NEW this month on our ‘foodie calendar’ is a Great British Beef Week, which runs from April 23-30. The aim is to celebrate the “iconic” flavours and versatility of British beef and the sustainable practices of beef farmers.
Thankfully, the National Beef Association website – nationalbeefassociation.com –
has some interesting recipes using every cut of beef imaginable…
so we offer you two of them.
Venison Ragù with Rosemary Crumb,
Pecorino & Bucatini Pasta
Ingredients
- For the ragù
900–1,100 g whole venison haunch (one piece, well-trimmed)
30 g olive oil
30 g butter (optional)
150 g onion, finely diced
100 g carrot, finely diced
60 g celery, finely diced
12 g garlic, minced
40 g tomato paste
240 g dry red wine
800 g canned whole tomatoes, crushed
240 g beef or venison stock
1 bay leaf
Thyme 2 sprigs
1g dried oregano
1g crushed red pepper flakes
10 g fine salt (start with 7 g, adjust later)
3g freshly ground black pepper
10g dark chocolate
- Pasta
450g bucatini
Salt for pasta water (about 10g per litre)
Extra parmigiano for serving
Method
- Brown the haunch (important for flavour)
- Pat venison dry. Season all over with about 7g salt and the pepper. Heat olive oil (and butter) in a large pan over medium-high heat. Brown the haunch well on all sides (8–12 minutes total). Transfer venison to the slow cooker.
- Build the sofrito
- In the same pan, add onion, carrot, and celery. Cook 8–10 minutes until soft and lightly golden. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste; cook 2–3 minutes until dark brick-red.
- Deglaze
- Add red wine, scraping up browned bits. Simmer 3–5 minutes until reduced by about half. Pour everything into the slow cooker over the venison.
- Slow cook
- Add crushed tomatoes, stock, bay leaf, thyme, oregano, and chilli flakes. Cover and cook: LOW: 8–10 hours. HIGH: 5–6 hours. Venison should be very tender and pull apart easily.
- Shred and finish
- Lift venison out onto a board. Shred with two forks (discard any sinew). Return shredded meat to the sauce. Taste and adjust salt (remaining 3 g), pepper and sugar if needed. Stir in cream/mascarpone (if using) and parmigiano. Cook on HIGH for 10–15 minutes uncovered to thicken slightly. Remove bay leaf and herb stems. Stir in parsley or basil.
- Cook pasta & serve
- Bring well-salted water to a boil. Cook bucatini until al dente. Reserve 250 g pasta water, then drain. Toss pasta with ragù, loosening with pasta water as needed. Serve hot with extra parmigiano and cracked black pepper.
Notes
Salad of beef tongue, green vegetables, wild garlic vinaigrette
4
servingsIngredients
320g of finely sliced cooked beef tongue
100g of wild garlic leaves
100g of olive oil
1 bunch of watercress
1 bunch of green asparagus
1 small head of broccoli
Juice of 1 lemon
4 small spring radish
40g parmesan shavings
Directions
- Prepare the wild garlic puree: Blanche the wild garlic leaves in boiling water and refresh by dipping in cold water. Remove excess water. Mix the olive oil with the wild garlic and pass through a fine sieve. Put aside.
- Prepare a vinaigrette with the lemon juice, the wild garlic puree and the wild garlic oil.
- Prepare the vegetables: Using a mandolin or a grater, finely grate the raw broccoli florets into rice-sized pieces. Wash the watercress and remove the excess water. Blanche the green asparagus in salted boiling water for 10 minutes and refresh in iced cold water. Slice each asparagus long ways in four.
- To finish: Use a plate for each person and spoon some of the wild garlic vinaigrette onto the centre of each plate. Arrange slices of beef tongue on each plate. Sprinkle the broccoli over the beef. Place the green asparagus in a bowl and toss in a little of the vinaigrette until coated. Arrange nicely on the top of the meat.
Decorate with some of the watercress and parmesan shavings. Finish by spooning a little more of the vinaigrette.