Category: Food

  • Porterhouse steak — Wagyu

    Porterhouse steak — Wagyu


    At the end, take a look at the dolphins.🐬

    You can go straight to the recipe.

    I bought this porterhouse steak from my regular butcher as a treat.

    A photograph of dry-brined (24-hours) porterhouse steak (Wagyu).
    Porterhouse (Wagyu)

    Wagyu beef is expensive. I don’t think I would ever purchase Wagyu imported from Japan. I’m sure the meat would taste good, but it’s not worth the money.

    I chose this piece from the display cabinet because I’m a sucker for nice layer of fat.

    On a porterhouse steak, there’s often a band of connective tissue between the fat cap and the muscle meat. You can see some fascial membrane if you look closely. It can be tough and chewy.

    The Porterhouse Steak

    Anatomy of a Bovine and the Origin of the Porterhouse Steak

    Beef cattle are divided into various primal cuts, each offering different textures and flavours. The porterhouse steak is cut from the short loin, a section located in the middle to lower back of the beast. This area includes part of the tenderloin and the top loin, making the porterhouse steak a combination of the tenderloin’s easy chewing and the top loin’s robust flavour. It is distinguished by the “T-bone” that separates these two sections.

    International Nomenclature

    The porterhouse steak is known by different names in various parts of the world. In the United States and Canada, it retains its original name, “porterhouse.” In the United Kingdom, it may be referred to as a “T-bone” steak, though this can sometimes cause confusion, as a traditional T-bone steak contains a smaller section of the tenderloin compared to the porterhouse. In Italy, it is known as “bistecca alla Fiorentina,” often served with a splash of olive oil and lemon juice.

    Ways to Cook a Porterhouse Steak

    Cooking a porterhouse steak requires a few key steps:

    Seasoning: Start by generously seasoning the steak with salt. For extra flavour, consider a marinade or dry rub with garlic, rosemary, or thyme.

    Preheating: Preheat your grill or pan until it is hot. A high heat will sear the outside, creating a delicious crust.

    Cooking: Sear the steak on each side, then move it to a cooler part of the grill or reduce the heat in the pan. Cook to your desired doneness, using a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature.

    Resting: Let the steak rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.

    Selecting a Porterhouse Steak at the Butcher Shop

    When choosing a porterhouse steak, look for the following qualities:

    Marbling: Fine streaks of fat within the meat, known as marbling, enhance flavour and tenderness. This is guaranteed with Wagyu beef.

    Thickness: Opt for a steak that is at least 3 centimetres thick. Thicker cuts are less likely to overcook and offer a better texture. My piece of meat wasn’t as thick as I’d normally like it, but a thicker steak would have cost considerably more.

    Colour: The meat should be a bright, cherry-red colour, indicating freshness. The fat should be a creamy white colour.

    Nutritional Value of a Porterhouse Steak

    Porterhouse steak is a rich source of nutrients. Here is a breakdown of its nutritional content per 100 grams:

    Fats: Approximately 20 grams. This includes both saturated and unsaturated fats.

    Protein: Around 28 grams.

    Carbohydrates: Virtually none. Steak is a low-carbohydrate food.

    Premarket Processes

    Before reaching the consumer, porterhouse steaks undergo several premarket processes:

    Ageing: Steaks may be dry-aged or wet-aged to enhance flavour and tenderness. Dry-aging involves hanging the meat in a controlled environment, allowing natural enzymes to break down muscle fibres. Wet-aging is done by vacuum-sealing the meat and refrigerating it.

    Inspection: In Australia, meat inspection is mandatory to ensure safety and quality. Inspectors check for signs of disease and contamination.

    Packaging: The meat is then packaged, often vacuum-sealed to extend shelf life and maintain freshness.

    The porterhouse steak is a cut of beef that offers a combination of tenderness and flavour. You can enjoy a satisfying meal by selecting a high-quality steak, cooking it with care, and understanding its nutritional benefits.

