      Thanks for coming by. :)

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  10. Whatever you do do NOT offer the recipe for that sauce you have just been downing!
    It could cause an accident!

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    1. Huh? The only sauce I've been downing Mr. Ad-Man is water. I suppose I could drown...but I don't think so.

      Thanks for coming by. :)

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  11. You are so funny! So sorry to be late to the party - I've had a crazy few days.

    The beef "olives" sure look good. Yum.

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    1. No need to apologise, Lynn....I'm running far behind in catching up with blogs, too. I think I might have to jump in my car in order to catch up!

      Thanks for coming by. :)

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