Author Archives: Gary

About Gary

I like to cook, photograph and eat food. I'm an occasional podcaster too. I have a weekly diary blog named My Thoughts and Stuff, this is where I share what's been happening in my life for the preceding week. When I'm not cooking I'm practising medicine. You can find more information at my about.me page. I'm based in Canberra, Australia, so the food and recipes I share will tend to be seasonal and regional to Australia, but I hope if you're from somewhere else you'll find these recipes adaptable to suit your needs. Feel free to send me an e-mail if you have any questions.

Compound butter

Posted by Gary

Hello reader,

I thought I’d try making compound butter with my steak tonight. I’ve never made compound butter before, so I started with something simple. A butter made with spring onions and chives. Spring onions are called scallions and green onions in other parts of the world.

As a child, we called them shallots.

I am cooking the eye fillet steak underwater at 55 °C for 2 hours and 10 minutes.

Sous vide eye fillet steak with compound butter and fennel salad. Focus on six pomegranate arils for Persephone.
Sous vide eye fillet steak with compound butter and fennel salad. Six pomegranate arils for Persephone.

Recipe

Equipment

  • Water heater circulator
  • Water bath
  • Butane torch
  • Mandolin
  • Food processor
  • Mortar and Pestle[i]

Ingredients

  • Eye fillet steak
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Butter
  • Spring onions
  • Chives
  • Whisky[ii]
  • Fennel
  • Red onion
  • Radish
  • Parsley
  • Lemon juice
  • Olive oil

Instructions

Steak

  1. Season the steak with some salt and pepper.
  2. Place the steak into a plastic bag and vacuum seal the bag.
  3. Cook the steak in a water bath for 2 hours at 55 °C.
  4. Remove the bag and open it.
  5. Remove the steak and pat it dry.
  6. Heat a cast-iron pan and sear the steak.
  7. Place a disc of the compound butter on top of the steak. Apply the flame from a butane torch to melt the butter and sear the surface of the steak.
  8. Remove the steak from the cast-iron pan and allow it to rest.
  9. Keep the melted butter in the pan for later.

Butter

  1. Bring the butter to room temperature.
  2. Finely slice the chives and spring onions.
  3. Place the chives and spring onions in a jar and add about 10 mL of whisky.
  4. Infuse the whisky into the herbs using a vacuum chamber and refrigerate the jar for a few hours.
  5. Remove the herbs and put them onto absorbent paper to remove as much moisture as possible.
  6. Put some whole peppercorns and rock salt into a mortar and pound with a pestle until the salt and pepper are coarse grinds.
  7. Process the butter, chives, and springs with the salt and pepper.
  8. Mould the butter in some plastic wrap and refrigerate the butter.
  9. When it’s time to use the butter, cut a disc about 1 cm thick and use it for the steak.

Salad

  1. With a mandolin, slice some fennel, red onion, and radish.
  2. Chop some parsley.
  3. With the back of a cook’s knife, beat the arils out of a pomegranate.
  4. Be careful when you beat the arils out; the juice will spray and splatter, and it may stain your clothes and any bench tops.
  5. Mix a little lime juice and olive oil for a salad dressing.
  6. Toss the salad and season it with some salt to taste.
Pomegranate
Pomegranate SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/8, 1/40sec, ISO 1600
Pomegranate arils for lunch
Pomegranate arils for lunch

Plating up

  1. Slice the eye fillet steak with a sharp knife and lay the slices onto a warmed dinner plate.
  2. Spoon some salad next to the meat.
  3. Spoon the butter from the pan over the meat and drizzle a little over the salad.
  4. Give thanks to the Lord.
  5. Eat with a fork; the meat will be tender enough to make a knife redundant.

Concluding thoughts

Today was the first spring day warm enough for shorts and a T-shirt. It was a lovely day outside.

This steak with salad was a fantastic meal for a warm night.

[i] If you can’t remember the pestle and the mortar, remember you Pound with the Pestle.

[ii] I used Johnnie Walker Black Label.