    Recipe

    Ingredients

    • Porterhouse steak — Wagyu
    • Salt

    Equipment

    • Vacuum chamber
    • Water bath
    • Precision cooker
    • Gas torch

    Instructions

    1. Dry brine the steak overnight by seasoning it with salt and leaving it uncovered on a rack in the refrigerator.
    2. Vacuum seal the steak in a food-safe bag.
    3. Cook the steak for one hour at 57 °C.
    4. Remove the meat and dry the surface with paper towels.
    5. Sear the steak with a gas torch.
    6. Slice the steak with a good knife.
    7. Serve the steak with a wedge of lime, some flaky salt, and some butter.

    Thoughts on the meal

    I don’t know that Wagyu beef is worth the expense. It was a nice piece of steak. It tasted good and it was tender and juicy.

    In the dry brining photographs, you’ll see that I also purchased some economy scotch fillet steak. The slices are 3 cm thick. For about $AUD45, that works out to $AUD9 a slice. I’ll see how this works out.

    Photographs

    This is a gallery of photographs. Click on one and scroll through the gallery.

    Dolphins

    I was walking this morning and from the Henley Beach Jetty I spotted a pair of dolphins. Sadly in the NRL, South Sydney defeated the Dolphins on Friday evening.

  • Big juicy bone-in ribeye

    Big juicy bone-in ribeye


    I bought this big juicy bone-in ribeye steak from a local butcher. It was the smallest steak in the display.

    Weighing 708 grams (1.56 pounds), including the bone, I thought I could enjoy the deckle meat for tea and keep the fillet portion for cold cuts at lunch.

    Photograph of dry brined bone-in ribeye steak.

    Recipe

    Ingredients

    • Bone-in ribeye steak
    • Salt

    Equipment

    • Vacuum chamber
    • Water bath
    • Precision cooker
    • Gas torch

    Instructions

    1. Season the steak generously with salt.
    2. Put the steak on a rack, uncovered, and refrigerate overnight.
    3. Place the steak into a vacuum bag and seal it.
    4. Cook the steak for four hours at 57 °C (135 °F) in the water bath.
    5. Remove the meat from the bag and dry the surfaces of the meat with kitchen paper.
    6. Sear the steak with a gas torch.
    7. Cut the meat away from the bone.
    8. Dissect the deckle meat from the eye fillet.
    9. Put the fillet meat into a container and put it into the refrigerator. When it’s cold, this meat slices beautifully. Eaten cold, with a little extra salt, it is delicious.
    10. Slice the deckle meat with a fair dinkum “steak” knife.
    11. Serve with freshly ground black peppercorns, flaky salt and butter.
    12. A squeeze from a wedge of lime also adds a lovely tart tang to the tongue while enjoying the meat.

    Thoughts on the meal

    There’s something satisfying about a thick, juicy steak. I appreciate that dry brining the meat helps it maintain a firm texture instead of becoming floppy while still keeping it juicy on the inside. When you squeeze the cooked meat, you can see the delicious juices oozing out.

    I like the juicy, tasty, and fatty deckle meat (which is the spinalis muscle).

    I enjoy gnawing and sucking on the bone of a bone-in ribeye steak. I prefer the shorter bones; to me, having a long tomahawk steak with an entire rib just feels like showing off and doesn’t serve a practical purpose.

    The spinalis muscle is a component of the erector spinæ group, which plays a role in maintaining posture and enables the extension and lateral flexion of the spine. This muscle is the most medial of the erector spinæ muscles and extends along the spine, from the thoracic vertebrae to the cervical vertebrae.

    Anatomy

    Origin: The spinalis muscle originates from the spinous processes of the thoracic vertebrae and sometimes the last cervical vertebra.

    Insertion: It inserts into the spinous processes of the cervical vertebrae.

    Parts: The spinalis muscle can be divided into two parts:

    Spinalis thoracis: Attaches to the thoracic vertebral spinous processes.

    Spinalis cervicis: Continues from the thoracic part and attaches to the cervical vertebral spinous processes.

