Newsletter #10 – Meat mixed grill

The Mixed Grill (part 2 – with meat)

I hope you have your grill or frypan handy for this week’s recipe. Alternatively if the weather is fine and warmish and you have a few friends over, why don’t you fire up the Barbie?

I have avoided including a number of meats that would have featured in The Adam’s Hotel traditional mixed grill. Nevertheless at around 300g of uncooked meat plus sides it is still a large meal, but plated, it looks very appealing.

If you are shopping at a minimum service supermarket you may struggle to purchase ‘single’ amounts, so you will have to resort to storing the extra cutlets and sausages in your freezer.

If you are tempted to make your gravy from scratch, perhaps make it the day before and then leave out what you think you need and freeze the rest.

Firstly blanch the chips in either boiling water for ten minutes or in the hot canola oil (around 150c) for seven minutes before draining. Leave them on the side for the final cooking

Importantly, pat all the meats dry with kitchen paper before seasoning the lamb, beef and pork. Brush the meats with oil and add a little oil to your hot pan.

The sausage should take the longest so start with that and then progressively the other meats. The mushroom should be next, followed by tomato, apple and finally the bacon. If you are grilling for a few people, keep the bits and pieces warm in the oven as they finish cooking. Juices that collect are precious and should be added to the gravy, plus perhaps a dash of red wine.

Meanwhile you’ll need to get the peas going in salted boiling water and also heat the gravy.

The chips should now return to the hot oil (about 180c). Cook them until golden brown and crispy. When perfect drain them and place them on kitchen paper to absorb the last of the oil.

Choose a large dinner plate for assembly and consider presenting the peas and chips separately.

I chose a grill plate with ridges that could fit on the glass-topped stove we have. You will also need two small saucepans – one for your chips and one for the green peas. To heat the gravy, your microwave will do.

The Mixed Grill (part 2 - with meat)

(per person)

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Course: Main Course

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• One x Lamb cutlet French trimmed
• One x thick Chicken and fetta Sausage
• 60 g Pork fillet centre cut
• 60 g Beef steak fillet or sirloin
• 50 g Streaky bacon
• One x fresh tomato ‘golf ball size’, firm, ripe, cored.
• One flat mushroom
• One garlic clove peeled, thinly sliced.
• One slice about 4mmGranny Smith apple
• Extra virgin Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 50 g frozen peas
• Two leaves fresh mint
• 250 g potato one large, peeled and cut into 70-80mm x 15ml x 15ml strips
• 5 g butter
• 200 ml canola oil
• 80 ml sauce Espagnole gravy
• Sharwood’s mango and ginger chutney to serve
• Watercress or parsley garnish

Method

 

1. Assemble and prepare all the non-meat accompaniments for your mixed grill – chips, mushroom, tomato, apple, garlic, parsley
2. Blanch the chips for ten minutes in boiling water. The cut potatoes should still be holding together when done. Drain them, let them dry out and put aside till later
3. Pre-heat your grill plate. It needs to be hot enough to grill but not too hot to char any single ingredient
4. Pat all the meat dry and then lightly salt the lamb, chicken and beef
5. Brush those meats with oil
6. Start grilling the sausage and progressively add the other the other meats
7. Adjust the heat accordingly
8. When you are comfortable with how the meat is progressing add the mushroom you have seasoned, oiled and popped the garlic in.
9. It’s time to get your deep fryer pot going and your other pot happening for the peas.
10. When the oil is hot enough carefully add the potatoes
11. Brush the tomato and apple with oil and add to the grill plate
12. Add your peas to the boiling salted water
13. Add the bacon to the grill plate
14. When the individual grills are done to your liking, take them off and let them sit for a minute or two
15. This should give you enough time to finish the chips, peas and gravy
16. Drain the peas and add the butter and mint.
17. Turn your deep fryer off and carefully take out the finished chips; drain them well and lightly salt them
18. Add collected meat juices to the gravy
19. Arrange everything on a pre-warmed plate.
20. Serve with chutney on the side.

Notes

There’s a bit to think about in the recipe and timing is important
• Adjust the meats to suit your tastes
• Think about combining elements of this recipe with the vegetarian mixed grill from two weeks ago

Sauce Espagnole  – Our Gravy

This sauce is one of five ‘Mother sauces’ of France. The other four “mother sauces are Bechamel, Veloute, Tomato and Hollandaise. Sauce Espagnole will be the base sauce for our gravy. Check ‘Cookery Basics’ for the recipe for beef stock; alternatively you could purchase a readymade stock.

SAUTE BACON AND VEGETABLES

EVERYTHING IN – COOKING

STRAINING

FINISHED PRODUCT

Sauce Espagnole  - Our Gravy

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Course: Side Dish

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 25 g butter
• 25 g bacon roughly diced.
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1/4 cup diced carrot
• 1/4 cup diced celery
• 25 g plain flour
• 750 ml beef stock
• 1 bay leaf
• Two sprigs fresh thyme
• Four fresh parsley stems
• ½ tsp whole black peppercorns
• 100 ml tbsp tomato puree

Equipment

• You’ll need a heavy based saucepan and a fine strainer for this recipe

Method

 

1. Heat your saucepan and melt the butter. When sizzling add the bacon
2. Sauté the bacon for 5 minutes; add the diced vegetables and continue cooking until the bacon and vegetables are nicely coloured. Take off heat.
3. Add the flour to absorb the fat. This is called a roux. Place the saucepan back on a low heat to cook out the flour for 2 minutes. Take off heat
4. Add the stock and stir to dissolve the roux. Make sure the bottom of the saucepan is free of roux.
5. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring the liquid to the boil.
6. When boiling turn down to a low simmer.
7. Simmer for one hour.
8. Avoid seasoning at this stage
9. Strain through a fine strainer
10. Refrigerate, freeze or use straight away.

Notes

You may be wondering why I took the saucepan off the heat. The general rule when making roux is that you add cold stock to hot roux or vice versa. This is to eliminate the lumps that form when you add hot to hot.
As mentioned this is a base sauce and can be used in most recipes requiring a “gravy” style sauce.
Use the collected juices from the grilled meat to enrich the espagnole or a packet gravy mix