italian meatball soup

what you need

500g lean beef mince

1 small red onion, grated

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 cup fresh white breadcrumbs

1/3 cup basil leaves, finely chopped

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 egg, lightly beaten

700g bottle (2 3/4 cups) tomato pasta sauce with basil

4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup risoni

1 tin cooked white beans 

2 zucchini, diced

150g green beans, trimmed, cut into thirds

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese and

crusty Italian bread, to serve

what to do

Combine mince, onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, basil, parmesan and egg in a large bowl. 

Season with salt and pepper. Mix well. 

Roll tablespoonfuls of mixture into balls. Place on a large plate.

Pour tomato sauce, stock and 2 cups water into a large, deep saucepan. Cover. Bring to the boil over high heat. Skim froth from surface. 

Add meatballs. Return to a gentle boil.

Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. 

Add risoni and cook for a further 5 minutes. 

Add white and green beans. Cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Ladle soup into serving bowls. 

Sprinkle with parmesan if desired and serve with crusty Italian bread.

beef noodle salad

What you need
350g packet fresh Singapore noodles
550g beef rump steak, trimmed

1/2 cup sesame, ginger and soy marinade
1 medium carrot, peeled, grated
2 cups beansprouts, trimmed
6 green onions, thinly sliced diagonally

What to do
Place noodles in a heatproofbowl.

Cover with boiling water. Stand for 2 to 3 minutes or until tender.

Usinga fork, separate noodles. Drain and return to the bowl.
Brush steak with 1 tablespoon marinade. Preheat a greased barbecue plate or chargrill over medium-high heat.
Cook steak for 3 to 4 minutes each side for medium or until cooked to your liking. Transfer to a plate. Stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Thinly slice.
Combine remaining marinade with 2 tablespoons cold water. Add beef, carrot, beansprouts, onion and marinade mixture to noodles.

Toss to combine.

Serve and top with fresh corriander

pasta with braised beef and tomato ragu

A truly hearty Italian meal which will warm and fill anyone on these cold nights. This recipe is also well suited to lamb, especially lamb shanks.

what you need
1kg stewing beef on the bone (such as shoulder or veal shank)
100ml olive oil
3 large onions, peeled and finely chopped
3 sticks celery, trimmed and finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
4 bay leaves
400ml red wine
4 tablespoons tomato puree
4 x 400g cans chopped Roma tomatoes
600g rustic style pasta just as trofie
6-8 basil leaves, torn, to serve

what to do
Preheat oven to 180°C. Season meat with sea salt and ground black pepper.
Heat a dash of olive oil in a heatproof casserole over a medium-high heat, brown meat all over, then remove and set aside.
Add remaining oil to casserole, reduce heat to medium, and fry onion, celery and garlic until softened. Add bay leaves, pour in wine and bring to the boil, then stir in tomato puree, canned tomatoes, 300ml water and season with sea salt and ground black pepper.
Place meat back in casserole and bring to a simmer, then cover casserole, transfer to the oven and cook for at least 3 hours, or until meat is tender and falling from the bone and sauce is a glossy, deep burgundy colour; if sauce starts to thicken too much, add a little extra water.
Allow to cool a little, then pull meat from the bone, discarding bone. Refrigerate meat in the sauce, then scoop off and discard surface fat, and divide ragù into two batches; reserve one batch for another mealtime

Cook pasta according to the packet instructions until al dente and reheat remaining batch of ragù. Toss drained pasta in the ragù, scatter with basil leaves, and serve immediately.

You could also serve this ragu with polenta or creamy mash potatoes.

roasting meat

Roasting large pieces of meat to the correct doness can be fairly difficult at times and once the roast is too much done, there is no turning back anymore.

The easiest solution to avoid disappointment is to use a meat thermometer. I prefer this “scientific” approach much better than how i learnt many years ago by “poking” a meat fork into the meat and establishing the doness of the meat by trying to judge the cooking temperature by the color of the juice that sipped out of the whole where the fork was removed and/or the temperature of the needle held against the lower lip ( which if well done can burn). This might be the “old fashion method” but it still works just as well especially when one is experienced in using this method.

