Yummy Lummy

A blog about food and me

Author: Gary

  • Cannelle French Pastries

    Cannelle French Pastries


    Microsoft Copilot generated image of Gary and Cannelle French Pastry custard croissant and cinnamon scroll.

    The other night, I started thinking about custard-filled pastry[i]. My mind went back to the custard-filled almond croissants from Dobinsons Canberra. My local bakery was in Belconnen. It was within walking distance of the flat I was renting. I’d buy a coffee[ii] there every Saturday morning before shopping for groceries. From time to time, I’d get a vanilla slice, or a custard-filled almond croissant or some other custard-filled pastry treat. Dobinsons Canberra had a terrific coffee card. Every fifth coffee was free, and every 20th coffee was free, along with a cake or pastry. I rarely “bought” a custard treat from Dobinsons Canberra.

    Through the wonder of the Internet and search engines, I discovered a croissant bakery close to my home. It’s a hidden gem. It is Cannelle French Pastries. While the “street address” is Henley Beach Road, access is via Hayward Avenue, but the shop front isn’t easily apparent from the street. If you weren’t searching for it, you’d possibly miss it.

    I won’t rewrite my review here. You can find it on Google Maps and Facebook.

    One of two Cannelle French Pastries display cabinets.
    One of two Cannelle French Pastries display cabinets.
    For morning tea, I enjoyed a custard croissant and a cinnamon scroll from "Cannelle French Pastries" in Torrensville.
    For morning tea, I enjoyed a custard croissant and a cinnamon scroll from "Cannelle French Pastries" in Torrensville.
    Photograph of Cannelle French Pastries from Hayward Avenue, Torrensville.
    Photograph of Cannelle French Pastries from Hayward Avenue, Torrensville.
    Photograph of Cannelle French Pastries from Hayward Avenue, Torrensville.
    Use of Microsoft Copilot for Image Generation

    2025 National Rugby League grand final

    Last week I referred to the NRL grand final premiership game. The Brisbane Broncos defeated the Melbourne Storm. The game was exciting to watch.

    Here’s a headline bound to upset fans of soccer and Aussie rules.

    Rugby League crowned Australia’s No.1 sport as GF smashes records

    I went to work on Tuesday with a smile on my face and enjoyed the various conversations about how brilliant it was for the men’s and women’s Brisbane Broncos teams to be premiers in the NRL and NRLW, respectively.

    Recipe — steak and three vegetables

    Dry brining

    Ingredients

    • Grass-fed scotch fillet steak
    • Salt
    • Pepper
    • Brussels sprouts
    • “Baby” carrots
    • Fennel
    • Beef fat[iii]
    • Grass-fed[iv] butter
    • Pure pouring cream
    • Cream cheese
    • Dijon mustard
    • Blue vein cheese

    Equipment

    • Precision cooker
    • Water bath
    • Barbecue grill
    • Gas torch
    • Small saucier pan

    Instructions

    Steak

    1. Dry-brine the steak.
    2. Cook the steak sous vide for 3 hours at 57 °C.
    3. Sear the steak with a gas torch over the barbecue grill.

    Brussels sprouts, carrots, and fennel

    1. Cut each Brussels sprout in half (longitudinally).
    2. Parboil the Brussels sprouts, carrots, and fennel in salted water.
    3. Remove the excess water.
    4. Shallow fry in beef fat on the barbecue grill.

    Sauce

    1. In a small saucier pan, add butter, pure pouring cream, cream cheese, blue vein cheese, and Dijon mustard.
    2. Turn on the heat to low and begin stirring while the ingredients combine to form a thick, rich sauce.
    3. Add the cooking liquor from the steak’s vacuum bag and stir through the sauce.
    4. Further season the sauce with freshly cracked black peppercorns.

    Serving the meal

    1. Pour the sauce over the dinner plate.
    2. Slice the steak and place it on the dinner plate.
    3. Place the vegetables next to the steak.
    4. Season with flaky salt and freshly cracked peppercorns.

    Thoughts on the meal

    I don’t think I’ll ever tire of steak. The only thing that would turn me off is Alpha-gal syndrome[v]. To avoid that, I refuse to go bushwalking.

    Photographs

    This is a gallery. Select one and scroll through the rest.

    Read the AI statement.

