At a smart dinner party last weekend for a world renowned wine writer, our host proudly announced that the meat for the meal had cost just 12 euros, there were 9 of us and we had eaten very well. We had polished off large plates of shin of beef stew with fluffy mashed potato. It was rich, unctuous and meltingly tender and could have graced the table of any fine restaurant. These cheaper cuts of meat have been neglected by many in recent years particularly during the prosperous era of the Celtic Tiger. Butchers were in despair trying to interest their ‘prime cut’ customers in a bit of scrag end. Only the ‘new Irish’ really valued these cut or for that matter knew what to do with them.
This generation has quickly lost the skill of how to make delicious meals with cheap cuts, anything more challenging than slapping a steak on the pan is now a mystery to most of us.
Well, lets ask our Gran’s if we are fortunate enough to have them still with us, particularly in Cork, which has been a provisioning town right back to the Phoenicians. Hense, there has been a long tradition of eating offal and the cheaper cuts so there are many people who can still cook a fine pot of tripe and onions, skirts and kidneys or pigs tails and turnips. If the latter seems a bit too esoteric for your next dinner party why not start with some pork knuckles or ham hock terrine. Coincidentally, I was amused to read that the sale of swede turnips has gone up by 80% in the UK in the past few weeks, the credit crunch is obviously giving us a new appreciation of winter root vegetables.
Ham hocks are also delicious served just cooked until the meat is almost falling off the bones. You can imagine how good they are with cabbage and parsley sauce or mashed swede turnips and of course some flowery Golden Wonder potatoes. The Cork market is a rich source of all these meats, nowadays the label and price may also be in Polish and Russian as well as English.
Local butchers will have all the cheaper cuts and many are knowledgeable about how to cook them. Canny chefs also enjoy the challenge of dealing with less expensive joints. Paul Flynn at the Tannery, in Dungarvan, has delighted his customers for years with his ham hock, belly of pork and beef cheek recipes. La Gueuleton, Chapter One and The Winding Stair, among others in Dublin and Cliff House Hotel in Ardmore all serve delectable dishes using less expensive cuts side by side with steaks and rack of lamb.
Beef Short Ribs also make the most delicious succulent stew, the flavour will be even better if it is made the day before you plan to tuck in. Kay Harte in the Farmgate Restaurant in the English Market in Cork often serves wonderful traditional Cork dishes – one of my favourites is corned mutton with Caper sauce and Scallion Champ. Here are a few recipes to whet your appetite without breaking the bank.
Jellied Ham Hock and Parsley Terrine
Serves 12 – 16
4kg (9lb) ham hocks, or a nice 2.7kg (6lb) piece of dry cured ham, bacon or oyster cut is good
Water and dry white wine
2 onions, stuck with 1 clove each
2 carrots
1 stick celery
1 small bay leaf
Few sprigs of thyme
10 black peppercorns
Parsley stalks (keep the leaves for later)
4-5 teaspoons approximately powdered gelatine
50g (2oz) parsley
Accompaniment
Tomato Salad (see recipe)
Spring onion
Gherkins
Green salad
If the ham or bacon is salty, soak in cold water overnight or at least for a few hours, discard the soaking water. Cover with fresh water and blanch and refresh three or perhaps four times depending on how salty the ham or bacon is. Finally cover with fresh water and a dash of white wine. Add all the remaining ingredients except the gelatine and parsley. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 2-2 1/2 hours depending on the blanching time – a skewer should go through easily. Remove the ham, strain the liquid through a fine sieve or one lined with muslin, degrease and allow to cool.
Remove the rind and cut the ham into 2.5cm (1 inch) cubes approximately. Measure the liquid and allow 4 teaspoons of gelatine for each 600 ml (1 pint) – you won’t need much more than 600ml (1 pint). Put 4 tablespoons of the cooking liquid into a small bowl, sprinkle on 4 rounded teaspoons of gelatine and allow to sponge for a few minutes while you bring a small saucepan of water to the boil. Put the bowl into the simmering water to dissolve the gelatine. When the gelatine is clear add a little of the measured liquid, stir well and then mix with the remainder, finally stirring in the finely chopped parsley. Mix well. Pour the liquid over the ham and then fill into an oiled bowl or terrine (it should be about 10 cm (4 inches) deep). Cover and refrigerate overnight.