Sous vide eye fillet steak with compound butter and fennel salad
Sous vide eye fillet steak with compound butter and fennel salad
Sous vide eye fillet steak with compound butter and fennel salad. Focus on the salad.
Sous vide eye fillet steak with compound butter and fennel salad
Sous vide eye fillet steak with compound butter and fennel salad. Focus on the cut surface of the steak.
Sous vide eye fillet steak with compound butter and fennel salad
Sous vide eye fillet steak with compound butter and fennel salad. Focus on the cut surface of the steak.
Sous vide eye fillet steak with compound butter and fennel salad

Lamb shanks

Posted by Gary

I cooked this meal last month. It was the first large meal I cooked in a new pressure cooker whose cooking vessel had a larger diameter. Sometimes with the old pressure cooker, the bones from the lamb shanks would be longer than the diameter. A small-diameter bowl was not a problem for cooking but laying them flat made them look neater in the bowl.

Recipe

Equipment

  • Pressure cooker
  • Cast iron skillet
  • Stick blender

Ingredients

  • Lamb shanks
  • Flour
  • Oregano (dried herbs)
  • Rosemary (dried herbs)
  • Garlic powder
  • Salt
  • Pepper (ground, black)
  • Onion (chopped)
  • Carrot (diced)
  • Celery (diced)
  • Tomatoes (tinned)
  • Red wine
  • Stock
  • Butter
  • Flour
  • Packet potato mash

Instructions

  1. Mix the flour, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and dried herbs to make a dry rub for the lamb shanks.
  2. Brown the shanks in a skillet with some oil.
  3. Remove the shanks and sauté the carrots, celery, and onion.
  4. Deglaze the fond with the wine and stock, and then add in the tin of tomatoes.
  5. Bring the liquid to a boil and turn off the heat.
  6. Transfer the sauce to the pressure cooker and lay the shanks on top.
  7. Cook under pressure for 45 minutes.
  8. Make a roux with butter and flour and set it aside to thicken the cooking liquor.
  9. Remove the shanks with care to avoid the meat falling from the bone.
  10. Cook the packet of potato mash according to the instructions using microwave radiation.
  11. Spoon the potato mash into a bowl.
  12. Sieve the cooking liquor from the vegetables.
  13. Discard the vegetable matter.
  14. Thicken the cooking liquor to make gravy and spoon the sauce over the shanks and potato.
  15. Give thanks to the Lord.
  16. Eat with a fork.
Lamb shanks
Lamb shanks
Floured lamb shanks
Browned lamb shanks
Diced carrot, celery, and shallots
Sautéd carrot, celery, and shallots
Braised lamb shanks in gravy with potato mash
Braised lamb shanks in gravy with potato mash
Braised lamb shanks in gravy with potato mash

    Congee

    Posted by Gary

    Hello there,

    I’ve cooked congee (jook) many times. Tonight, I’m sharing a couple of versions for readers to consider. The recipes are identical apart from the meat used.

    I went with chicken for one version, and for the other, I went with pork.

    Regular readers may notice that I’m doing something different with these recipes. I’m using more liquid to approach the texture and consistency of Mum’s jook. I usually cook my congee to a thicker consistency. Still, I know many people who like something a little less dense. I’m also using porcini mushrooms for a flavour burst to give greater umami. If I had easy access, I would substitute dried scallops for the mushrooms. The other ingredient I’d like to add is wood ear mushroom for the mouthfeel.

    Recipe

    Equipment

    • Pressure cooker

    Ingredients

    • White long-grain rice (1 cup)
    • Chicken stock (8 cups [2 L]) (you could also use a vegan broth)
    • Porcini mushrooms
    • Mushroom water (1 cup [250 mL])
    • Chicken (3 maryland[i] pieces) (you could omit this for a vegan version or exchange it with a slab of pork belly for a porcine version)
    • Salt
    • Spring onions
    • Chilli flakes

    Instructions

    1. Reconstitute the dried mushrooms with hot water and wait for 30 minutes
    2. Wash the rice until the water runs clear
    3. Add the rice, stock, and mushroom water to the pressure cooker
    4. Cut the mushrooms into small pieces
    5. Add mushroom pieces, chicken maryland pieces, or pork belly into the pressure cooker.
    6. Cook under pressure for 30 minutes and allow 15 minutes for a natural release of pressure
    7. Carefully remove the meat and transfer it to a bowl
    8. Pull the flesh (from the bones of the chicken) using forks
    9. Discard the bones if using chicken
    10. Stir the rice gruel and keep heating to the desired thickness
    11. Stir through the pulled meat
    12. Salt to taste
    13. Add and stir through chilli flakes to taste
    14. Transfer everything to a large serving bowl
    15. Transfer congee to individual bowls
    16. Give thanks to the Lord
    17. Serve with spring onions, shredded lettuce, and soy sauce