    For tea, I prepared a portion of grass-fed scotch fillet steak by sous vide. Additionally, I parboiled and deep-fried Brussels sprouts, fennel, and baby carrots in beef fat to enhance their flavour. The accompanying sauce was created from the meat juices, combined with butter, cream, cream cheese, Dijon mustard, and blue cheese, creating a rich and complementary accompaniment to the dish.
    For tea, I prepared a portion of grass-fed scotch fillet steak by sous vide. Additionally, I parboiled and deep-fried Brussels sprouts, fennel, and baby carrots in beef fat to enhance their flavour. The accompanying sauce was created from the meat juices, combined with butter, cream, cream cheese, Dijon mustard, and blue cheese, creating a rich and complementary accompaniment to the dish.
    For tea, I prepared a portion of grass-fed scotch fillet steak by sous vide. Additionally, I parboiled and deep-fried Brussels sprouts, fennel, and baby carrots in beef fat to enhance their flavour. The accompanying sauce was created from the meat juices, combined with butter, cream, cream cheese, Dijon mustard, and blue cheese, creating a rich and complementary accompaniment to the dish.
    For tea, I prepared a portion of grass-fed scotch fillet steak by sous vide. Additionally, I parboiled and deep-fried Brussels sprouts, fennel, and baby carrots in beef fat to enhance their flavour. The accompanying sauce was created from the meat juices, combined with butter, cream, cream cheese, Dijon mustard, and blue cheese, creating a rich and complementary accompaniment to the dish.
    For tea, I prepared a portion of grass-fed scotch fillet steak by sous vide. Additionally, I parboiled and deep-fried Brussels sprouts, fennel, and baby carrots in beef fat to enhance their flavour. The accompanying sauce was created from the meat juices, combined with butter, cream, cream cheese, Dijon mustard, and blue cheese, creating a rich and complementary accompaniment to the dish.

    More custard

    I visited “The Village Baker” earlier today to buy a sourdough baguette. I also bought a custard-filled Berliner[vi].

    Custard filled Berliner from The Village Baker Black Forrest
    Custard filled Berliner from The Village Baker Black Forrest

    [i] I probably think about custard-filled pastries once a day.

    [ii] The coffee was not always the best and certainly the coffee in Adelaide is superior to any coffee I’ve consumed in Canberra.

    [iii] I use beef fat which is left over from slow cooking beef cuts like ribs, brisket, and chuck steak.

    [iv] From New Zealand.

    [v] Also known as mammalian meat allergy. It’s associated with the bite of some ticks.

    [vi] A Berliner is a traditional German doughnut without a hole, made from sweet yeast dough, deep-fried, and typically filled with jam or custard. It’s usually dusted with powdered sugar or glazed with icing. In South Australia, Berliners were renamed Kitchener Buns during WWI due to anti-German sentiment. These are slashed on one side and filled with jam and whipped cream.

  • Long weekend Grand final steak

    Long weekend Grand final steak


    Skip the palaver and jump to the recipe.

    Daylight saving

    My least favourite day of the year is the first Sunday of October.

    Daylight saving time (DST) is the practice of moving the clock forward by one hour during the warmer months to extend evening daylight and reduce morning daylight.

    ⏰ How It Works

    • Start of DST: Clocks are set forward by one hour (e.g., from 2:00 am to 3:00 am), usually in spring.
    • End of DST: Clocks are set back by one hour (e.g., from 3:00 am to 2:00 am), usually in autumn.

    🌞 Purpose

    • To make better use of natural daylight during the evenings.
    • Originally intended to conserve energy by reducing the need for artificial lighting.

    📍 In Australia

    • Observed in: New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, and the ACT.
    • Not observed in: Queensland, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory.
    • Typical schedule: Begins on the first Sunday in October and ends on the first Sunday in April.

    🧠 Fun Fact

    The idea was popularised by George Hudson, a New Zealand entomologist, in the late 19th century. It gained traction during World War I and World War II as a way to conserve fuel.

    If I led Australia, I’d abolish daylight saving and change the central time zone to be 60 minutes behind the Eastern time zone rather than 30 minutes. I like light at the start of the day, and I like it dark when I climb into bed and want to sleep. When I’m cooking tea, I want the heat of a summer day to be waning rather than peaking.