In France it is traditionally made in a round-bottomed bowl but it can be made in a rectangular terrine also. Serve in slices with summer salads.
Braised Lamb Shanks with Garlic, Rosemary and Flageolet Beans
Lamb shanks were served as a main course at a posh wedding I attended recently and got a tremendous response.
Serves 6
6 lamb shanks, 1 kg approx.
12 small sprigs of rosemary
12 slivers garlic
8 anchovy fillets, halved
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Braising ingredients
1 oz (25g) goose fat or duck fat or olive oil
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
1 leek, roughly chopped
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 head garlic, halved horizontally
7 fl ozs (200ml) bottle good red wine
5 fl ozs (150ml) chicken or lamb stock
1 sprig of thyme
2 sprigs of rosemary
2 bay leaves
2 strips of dried orange peel
Sauce
4 ozs (110g) streaky bacon, cut into lardons and blanched
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 carrot, finely diced
1/2 celery stalk, finely diced
1/2 onion, finely diced
6 cloves garlic
4 very ripe tomatoes, peeled and diced or 1/2 x 1/4 oz tin of tomatoes + juice
2 sprigs of thyme
leaves from 2 sprigs of rosemary, chopped
1 x 14oz (400g) tin flageolet beans, drained or 4-7 ozs (110-200g) dried flageolet beans, soaked overnight and then boiled rapidly for 20 minutes
Garnish
sprigs of rosemary and garlic
Preheat the oven to 150ºC/300ºF/regulo 2.
Remove most of the fat from each shank, then scrape the meat away from the bone to loosen it. Make 2 deep incisions in each joint and insert a sprig of rosemary and a sliver of garlic wrapped in half an anchovy fillet into each incision. Season the meat with salt and black pepper. Heat the goose fat in a heavy sauté pan or casserole and sauté the meat in it until well browned on all sides. Remove the meat from the pan. Add the carrots, celery, leeks, onion and garlic and cook over a high heat until well browned. Add the red wine to the pan and bring to the boil, stir for a minute or two. Add the chicken stock, herbs and orange peel to the pan, then place the lamb shanks on top. Cover and cook in the oven for 2 1/2 hours.
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and brown the bacon in it. Then reduce the heat and add the carrot, celery, onion and garlic and cook for 8 minutes approx. or until the vegetables have softened. Add the chopped tinned tomatoes, herbs, flageolets and enough stock to half cover the beans. Cover and simmer for 3-3½ hours.
When the lamb has finished cooking, remove the thyme, bay leaves and orange peel. Taste and correct seasoning.
Serve the lamb shanks on a hot deep dish with the beans and vegetables poured over and around. Garnish with sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme.
Braised Short Ribs
Serve 10-12
6 beef short ribs, trimmed
8oz (225g) streaky bacon (in a piece if possible. Remove rind, dice bacon, fry out fat in 1 tablespoon olive oil or duck fat)
7-8 small or 2-3 large onions (1 sliced)
8oz (225g) diced carrot
6-8 cloves garlic
1 chilli, sliced
6ozs (175g) diced celery
1-2 red or yellow peppers, diced
2 level tablespoons tomato puree
200-250ml (7- 9fl ozs) red wine
3 large sprigs of thyme
1 cinnamon stick
1 spiral of orange zest
2 bay leaves
If possible trim and salt the beef the night before cooking.
Remove rind and dice the bacon. Save the rind to cook with beef, it adds gelatine to the sauce. In a wide sauté pan render the fat from the bacon using a little olive oil or duck fat. Alternatively use all duck fat and omit bacon. Remove bacon dice.
Brown beef in batches; do not overcrowd the sauté pan. Leave 2 tablespoons fat in pan and sweat onion, carrot and celery, stirring to dissolve all browned bits in the sauté pan. Add the garlic, optional pepper and sweat for 5-6 minutes or until limp.
Put the beef and vegetables in to a casserole or heavy braising pot, preferably enamelled cast iron.