    Thoughts on the recipe and meal

    • If I were cooking for more than just me, I’d use a whole chicken or more thigh pieces and perhaps add a carcass. Sometimes I see necks and giblets on sale, which would also be suitable for flavour.
    • If you like a nice bit of pork, I recommend butt, which is shoulder and not gluteal muscle.
    • This dish is vegan if you remove the meat and use a vegan stock.
    • When I was a child, we had shredded lettuce, ham, and soy sauce to add to our bowls.
    • Each recipe makes five large bowls of congee.

    [i] For non-Australian readers, the chicken maryland is a thigh and drumstick piece in Australia. I know chicken maryland is a dish in the USA, and Maryland is a state of the union.

    Rehydrated porcini mushrooms
    Diced rehydrated porcini mushrooms
    Unwashed white long-grain rice
    Washed white long-grain rice
    Chicken maryland
    Chicken maryland
    Pulled chicken meat
    Congee with chicken
    Congee with chicken
    Congee with chicken
    Leftover congee with spring onions and chilli flakes
    Leftover congee with spring onions and chilli flakes
    Leftover congee with wombok
    Leftover congee with wombok
    Leftover chicken and wombok
    Leftover congee
    Leftover congee
    Photos for the chicken congee
    Pork belly
    Pork belly
    Pork belly congee
    Pork belly congee
    Photos for the pork congee

    This week’s meals

    Posted by Gary

    Hello Readers,

    I hope you’re doing well. I’ve had a good week punctuated by a public holiday on Thursday. With the recent (2022-09-08) death of Elizabeth II (former Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms), Australia’s prime minister declared a public holiday which state and territory leaders had to gazette. Thursday was declared a National Day of Mourning.

    I spent the morning reading review articles from Clinical Microbiology Reviews, which is a favourite journal.[1-5] In the afternoon, I worked while a movie and documentaries on World War Two played in the background.

    Tonight’s dinner. Fillet mignon and pea soup.

    The public holiday reinforced my opinion that rather than named public holidays, I’d prefer we had a long weekend each month apart from April. I’d suggest rather than a public holiday on the 26th day of January; we have a public holiday on the third Friday of February for everyone to consider our need to reconcile ourselves with all people living in Australia and to celebrate the rich history of all the peoples who have lived on our island continent. I’d like this day in February to be like the USA’s Thanksgiving holiday. A day for family and friends to gather, for cultural and ethnic groups to enjoy, for all of us to recognise Australia’s first nations people, and perhaps to indulge in celebratory food.

    If people wish to celebrate or honour days, they should do it as recreation leave. I’d take 25th December and Good Friday. As a nation, I’d always want to take the 25th of April for a day to remember those who served our nation defending our national interests and deliberately reflect on our positions about armed conflict and warfighting.

    For balance, I would also give everyone an extra five days of recreation leave for 25 days annually.

    I recognise many people would object to my approach, and that’s fine. Everyone is welcome to have an opinion. My opinions are mine, and sharing them here is what I do. Feel free to let me know your thoughts in the comments box at the end of this post.

    This week’s meals

    I’m not sharing a recipe tonight. I’m cooking a steak and having it with some leftover pea soup. There’s nothing that interesting in that.

    Instead, I’m sharing the meals I ate during the week. The reason for this blog is to help readers who don’t think they can cook a meal for themselves or themselves and their partner. Last week I was chatting with a friend who had just returned to work after her first maternity leave. Her partner is also a busy health professional, and my friend was struggling with ideas for quick meals. Her family are meat eaters, so I suggested cooking a joint of beef or lamb or perhaps some chicken portions on the weekend. With this, a plan can be developed for the relatively quick and simple end-of-workday dinners.

    Monday night

    Leftover porterhouse steak with wombok and stock.

    Porterhouse steak Wombok Soup

    This bowl of soup is simply made by boiling some stock and pouring it over wombok, spring onions, chilli, and steak.

    Tuesday night

    A plainer version of Monday’s dinner.

    Porterhouse steak Wombok Soup

    This bowl of soup is simply made by boiling some stock and pouring it over wombok and steak.