    I expect few Australians would want me as their leader! 😆

    Labour day

    Monday is Labour Day here. Labour Day is a public holiday that celebrates the achievements of workers and the labour movement, particularly the push for fair working conditions and the eight-hour workday. Its origins trace back to the 19th century, when workers around the world began campaigning for better rights and protections. In other countries, it’s often held on 1 May and known as May Day.

    Grand final

    Tonight, the National Rugby League Grand Final game is being played between the Brisbane Broncos and the Melbourne Storm. I had hoped the Dolphins NRL 🐬 team would have reached the final series, but alas, despite scoring more points than any team this season, they failed to make the “top eight.”

    The Brisbane Broncos are my number 2 team, and the Melbourne Storm are my number 5 team. I rate my rugby league teams on their location and composition. Teams located in the greatest state in the federation sit at the top, followed by teams with a strong Maroons composition or history. That’s why, despite my usual antipathy to much that is in Victoria, the Melbourne Storm ranks higher than teams in New Zealand, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.

    Next year, a new team will enter the competition, namely the Bears, which will be based in Perth. I think it’s a mistake. I would have put the team in Northern New South Wales.

    AI generated.

    🏉 2025 NRL Grand Final Preview

    The 2025 NRL Grand Final promises a thrilling showdown between two powerhouse clubs: the Brisbane Broncos and the Melbourne Storm, kicking off at 7:30 pm AEDT at Accor Stadium, Sydney.

    🔥 Key Storylines

    • Melbourne Storm is chasing their 5th Premiership, having last won in 2020.
    • Brisbane Broncos aim for their 7th title, and their first since 2006.
    • This marks their first Grand Final clash since 2006, reigniting a classic rivalry.

    📊 Form Guide

    • Storm finished 2nd in the regular season (17–7), defeating the Bulldogs and Sharks in the finals.
    • The Broncos surged late to finish 4th, edging the Canberra Raiders and stunning the reigning champions, the Penrith Panthers 16–14 in a comeback victory.

    🧠 Team News

    Melbourne Storm (unchanged lineup):

    • Key players: Ryan Papenhuyzen, Cameron Munster, Harry Grant, Jahrome Hughes
    • Milestone: Trent Loiero plays his 100th first-grade game.

    Brisbane Broncos (one change):

    • Pat Carrigan returns from suspension, replacing Tyson Smoothy.
    • Ben Hunt starts at five-eighth, with Ezra Mam on the bench.

    🧮 Head-to-Head in 2025

    • The teams are 1–1 in their previous meetings this season, setting up a decisive clash.

    📺 How to Watch

    • Australia: Nine Network (free-to-air), Kayo Sports, Foxtel
    • UK: Sky Sports
    • US: Fox Sports (select coverage)

    This Grand Final is expected to be a tactical battle between the Storm’s structured discipline and the Broncos’ explosive flair. With history, redemption, and legacy on the line, fans can expect a gripping contest.

    The other good news for the Brisbane Broncos club is that their women’s team played in the NRLW Grand Final against the Sydney Roosters earlier today. The Broncos defeated the Roosters 22:18.

    It’s been a big week for Brisbane with its Aussie rules team (Brisbane Lions) winning the Aussie rules premiership last week.

    Recipe

    Ingredients

    • Bone in ribeye steak (700 grams at $AUD48/kg)[i]
    • Salt[ii]
    • Pepper[iii]
    • Grass-fed butter[iv]
    • Cream[v]
    • Cream cheese[vi]
    • Blue vein cheese[vii]

    Equipment

    • Water bath
    • Precision cooker
    • Barbecue grill
    • Gas torch
    • Steak knife[viii]

    Instructions

    Meat

    1. Dry brine the steak.
    2. Place the dry-brined steak in a food-safe bag and remove as much air as possible from the bag.
    3. Cook the steak for 3 hours at 57 °C.
    4. Dry the steak’s surfaces with absorbent paper.
    5. Sear the surfaces with the barbecue grill and gas torch.
    6. Carve the meat from the bone, then slice it to the desired thickness.

    Sauce

    1. In a small saucepan, add the butter, cream, cream cheese, and blue vein cheese.
    2. Turn on the heat and use wooden chopsticks to stir and make the sauce slowly.