Add tomato paste to the hot sauté pan and cook briefly. Add wine and bring to boil. Pour wine over beef and add thyme, bay leaf, orange zest and cinnamon stick. Cover with a butter paper and tight fitting lid. Braise in a moderate to low oven until tender, 3 – 4 1/2 hours (depending on the size). The meat should be really tender and falling off the bones.
Remove herbs, cinnamon stick and orange zest, strain the liquid, skim fat and discard. Taste and correct seasoning and sprinkle with lots of snipped flat parsley. Serve with mashed potato.
Stuffed Lambs Heart
Many children who happily watch bloodcurdling scenes on TV, would scream with horror if one of my favourite dishes, roast stuffed lambs heart were put on the table for dinner! Sheep’s hearts are more tender and juicy than beef hear.
Serves 6 approx.
6 lamb hearts
Stuffing
75g (3oz) butter
175g (6oz) finely chopped onions
1 tablespoon chopped chives
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
1 tablespoon annual marjoram
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
175g (6oz) white breadcrumbs
salt and freshly ground pepper
Gravy
300ml (1/2 pint) beef stock
2-3 tablespoons mushroom ketchup (optional)
roux
Trim the hearts, cut away any sinews to make a nice pocket. Wash thoroughly in cold salted water, dry well. Next make the stuffing. Allow to cool.
Season the inside of the hearts with salt and freshly ground pepper. Fill with the fresh herb stuffing, piling the extra on the top.  Cover with a butter wrapper and tie with cotton string if necessary.  Put into a small roasting tin or casserole and add about 300ml (1/2 pint) of beef stock.  Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.  Cover and bake in a moderate oven 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 for about 1-1 1/2 hours or until tender.
When fully cooked, lift carefully onto a serving dish. Bring the cooking juices to the boil, thicken with a very little roux and correct the seasoning. Serve with the stuffed hearts.
Stuffed Beef Hearts
Follow the above recipe – the stuffing will be sufficient for 1 beef heart, but the cooking time should be increased to 3 – 3 1/2 hours
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Fool Proof Food
Maronchinos
Almond Cookies
Claudia Roden “The Jewish Book of Cookingâ€
Makes about 30
I know these little sweets are highly esteemed in Turkey and the Balkans, because one of my elitist grandmother’s ironic remarks was “a los asnos maronchionosâ€, implying that you don’t give maronchinos to donkeys. They are perfect to serve with coffee – softer than macaroons, a little moist and not too sweet – and they never fail.
400 g ground almonds
125-200g superfine sugar
2 or 3 drops of almond extract
2 tablespoons rose water
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Confectioners’ sugar to sprinkle on
Mix the almonds and sugar. Add the extract, rose water, and eggs and work to a smooth paste with your hand. Role into walnut- sized balls, flatten them slightly, and place in little paper cases or on greaseproof or parchment paper on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 oven for 25 minutes. Let them cool before dusting with confectioners’ sugar.
HOT TIPS
For value for money it would be well nigh impossible to beat the early bird menu at L’Atmosphere in Waterford, €20 for 3 courses of delicious French brasserie food. Plus a glass of wine, consequently it was packed by 6.30pm. Chef Arnaud Mary who hails from Brittany also offers an A la carte with such temptations as ox tongue and lamb. There are daily specials also and he highlights local food s and buys from local producers which definitely give bonus points in my book. L’Atmosphere is easy to find its just off Custom House Parade on the N25 in Waterford City. Open Monday to Friday for lunch and dinner 12.30-2.30pm and 5.30pm til late. Saturday and Sunday for dinner from 5.30pm til late. 051-858426
If you would like to add value to your home produced raw materials be it meat, milk, cheese or gains you might want to enroll on the excellent UCC Diploma in Speciality Food Production. The course is in its 4th year and has already served to inspire and provide skills for successful food producers and regulators. Enquiries: Dr Angela Sheehan, Food Industry Training Unit, UCC. Tel: 021 4901423 Email a.sheehan@ucc.ie
Thrifty Tip – If you have access to surplus cooking apples why not store them for winter use in single layer on stacking trays in a cool garage. Greengrocers will be delighted to give you surplus timber boxes and molded cardboard dividers which are perfect for the job.
Rachel Allen’s new slow cooker available from Argos and is absolutely terrific for this kind of cooking. www.argos.ie