The Curragh in Co Kildare is usually associated with the Irish army barracks or a fine days horse racing at the Irish Derby, Oaks, Irish Guineas, St. Ledge…but recently butchers from all over the country, north and south converged on the Curragh clutching boxes of precious homemade sausages, black puddings and their finest steaks.
They were there to compete in the National Irish Steak Challenge and I was invited to be a judge along with 30 others including master butchers, meat scientists, industry professionals and chefs. What a day, we tasted and judged over 25 sirloin, rump, and fillet steaks. Other teams of judges tasted the sausages and the black and white puddings.
Chefs Dolan Heaney, Sean Owens and their team, laboured non-stop all day cooking the steaks in the kitchen of the Curragh restaurant normally frequented by hungry racegoers.
The awards are a serious business, we worked in threes, examining, first the raw steaks then tasting mostly juicy morsels of the cooked meat. We each marked them for appearance, flavour and tenderness then we tasted.
Finally it was narrowed down to six finalists to ascertain the winners. We tasted and pondered over 100 steaks in total.
I know you have no sympathy for me, but by the end I wasn’t craving a juicy steak any time soon but I have to say I was mightily impressed and heartened by the standard.
Here in Ireland, despite the fact that we’ve lost quite a number of butchers, we are fortunate to still have many local butchers, this is not the case in many countries where the meat business has been lost to the big meat plants and supermarkets. Animals are slaughtered and butchered in large meat factories. They can undoubtedly be traced back to the farm or increasingly feedlot where they are reared but the skill and knowledge of being able to choose an animal at its optimum stage of maturity is not needed. Nor are the butchering skills or the in-depth knowledge of the carcass and how to utilise every scrap of the animal.
However, here in Ireland, we are still beyond fortunate to have a number of butchers who still have to have their own abattoirs so they can humanely kill the animals they have purchased at local marts or have carefully chosen from local beef farmers who proudly rear their animals on rich pasture to produce the very best quality meat.
Many of these butchers are second and third generation and in some cases even fifth generation so you can imagine how the skill and knowledge has been passed down from father to son through the years although there are indeed some talented women butchers also.
Those who are still fortunate enough to have butchers with their own abattoirs close by are fortunate indeed, for me they are the ultimate craft butchers. They know the story of the animals from the farm to the fork, how to dry age and are in total control of the quality. They are deeply knowledgeable about the different cuts of meat and how to cook them.
An animal is made up of many different cuts, some muscular, others like the fillet are super tender. Some can be flashed on a hot pan or grill for a few minutes while others need to be coaxed to melting tenderness by slow, gentle cooking.
Ironically the more muscular, less expensive cuts usually have far superior flavour but need more care and a different type of cooking.
If you are fortunate to have such a butcher in your local area, go out of your way to raise awareness and support them, otherwise they will be lost in the struggle to compete with supermarket prices.
Most people don’t realise that we are not comparing like with like. Dry aged meat is quite different to meat that is vac packed and aged in plastic, more economical and convenient of course, but less succulent and for me, often less flavoursome.
Skills are being lost for a variety of reasons, regrettable but understandable, economics and convenience are major factors. All the more reason to value and show our appreciation for the dwindling number of family butchers throughout Ireland, both north and south who continue to hone their craft and are anxious and determined to pass on the skills to future generations.
For a list of the winners in the Irish Craft Butchers Association Awards go to www.craftbutchers.ie
I will mention just two, the overall winner of several awards was Millar Meats (fillet and striploin steak category), a passionate family butcher for the past 20 years in Irvinestown, County Fermanagh who finishes the animals he buys from local farmers on his own land.
Winner of the ribeye steak with a Kingsbory Irish Wagyu ribeye was Kerrigan’s butchers from north County Dublin founded in 1973.
Just to be clear, not all butchers are members of the Craft Butcher Association. Some exemplars understandably just want to be independent; others are not joiners. If you have such a butcher close to you, celebrate and enjoy every morsel of their carefully chosen product on your plate. Chefs too can raise awareness by identifying the butcher and the farmer who raised the premium animal on their restaurant menus.
So this week, here are some steak recipes for you to enjoy.