    Vegetables

    1. Parboil some fennel and Brussels sprouts.
    2. Cook the vegetables on the barbecue grill while searing the steak.

    Serving the meal

    1. Transfer the sliced meat to a dinner plate.
    2. Place the fennel and Brussels sprouts next to the meat.
    3. Spoon the sauce over and next to the meat.
    4. Season with salt and pepper.
    5. Don’t forget to gnaw on the bone.

    Thoughts on the meal

    I enjoyed eating the steak. It was tender and flavoursome. The sauce complemented the beef. The fennel and Brussels sprouts also complemented the funkiness of the sauce.

    Gnawing on the bone at the end was delicious.

    Photographs

    This is a gallery of images. Select one and scroll through the rest.

    Some of the images were created using the Microsoft Copilot.

    AI generated.

    Questions

    • What is your opinion of daylight saving time?
    • Do you follow rugby league? Who do you want to win this year’s premiership games?
    • How do you feel about Labour Day?

    [i] This is not an economical cut of beef. I’ve been eating economy-grade steak through the week ($AUD18/kg). Tonight’s steak is a treat.

    [ii] I like to use a flaky finishing salt when serving the steak and a coarse salt when dry brining the steak.

    [iii] I like to freshly grind the peppercorns. I use a pepper mill but if you want a better experience grind the peppercorns with a pestle in a mortar.

    [iv] I buy New Zealand grass-fed butter from Costco because it’s cheaper than grass-fed butter found in regular supermarkets.

    [v] I buy pure pouring cream from Fleurieu Milk on the Fleurieu Peninsula. This cream has no thickeners or additives.

    [vi] I try to buy cream cheese with the least number of additives on the label.

    [vii] I like English Stilton. It has great flavour (the combination of taste, smell, and texture).

    [viii] I recommend a good quality steak knife. A steak knife should be sharp, and it should cut the steak with minimal effort. “Sawing” a steak means the knife isn’t sharp enough.

  • Corned beef hash

    Corned beef hash


    Last week, I cooked corned beef silverside in the slow cooker. It’s provided me with more meals than I expected. Tonight, I cooked a corned beef hash.[i]

    Microsoft Copilot generated image of a floral plate featuring pomegranates with corned beef hash topped with a fried egg.
    Microsoft Copilot generated image of me and a plate of corned beef hash with an egg fried in butter plus a parboiled potato deep fried in beef fat. I'm holding a knife and fork. I have a toothy grin and happiness in my eyes.

    Recipe

    🥔🐂 Ingredients

    • Two tablespoons of butter
    • One small potato
    • One small finely chopped onion.
    • One small green capsicum
    • Two slices of corned beef
    • Half a teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper.
    • Optional — one fried egg.

    🔪🥘 Instructions

    1. Prepare the potato.
      • Cut the potato into six pieces and par-boil for five minutes.
      • Dry the potato with absorbent paper.
      • Freeze the potato overnight to develop resistant starch.
      • Deep fry the frozen potato pieces in beef fat.
      • Finish the potato on a hot barbecue grill.
    2. Sauté the onion and capsicum.
      • Heat some butter in a frypan over medium heat.
      • Add the onion and capsicum. Cook until softened.
    3. Mix in the Corned Beef
      • Dice the corned beef into small cubes.
      • Add the corned beef to the frypan and add half a cup of water.
      • Bring the water to a simmer and cook until the water evaporates and the corned beef becomes slightly crispy.
    4. Optional Egg Topping
      • In a separate frypan, fry an egg.
      • Serve hash topped with a fried egg for extra richness. The oozy yolk combined well with the fatty, unctuous meat.

    🍳Tips and Variations

    • Make it cheesy: stir in shredded cheddar or mozzarella at the end.
    • I used a microplane to grate some Parmesan cheese over the corned beef, egg, and potato.

    📷Photographs

    This is a gallery of images. Select one and scroll through the rest.