    Wednesday night

    Leftover porterhouse steak sandwich

    Porterhouse steak with lettuce and mayonnaise on Turkish bread.
    Porterhouse steak with lettuce and mayonnaise on Turkish bread. Served with dipping gravy and extra meat and salad.

    I applied mayonnaise to the inside of the Turkish bread and then added cream cheese. I tossed some lettuce leaves with the mayonnaise too. I toasted the sandwich in a frying pan with the lid on to get it crunchy.

    I made instant gravy for dipping the sandwich in and the extra steak.

    Thursday breakfast, lunch, and dinner

    Steamed egg, wilted spinach, and cheese

    Steamed egg with wilted spinach and cheese. Served with coffee.

    Cream cheese on pieces of porterhouse steak

    Porterhouse steak with cream cheese

    Speck and pea soup

    Speck and pea soup

    I cooked the speck and split peas in a pressure cooker and then made the soup with some extra green peas.

    Friday night

    Speck and steamed eggs

    Breakfast for dinner. Speck and eggs with wilted spinach and tomatoes.

    References

    1. Chowdhury, F., et al., Diagnosis, Management, and Future Control of Cholera. Clinical Microbiology Reviews, 2022. 35(3): p. e00211-21.
    2. Philippon, A., et al., Class C β-Lactamases: Molecular Characteristics. Clinical Microbiology Reviews, 2022. 35(3): p. e00150-21.
    3. Naud, S., et al., Candidate Phyla Radiation, an Underappreciated Division of the Human Microbiome, and Its Impact on Health and Disease. Clinical Microbiology Reviews, 2022. 35(3): p. e00140-21.
    4. Ansari, S. and Y. Yamaoka, Helicobacter pylori Infection, Its Laboratory Diagnosis, and Antimicrobial Resistance: a Perspective of Clinical Relevance. Clinical Microbiology Reviews, 2022. 35(3): p. e00258-21.
    5. Heyckendorf, J., et al., Tuberculosis Treatment Monitoring and Outcome Measures: New Interest and New Strategies. Clinical Microbiology Reviews, 2022. 35(3): p. e00227-21.

    Oven porterhouse steak

    Posted by Gary

    Hello Readers,

    Tonight’s post is a follow-up from last night’s sous vide porterhouse steak.

    I bought a large piece of meat yesterday and split it into two halves.

    I cooked in a water bath last night, and tonight I’m cooking half in a toaster oven.

    Cream cheese and last night’s sous vide porterhouse steak

    Recipe

    Equipment

    • Wireless thermometer
    • Toaster oven
    • Microwave radiation oven
    • Stainless steel skillet

    Ingredients

    • Steak
    • Salt
    • Rice bran oil
    • Leftover gravy (see last night’s post)
    • Packet potato mash (microwave radiation necessary)
    • Spring onions

    Instructions

    Steak

    1. Dry brine the steak with salt overnight.
    2. Heat the toaster oven to 180 °C.
    3. Heat a skillet and then lubricate the hot surface with oil.
    4. Sear the steak until each surface is caramelised.
    5. Insert a wireless thermometer.
    6. The aim is to achieve an internal temperature of about 53 to 54 °C.
    7. Place the steak in the oven and monitor the temperature.
    8. When the desired temperature is reached, turn off the oven and remove the meat.
    9. Allow the meat to rest.
    10. Once rested, the steak can be sliced with a sharp knife and served as you wish.

    Leftover gravy

    • Reheat the gravy with microwave radiation.

    Potato mash

    • Prepare according to the packet instructions.

    Plating up

    1. Spoon the potato mash into the bowl.
    2. Pour the gravy into a dinner bowl.
    3. Arrange the slices of steak over the gravy.
    4. Garnish with spring onions.

    Thoughts on the meal

    I like cooking steak in different ways. For example, when I want to, I’ll just sear each side of a steak and let it rest and eat it like that. Sometimes, like last night, I’ll cook the meat in a water bath. Tonight I went for the oven.

    Photographs

    This section is a gallery of photographs.

    Coles beef porterhouse steak
    Coles beef porterhouse steak
    Coles beef porterhouse steak
    Coles beef porterhouse steak
    Coles beef porterhouse steak seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
    Porterhouse steak
    Porterhouse steak, potato mash, and gravy
    Porterhouse steak, potato mash, and gravy