Pan-grilled Steak with French Fried Onions and Béarnaise Sauce
Sirloin is more textural than fillet, with lots of flavour, but you can use either here or indeed a juicy ribeye either.
Of all the sauces to serve with steak, Béarnaise sauce is the classic combination and my absolute favourite. We find a heavy-ridged cast-iron grill pan best for cooking steaks when you don’t need to make a sauce in the pan. If the weight of these steaks sounds small by your standards, the portion size can be increased and the cooking times adjusted accordingly.
Serves 6
Ingredients
6 x 175g sirloin or fillet steaks
1 garlic clove
salt and freshly ground pepper
a little olive oil
To Serve
Béarnaise Sauce (see recipe)
French Fried Onions (see recipe)
fresh watercress (optional)
Method
To prepare the steaks, about 1 hour before cooking, if time allows, cut a clove of garlic in half and rub it on both sides of each steak. This simple step intensifies the beefy flavour. Then grind some black pepper over the steaks and sprinkle on a few drops of olive oil. Turn the steaks in the oil and leave aside. If using sirloin steaks, score the fat at 2.5cm intervals.
Make the Béarnaise sauce and keep it warm (see recipe).
Heat the grill pan on a high heat, season the steaks with a little salt and put them down onto the hot pan.
The cooking times for each side of the steaks are roughly as follows:
Sirloin Fillet
rare 2 mins 5 mins
medium-rare 3 mins 6 mins
medium 4 mins 7 mins
well-done 5 mins 8-9 mins
When cooking a sirloin steak, also turn it over onto the fat side and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the fat crisps up nicely. Put the steaks onto an upturned plate resting on another plate and leave them for a few minutes in a warm place while you make the French fried onions.
Transfer the steaks to hot serving plates.
Serve with French fried onions, béarnaise sauce, some homemade chips and a sprig of fresh watercress if available.
French Fried Onions
The mere mention of French fried onions put fear and dread into those watching their figures, but these involve only a little milk and seasoned flour, so they have a delicious crisp coating. Recently, my nephew Ivan Whelan gave me a great tip. He found that when he added a lightly whisked egg white to the milk it made the onion ring even crispier. The watch point here is not to cut the onion rings thicker than the recipe calls for, or else the coating will be overcooked while the onions are still raw. French fried onions are wonderful with beef, but we pile them up on salads and pan-fried venison, too. Paprika, Sichuan pepper, cumin and coriander can all be added to the flour to ring the changes.
Serves 6
Ingredients
1 egg white
300ml milk
2 large onions, peeled
225g seasoned flour
good-quality oil or beef dripping for deep-frying
Method
Whisk the egg white lightly and add it to the milk. Slice the onion into 5mm rings.
Separate the rings and cover with the milk mixture until needed. (The leftover milk may be boiled up, thickened with roux and used for a white or parsley sauce).
Just before serving, heat the oil or beef dripping to 180°C.
Toss the rings a few at a time in well-seasoned flour. Deep-fry for 2-3 minutes or until golden in the hot oil.
Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot.
Béarnaise Sauce
The consistency of Béarnaise sauce should be considerably thicker than that of Hollandaise or beurre blanc, both of which ought to be a light coating consistency. If you do not have tarragon vinegar to hand, use a wine vinegar and add some extra chopped fresh French tarragon.
Serves 8-10
Ingredients
4 tbsp tarragon vinegar
4 tbsp dry white wine
2 tsp finely chopped shallots
pinch of freshly ground pepper
2 organic egg yolks
110g butter
1 tbsp freshly chopped French tarragon leaves
Method
Boil the first 4 ingredients together in a low, heavy-bottomed, stainless-steel saucepan until completely reduced and the pan is almost dry but not browned. Add 1 tablespoon of cold water immediately. Pull the pan off the heat and leave to cool for 1 or 2 minutes.
Using a coil whisk, whisk in the egg yolks and add the butter bit by bit over a very low heat, whisking all the time. As soon as one piece melts, add the next piece; it will gradually thicken. If it shows signs of becoming too thick or slightly scrambling, remove from the heat immediately and add a little cold water. Do not leave the pan or stop whisking until the sauce is made. Finally, add 1 tablespoon of freshly chopped French tarragon and taste for seasoning.