    Corned beef with capsicum and onion
    Corned beef with capsicum, onion, and beef broth
    Corned beef with capsicum, onion, and beef broth
    Parboiled and frozen potato in beef fat
    Slowly cooked corned beef hash with fried potato and an egg fried in butter
    Slowly cooked corned beef hash with fried potato and an egg fried in butter
    Slowly cooked corned beef hash with fried potato and an egg fried in butter
    Slowly cooked corned beef hash with fried potato and an egg fried in butter
    Slowly cooked corned beef hash with fried potato and an egg fried in butter
    Slowly cooked corned beef hash with fried potato and an egg fried in butter
    Microsoft Copilot generated image of me and a plate of corned beef hash with an egg fried in butter plus a parboiled potato deep fried in beef fat. I'm holding a forkful of corned beef hash. I have a toothy grin and happiness in my eyes.
    Microsoft Copilot generated image of me and a plate of corned beef hash with an egg fried in butter plus a parboiled potato deep fried in beef fat. I'm holding a knife and fork. I have a toothy grin and happiness in my eyes.

    A note about some of the images.[i]

    Thoughts on the meal

    Tinned corned beef is convenient. This meal tasted better than tinned corned beef. Tinned corned beef has a lot of salt; making it from scratch allowed me to titrate the salt to my preferred taste.

    The potato wasn’t burnt. I seared it on a hot barbecue grill. The potato was delightfully crispy and pillowy soft inside, like good chips should be.

    Questions

    • Do you like corned beef hash?
    • How would you use leftover corned beef?
    • What variations would you recommend?

    🥮Sweet treats

    I had a craving for some pastries. I enjoyed a pavlova roulade, passionfruit fudge vanilla slice, and salted caramel Berliner.

    Image with oil painting texture of me eating this pavlova roulade and vanilla slice from The Village Baker (Black Forest). Eating with gusto, a broad toothy grin, and happiness in my eyes. Portrait 16:9 aspect ratio.
    Image with oil painting texture of me eating this salted caramel Berliner on a Dolphins NRL plate. Eating with gusto, a broad toothy grin, and happiness in my eyes. Landscape 16:9 aspect ratio.
    Passionfruit fudge vanilla slice and pavlova roulade from The Village Baker (Black Forest).
    Passionfruit fudge vanilla slice and pavlova roulade from The Village Baker (Black Forest).
    Passionfruit fudge vanilla slice and pavlova roulade from The Village Baker (Black Forest).
    Passionfruit fudge vanilla slice and pavlova roulade from The Village Baker (Black Forest).
    Image with oil painting texture of me eating this pavlova roulade and vanilla slice from The Village Baker (Black Forest). Eating with gusto, a broad toothy grin, and happiness in my eyes. Landscape 16:9 aspect ratio.

    [i] A note about the images used in this post. The featured image and a couple of other images were generated with Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT. I’m conscious that there are some bloggers and readers who oppose the use of large language models for generating content. I’m comfortable with using large language models to help with content on YummyLummy.com

    [i] Corned beef hash is a hearty, savoury dish made by combining chopped or shredded corned beef with diced potatoes and onions, then frying the mixture until it’s golden and crispy. It’s a classic comfort food with roots in frugal cooking—originally designed to use up leftovers, especially from a corned beef dinner.

  • Corned beef fat sandwich

    Corned beef fat sandwich


    Create an image of a corned beef meal with a 16:9 aspect ratio for the food blog YummyLummy.com. In the image, include slices of corned beef, a bechamel sauce with parsley, plus buttery potato mash on the side of the plate. Give the image a photographic quality and include cutlery, like a knife and fork, in the image.
    Microsoft Copilot generated corned beef meal.

    In the old days (when I was fat[i]), I would cook corned[ii] beef[iii] with vegetables, mustard, garlic, onions, and additives like Worcestershire sauce. I’d eat it with a white sauce made with refined (read ultra-processed) white flour. I usually have boiled potatoes or potato mash with corned beef and white sauce.

    More recently, if I want corned beef, I buy it in a can[iv] and make a corned beef hash (sans spuds[v] and onions). A lot of people give me a condescending attitude when I mention my consumption of canned corned beef. Their scorn and derision humour me.

    This version is simple and is a low-carbohydrate, minimalist version of corned beef. Apart from the fat sandwich of course. 😉

    Create an image of me sitting and eating a corned beef meal with a 16:9 aspect ratio for the food blog YummyLummy.com. In the image, I am seated at the dinner table with a plate in front of me, featuring slices of corned beef, a bechamel sauce with parsley, and buttery potato mash on the side. Give the image an oil paint quality and include me holding cutlery, like a large, sharp knife and fork, in the picture.
    Microsoft Copilot generated image of me with a plate of corned beef, white sauce, and potato mash.