What you'll need
* Meat thermometer, digital or analog
* Meat fork or stainless steel needle


What to do
While one can leave the thermometer inside the joint/roast while roasting, this is not always advisable as, especially when roasting meat on a BBQ grill, due to the basting with liquid or marinate.

Stick you needle into the meat, so that the needlepoint reaches the middle of the thickest point of the roast. Depending on the type of thermometer used, ensure that you allow time for the needle to come up to the final reading.

All meat should be well rested after roasting.
This is done on a warm (below 60C or 140 F) place; 10–20 minutes depending on the size of the roast will be sufficient. This will help in equally distributing the juices throughout the meat and the meat will be equally done rather then very bloody on the inside and grey around the edge of the meat.

In general the meat will “heat through” a bit during the resting period, one should calculate approximately 10% additional “cooking” during the resting period.

As a general guideline to determine the doneness follow these temperatures:

Very Rare / 45C (113F) / blood of meat will be cold
Rare / 50C (122F) / deep red to purple, “bloody”
Medium Rare / 55C (131F) / dark red
Medium / 60C (140F) / pale red,
Medium Well / 65C (150F) / light red to pink, almost clear
Well Done / 71C (160F) and above / clear, no blood visible

beef and red wine jus

Ever wondered how to make that dark rick sauce that nearly every restaurant serves with their meat dishes, while it is best to make your own stock, there is nothing wrong with the good commercial ones you can by from the supermarket.

What you'll need
2 litre Veal or beef Stock
1 litre red wine
2 shallots (eschallots) peeled and halved
4 sprigs tyme
3 bay leaves

What to do
Place all the ingredients except for the veal stock in a sauce pan over a low flame and reduce by ½ (I usually make a little pen mark on the outside of the pot, so I know when it is half).

Add the veal stock and reduce that amount by half again.

Strain, portion and freeze and use as required for your next dinner party.

A little more than a tablespoon is all that is needed per serving of beef, lamb etc; so you should have enough here for a few dinner parties.

beef goulash

what you need
2 tablespoons olive oil
1.25kg boneless veal shoulder, cut into 3cm cubes
2 brown onions, halved, sliced
1 large red capsicum, sliced
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
3/4 cup dry white wine
690g bottle Italian tomato passata sauce
3 dried bay leaves
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 small desiree potatoes, peeled, cut into 2cm pieces
cooked pasta (such as spaghetti or fettuccine), to serve

what to do
Preheat oven to 130°C. Heat oil in a large, flameproof casserole dish over medium-high heat. Add one-third of the veal. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until browned. Remove to a bowl. Repeat in 2 batches with remaining veal.
Reduce heat to low. Add onions and capsicum to pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until soft. Add paprika and caraway seeds. Cook for 1 minute or until aromatic. Add wine. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Return veal to pan. Add passata, bay leaves, stock and potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Cover with a tight-fitting lid. Bake for 2 1/2 hours or until veal and potatoes are tender. Remove bay leaves.

Spoon goulash over pasta or try serving with polenta or gnocchi

beef & red wine casserole

what you need

500g diced beef (use chuck or topside)

2 tbsp olive oil

6 small onions, peeled and left whole

2 carrots, thickly sliced

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 cup beef stock

1 cup red wine

200g button mushrooms

what to do

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Coat the beef in one tablespoon of the oil and brown in small batches in a large preheated fry-pan over a medium-high heat. Set beef aside. Reduce heat in pan and add remaining oil, onions, carrots and tomato paste, and cook, stirring for one minute. Add the stock and wine, scraping up the meat residue from the bottom of the pan. Heat until the mixture boils, then pour into a large casserole dish. Add the beef to the casserole dish, mix well. Cover the casserole dish tightly and cook in the preheated oven for one hour. Add the mushrooms.

Cover and cook for a further 20-30 minutes.