If the sauce is slow to thicken, it may be because you are excessively cautious, and the heat is too low. Increase the heat slightly and continue to whisk until all the butter is added and the sauce is a thick coating consistency. It is important to remember, however, that if you are making Béarnaise sauce in a saucepan directly over the heat, it should be possible to put your hand on the side of the saucepan at any stage. If the saucepan feels too hot for your hand it is also too hot for the sauce!
Another good tip if you are making Béarnaise sauce for the first time is to keep a bowl of cold water close by so that you can plunge the bottom of the saucepan into it if it becomes too hot.
Keep the sauce warm in a Pyrex bowl over hot but not simmering water or in a Thermos flask until you want to serve it.
Mushroom and Ginger Sauce
This sauce will keep deliciously in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Serves 4
Ingredients
15-25g butter
75g onion, finely chopped
1-2 tsp freshly grated ginger
225g mushrooms, sliced
salt and freshly ground pepper
a squeeze of lemon juice
110ml cream
2 tsp freshly chopped chives
roux (equal quantities of plain flour and soft butter cooked on a low heat for 2 minutes stirring regularly)
Method
Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan until it foams. Add the chopped onions, cover and sweat on a gentle heat for 5-10 minutes or until quite soft but not coloured. Add the ginger.
Meanwhile, cook the sliced mushrooms in a little butter, in a hot frying pan in batches if necessary. Season each batch with salt, freshly ground pepper and a tiny squeeze of lemon juice. Add the mushrooms to the onions in the saucepan, then add the cream and chives, allow to bubble for a few minutes. Thicken with a little roux to a light coating consistency. Taste and correct the seasoning,
Pan-grilled Steak with Roast Red Peppers, Anchoïade and Rocket Leaves
I love this combination, the sweetness of the peppers, salty anchovy and peppery rocket leaves, a perfect accompaniment to a juicy steak.
Serves 6
Ingredients
6 x 175g sirloin or fillet steaks
1 garlic clove
salt and freshly ground pepper
a little olive oil
3 plump red peppers
To Serve
Anchoïade (see recipe)
Method
To prepare the steaks, about 1 hour before cooking cut a clove of garlic in half and rub it on both sides of each steak. This simple step intensifies the beefy flavour. Then grind some black pepper over the steaks and sprinkle on a few drops of olive oil. Turn the steaks in the oil and leave aside. If using sirloin steaks, score the fat at 2.5cm intervals.
Next, roast the red peppers.
Preheat the grill or better still use a charcoal grill or barbecue. Grill the peppers on all sides, turning them when necessary – they can be quite charred. Alternatively, preheat the oven to 250°C/Gas Mark 9. Put the peppers on a baking tray and bake for 20-30 minutes until the skin blisters and the flesh is soft.
Put them into a bowl and cover for a few minutes, this will make them much easier to peel.
Pull the skin off the peppers, remove the stalks and seeds. Do not wash or you will lose the precious sweet juices. Divide each into 2 or 3 pieces along the natural divisions.
To cook the steaks.
Heat the grill pan, season the steaks with a little salt and put them down onto the hot pan.
Cook to your preference – rare, medium rare, medium or well done (see Pan-grilled Steak with Béarnaise Sauce for timings).
Allow to rest.
Transfer the steaks onto hot plates.
Serve with roast red peppers, rocket leaves and a little blob of anchoïade.
Anchoïade
Makes 450ml approximately
Ingredients
110g tinned anchovy fillets (weigh out of tin)
300ml olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
½ tsp thyme leaves
1 tbsp chopped basil
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
lots of freshly ground pepper
Method
Whizz all ingredients together except the oil in a food processor. Add the oil gradually. Taste and add a little more oil if necessary. (The anchovies act in the same way as egg yolks in mayonnaise and as a protein, will emulsify the oil). Be careful and keep a close eye as the oil starts to emulsify. If you feel it becomes too thick, add a little water. This will do two things; it will thin the anchoïade and will also stabilise the emulsion too which will stop it from splitting.
When all the oil is incorporated and you have a lovely thick garlicky, anchovy emulsion, store in a covered jar in the fridge. Serve with crudités or just slathered on toast, bruschetta, or warm pitta bread.