    Recipe

    Ingredients

    • Corned beef silverside[vi]
    • Water

    Equipment

    • Slow cooker
    • Frypan

    Instructions

    1. Unwrap the meat and wash it under running tap water to remove the brine and sugar.
    2. Place the beef into the cooking vessel.
    3. Add a cup of water.
    4. Slowly cook on low heat for eight hours.
    5. Remove the meat from the slow cooker.
    6. Pass the cooking liquor[vii] through a sieve and refrigerate the broth.
    7. With gloved hands, gently dissect the fat from the flesh using fingers to separate the layer of fat according to the fascial plane.
    8. The fat layer makes for a fantastic sandwich on lavishly buttered white sourdough bread[viii]. There’s nothing like the sensation of the beef fat dripping down your hands and forearms as you slowly take bites from the sandwich and masticate the unctuous beef fat. The only reaction you can have is to smile.
    9. Place the beef into a container and seal it. Refrigerate the meat.
    10. Cut the cold meat into lunch-sized portions.
    11. Dice a portion of cold corned beef and place the diced meat in a frypan.
    12. Add beef broth or water to the frypan and bring it to a simmer until the meat fibres start to separate and soften.
    13. After the water has mostly evaporated, turn off the heat, add a dash of cream and stir.

    Beef silverside fat sandwich.

    Ingredients

    • Cooked corned beef.
    • Frozen sourdough baguette — thawed.
    • Grass-fed butter
    • Freshly cracked pepper corns
    • Dijon mustard

    Instructions

    1. Trowel butter onto a piece of thawed sourdough bread. Freezing sourdough bread develops resistant starch.
    2. Add dollops of Dijon mustard.
    3. Apply a layer of warm fat.
    4. Season with freshly cracked peppercorns.
    5. Cover your lap with a large dish drying cloth and wear a bib.
    6. Roll up your sleeves and get stuck into the sandwich.
    7. Rejoice in the feeling of the fat running down your chin and down your forearms.

    Photographs[ix]

    These are a gallery of photographs. Select one image and scroll through the rest.

    Corned beef silverside in its plastic wrapper. This piece of beef cost about $AUD20 at $AUD10/kilogram. If I can get four meals (possibly six meals), it will work out to about $AUD5/meal.
    Corned beef silverside in the cooking vessel
    Cooked corned beef silverside
    Cooked corned beef silverside
    Sourdough bread
    Sourdough bread covered with grass-fed butter
    Corned beef fat sandwich with a pickle
    Corned beef fat sandwich with a pickle
    Corned beef fat sandwich with a pickle
    Corned beef fat sandwich with a pickle

    Thoughts on the meal

    I enjoy corned beef hash[x]; it’s a dish I grew up with. Among many other meals, my dad would often make it. He learned to prepare it during his boyhood in the South Pacific during World War II, where fresh meat was hard to come by. The only options available were tinned meat or local game.

    A piece of corned silverside is an affordable option for bulk meat in lunches.

    This piece of beef cost approximately $AUD20, or $AUD10/kilogram. If I can get four meals (possibly six meals), it will work out to about $AUD5/meal.

    The first meal (the fat sandwich) for this piece of beef brought back some great memories when Mum would make corned beef and I’d get the fat and make a sandwich. I savoured every bite of this open sandwich and enjoyed the contrasting flavours of the pickle.

    Questions

    1. Do you like corned beef?
    2. Do you like fat sandwiches?
    3. How would you make a fat sandwich?

    Stay tuned

    I’ll add photographs of how I use the rest of the beef during the week.

    Endnotesꜜ

    [i] The modern clinical term is “clinical adiposity.” I prefer the term fat because it is universally understood.

    [ii] The term corned comes from the old English word corn, which referred to small, hard particles—not just cereal grains. In the case of corned beef, it refers to the large-grained rock salt (sometimes called “corns” of salt) used in the curing process.

    [iii] Corned beef is a type of salt-cured beef, traditionally made from brisket.

    [iv] Canned corned beef is a shelf-stable meat product made primarily from beef, but it includes ingredients to preserve flavour and texture. The ingredients include sodium nitrite, added salt, and a small amount of sugar (which is disappointing). Cooking can convert the nitrites to nitrates.