Serve with creamy mashed potatoes and sugar snap peas.

braised beef cheeks

what you need

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 (12-oz) beef cheeks, trimmed of excess fat
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1/2 celery rib, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups red wine (preferably a dry Lambrusco or Chianti)
1 lge can whole tomatoes including juice, chopped (3 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

what to do

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in an ovenproof wide heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. While oil is heating, pat beef cheeks dry and season with salt and pepper. Brown beef, without crowding, on all sides, about 20 minutes total, and transfer with tongs to a bowl. Pour off fat from pot, then add remaining 2 tablespoons oil and cook onion, carrot, and celery over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Stir cocoa powder into vegetable mixture, then add wine and scrape up any brown bits. Increase heat to high and boil until liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes.
Return cheeks (with any juices) to pot and add tomatoes with juice, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then braise, covered, in middle of oven until very tender, for about 3 hours.

Once cooked I prefer to strain the sauce and remove all the vegetables, great served with either, polenta, mash or shreaded with fresh pasta

osso bucco

Osso buco is a regional dish from Piedmont, Italy, traditionally made using veal shanks, which are sometimes sold as 'osso buco' in supermarkets. The marrow in the shanks is what gives them that rich flavour.

what you need
1/2 cup plain flour
8 (175g each) veal shanks
1/2 cup olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, peeled, diced
2 celery sticks, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 cup white wine
400g can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
2 dried bay leaves
soft polenta, to serve

what to do
Preheat oven to 150°C. Sprinkle flour on a plate and season with salt and pepper.
Coat both sides veal in flour, shaking off excess. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook shanks, in batches, for 2 to 3 minutes each side or until lightly browned. Transfer to a 4-litre capacity ovenproof dish.
Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in frying pan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Cook, stirring often, for 7 to 8 minutes or until soft. Increase heat to high. Add wine and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, stock, thyme and bay leaves. Bring to the boil. Pour over veal. Cover and bake for 1 1/2 hours.

Uncover and cook for a further 30 minutes or until veal is very tender and sauce reduces slightly. Remove bay leaves.

Serve on soft polenta or creamy mash potatoes

veal, spinach & cheese rolls

what you need

1 tablespoon anchovy paste
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
6 veal cutlets (scallopini; preferably cut from round; no more than 1/4 inch thick; 1 1/2 pounds total)
3 ounces Gruyère, coarsely grated (1 1/2 cups)
2 ounces baby spinach leaves (1 1/4 cups)
1/3 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

what to do
Mash anchovy paste into 4 tablespoons butter in a bowl until combined. Gently pound cutlets to slightly less than 1/8 inch thick between 2 sheets of plastic wrap with flat side of a meat pounder or with a rolling pin. Pat cutlets dry and season lightly with salt and pepper, then spread 1 1/2 teaspoons anchovy butter over top of each cutlet. (You will have a little butter left over.) Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese over anchovy butter, leaving a 1/4-inch border, then arrange spinach leaves, overlapping in 1 layer, to cover cutlets. Working with 1 cutlet at a time, arrange with a short side nearest you and roll up tightly, then secure with a wooden pick.
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.
Pat rolls dry. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch ovenproof heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté veal, turning occasionally, until golden on all sides, about 4 minutes total. Transfer skillet to oven and bake veal until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer veal with tongs to a platter (reserve skillet) and keep warm, covered.
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet, then add wine and deglaze skillet by boiling (on stovetop) over high heat, scraping up brown bits, until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, then add any juices accumulated on platter and swirl in remaining 2 tablespoons butter (not remaining anchovy butter). Cook over low heat until incorporated. Stir in parsley and salt and pepper to taste.

Why not try this with recipe with boneless chicken thighs

veal and eggplant ragu

what you need
30g butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
½ a small carrot, finely chopped
½ stick celery, finely chopped
450g veal mince
375ml dry white wine
1 cup tinned Italian peeled tomatoes, pureed
1 cinnamon stick
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 medium eggplant
olive oil, for frying
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
parmesan, freshly grated
parsley, finely chopped

what to do
In a medium pot over low heat, melt the butter and olive oil. Gently cook the onion, carrot and celery until soft and lightly coloured (about 10-12 minutes).
Turn the heat to high and add the veal mince. Cook, stirring until the veal is no longer raw and there is no liquid in the bottom. Add half the wine and reduce before adding the rest, along with the pureed tomatoes, cinnamon stick and cloves. Season with salt and pepper and add enough water to just cover the sauce. Turn the heat to low and simmer gently, covered, for 45 minutes.
In the meantime, cut the eggplant into two-centimetre cubes, lightly salt and leave for 30 minutes. Rinse the eggplant pieces and pat dry, then fry, until golden brown, in a pan with enough olive oil to come 1cm up the sides.
Add the sliced garlic and fried eggplant to the ragu and cook for 10 minutes. The veal should be tender and the sauce should have a thick, wet consistency (this is especially important if using fresh pasta, which will absorb some of the liquid); you may need to top up the water a little.Remove the cinnamon stickand check the seasoning and adjust if necessary.

meatballs

what you need
1kg pork mince
1kg veal mince
1 egg
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 handful parsley
1/2 cup parmesan
2 cups breadcrumbs
Olive oil
1 onion
1 carrot, grated
4 x 400g cans tomatoes, pureed
About 1 tsp salt
Handful each of parsley and basil
2 cloves garlic, crushed

what to do
Mix mince, egg, garlic, parsley, parmesan and breadcrumbs in a bowl, roll into balls and set aside. At this stage, select number of meatballs for serves required and freeze the remainder for future use. To make sauce, heat a thin layer of olive oil in a saucepan. Add the onion and carrot and cook for a few minutes then fry the meatballs for a few minutes. Add the tomatoes. Season with salt, add herbs and garlic. Bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for two hours. Serve on pasta with parmesan cheese.
Best served serve on fresh spaghetti.

basic beef ragu

what you need

500 grams (1pound)of lean beef shoulder or beef rump 
1/2 glass red wine 
1 medium size carrot, roughly diced
2 stalks of celery, roughly diced
3 small onions,
2 table spoons olive oil 
2 tablespoons butter
1 tin tin of peeled tomato (1 kilo fresh tomatoes)
2 tablespoons tomato paste

what to do

Clean and dice the meat

Gently fry the carrot and celery a couple of minutes in butter and oil,

Fry the meat in the pan with the vegetables. It should not get dark. Cover and simmer until the meat absorbs all the juice and then add half a glass of red wine.

The meat should cook reasonably fast but must have time to absorb all the juices, about35 minutes. Add tomato pulp and paste. The carrot and celery flavour should not pre-dominate, the main flavour should be of meat and tomato. If you want the sauce dark, then you can brown the meat, but the flavour will not be as good. Don't let the sauce stick to bottom of pan as this will give a heavy braised flavour to the ragu. After tomato is added, cover and cook another 30 minutes covered till fully tender.

You can make ragu, with meat on the bone or off the bone. To cook on the bone, take a shoulder of beef or a veal shank and cook as above( if using ashank you will beed to simmer for a longer period to break down the sinue, then remove the meat from the bone and add to the sauce, cooking the meat on the bone will give the dish a whole new flavour.

Great served with polenta or fresh pasta and lots of crusty bread, why not try blending the meatsl ike half lamb or half pork. would even be great made with baby goat cooked on the bone, and would require a little less cooking

meat balls

1kg pork mince
1kg veal mince
1 egg
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 handful parsley
1/2 cup parmesan
2 cups breadcrumbs
Olive oil
1 onion
1 carrot, grated
4 x 400g cans tomatoes, pureed
About 1 tsp salt
Handful each of parsley and basil
2 cloves garlic, crushed

what to do
Mix mince, egg, garlic, parsley, parmesan and breadcrumbs in a bowl, roll into balls and set aside. At this stage, select number of meatballs for serves required and freeze the remainder for future use. To make sauce, heat a thin layer of olive oil in a saucepan. Add the onion and carrot and cook for a few minutes then fry the meatballs for a few minutes. Add the tomatoes. Season with salt, add herbs and garlic. Bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for two hours. Serve on fesh spaghetti with lots of parmesan cheese.