    [v] “Spud” is a casual or slang term for a potato. For example, “baked spud” or “mashed spuds.” It is used in many English-speaking countries.

    [vi] Beef silverside is a lean, boneless cut of beef taken from the hindquarter of the cow, specifically from the top portion of the round primal, just above the leg muscles. It’s known for its coarse grain and minimal marbling, which makes it a budget-friendly and versatile option in many cuisines.

    [vii] Juice released from cooked meat.

    [viii] Bread is high carbohydrate and not part of a low carbohydrate diet.

    [ix] A note about the images used in this post. The featured image and a couple of other images were generated with Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT. I’m conscious that there are some bloggers and readers who oppose the use of large language models for generating content. I’m comfortable with using large language models to help with content on YummyLummy.com

    [x] Corned beef hash is a hearty, savoury dish made by combining chopped or shredded corned beef with diced potatoes and onions, then frying the mixture until it’s golden and crispy. It’s a classic comfort food with roots in frugal cooking—originally designed to use up leftovers, especially from a corned beef dinner.

  • Speck and hock

    Speck and hock


    It has been a while since I have eaten pork (apart from some ham in last week’s meal). I prefer beef and other ruminant meats.

    While fresh pork is excellent, I also enjoy cured pork products.

    I am combining some speck[i] and a pig’s hock[ii] in the slow cooker. Additionally, I am using leftover beef broth.

    At the end of the cooking, I will have enough meat for a few meals this week. I still have a couple of aliquots from my beef congee, so this week’s lunches will be flavourful.

    The image was generated with Microsoft Copilot. It depicts a pig being processed for speck and smoked hock.

    I instructed Microsoft Copilot to create this image. It is meant to depict the processing of a pig for speck and smoked hock.

    Recipe

    This post really does not constitute a recipe. I am simply adding a few things to a slow cooker and letting it go.

    Ingredients

    • Speck
    • Hock
    • Beef broth
    Barossa speck in its packaging.
    Barossa speck in its packaging along with the price ($18.72) and best before date.
    Smoked pork hock in its packaging.
    Smoked pork hock in its packaging.
    Smoked pork hock in its packaging.

    Equipment

    • Slow cooker

    Instructions

    1. Place the speck and hock into the cooking vessel.
    2. Add some leftover beef broth.
    3. Cook on “high” for 6 hours.
    4. Remove the meat and pull it with a pair of forks, or if you want to really enjoy it, use both hands and squish the meat as you make fists. The result will be warm, moisturised skin on your hands and perfectly pulled pork. Pulling pork is so satisfying.
    5. Filter the cooking liquor through a strainer and refrigerate the filtrate. The following day, you can separate the hardened pork fat, which will also have some beef fat with it. I usually “clean” my fat by putting it into a small saucepan with some water and bringing it to a steady boil for a few minutes. I repeat this process and then pour the fat and water (which will be clear) into an enamel bowl and refrigerate it. The following day, I have a nice disc of clean fat with which I can cook.
    6. Serve your pulled pork with whatever you choose. I’m enjoying my pulled pork with a pickle. If you are in the mood, you could boil some cabbage and make some creamy buttery potato mash.

    Photographs

    Select an image and scroll through the rest.

    Slowly cooked speck and hock
    Slowly cooked speck and hock
    Slowly cooked speck and hock with a pickle
    Slowly cooked speck and hock with a pickle
    Slowly cooked speck and hock with a pickle
    Slowly cooked speck and hock with a pickle

    Thoughts on the meal

    Speck is an expensive option, and in future I’ll probably look for reduced price pork belly at the butcher. I think pulled pork would be great for pork congee, which may be a future weekend cook. I know the pork fat will combine well with rice.

    [i] Pork speck, a traditional cured meat from South Tyrol, Italy, is a blend of German and Italian culinary traditions. It’s made from deboned pork leg seasoned with salt, pepper, juniper berries, bay leaves, and garlic, then cold-smoked and aged for several months. This results in a deeply flavoured, smoky ham with a firm texture and a savoury, slightly spicy aroma.

    [ii] Pork hock, also called a ham hock or pork knuckle, is the lower part of a pig’s leg, above the foot and below the ham or shoulder. It’s a collagen-rich cut with skin, bone, fat, and some meat, perfect for slow cooking methods like braising, boiling, or roasting.