    Function

    Extension: The spinalis muscle helps extend the thoracic vertebral column and the neck.

    Stabilisation: It plays a role in stabilising the vertebral column during movement.

    Meat-to-Fat Ratio

    The meat-to-fat ratio of the spinalis muscle in bovines can vary, but it is generally considered to be a well-marbled muscle with a higher fat content compared to other muscles. This marbling contributes to its tenderness and flavour. However, specific ratios can depend on factors such as the breed, diet, and overall health of the animal.

    Questions for readers

    1. What is your favourite part of a scotch fillet steak (also known as a ribeye steak in North America)? For a bone-in ribeye steak, do you like to gnaw and suck on the bone with a little added salt?
    2. Do you usually eat a steak in one meal or spread it over several?
    3. Do you like to think about the structure and function of the meat you eat?

    Photographs

    This is a gallery of images. Click on one and then scroll through them.

    Final thought

    I hope you have a great day.

    A 16:9 ratio photograph of the Henley Beach Jetty on the right side. There is a gull flying in the left side. The tide is high. The photograph has been edited to accentuate the contrast of the clouds soon after sunrise. The clouds have taken a pink hue.

    Lunch cold cuts

  • Cream of brisket soup

    Cream of brisket soup


    I bought this piece of beef brisket for about $AUD30. It weighs nearly 2 kg. It gave me enough meat for six meals. When I add things like an egg or some plant-based food, the cost per meal is about $AUD6.50. This is <$USD5 and <£GBP4 for a meal that consist of about 300 grams of meat.

    Aluminium baking tray in a Bain Marie in a Weber Q+. The baking tray contains leftover beef brisket, cherry tomatoes, green olives, spinach leaves, cheddar cheese, and pure cream.
    Leftover cream of beef brisket soup

    Recipe for brisket soup

    Ingredients

    • Brisket
    • Salt
    • Spinach leaves
    • Cherry tomatoes
    • Green olives
    • Cheddar cheese (grated)
    • Pure cream (no thickeners)

    Equipment

    • Slow cooker
    • Barbecue (Weber Q+)

    Instructions

    1. Cut the large piece of brisket with a sharpened butcher’s knife.
    2. Put the fist-sized chunks of meat into the slow cooker with a cup of water and a tablespoon of cooking salt.
    3. Cook the brisket for 8 hours.
    4. Transfer the meat to a sealable bowl and refrigerate.
    5. Filter the cooking liquor and refrigerate. After the filtrate has cooled, the beef fat will solidify and be easy to lift away from the beef broth which will be gelatinous.
    6. When preparing the meal, take a portion of the meat from the refrigerator and cut it into small cubes.
    7. Heat up the Weber Q+.
    8. Wash some spinach leaves, cherry tomatoes, and green olives.
    9. Put the meat, spinach, tomatoes, and olives into a bowl. Add a few tablespoons of the gelatinous beef broth and a good slug of cream.
    10. Transfer everything to a disposable aluminium baking tray and add a generous quantity of grated cheddar cheese.
    11. Place the aluminium tray into a metal baking tray with some water in it to create a Bain Marie.
    12. Put the food into the hot Weber Q+.
    13. Cook until the cheese becomes brown (for about 30 minutes).
    14. Transfer some soup to a bowl.
    15. Eat the soup from the bowl with a spoon.

    Photographs

    This is a gallery of images. Click on one and scroll through the full sized image.

    The Evening meal

    Thoughts on the meal.

    The cream of brisket soup was tasty, filling, and delicious.

    I made enough for lunch and dinner.

    It was hot today. You might argue it’s too warm for soup.

    Screenshot of weather app. Torrensville Adelaide South Australia

    It was pretty nice walking along the beach this morning at golden hour.

    Golden hour photograph of Henley Beach Jetty and the Indian Ocean.

  • Brisket bowl

    Brisket bowl


    I bought this piece of beef brisket for about $AUD30. It weighs nearly 2 kg. It will give me enough meat for six meals. If I add something like an egg or some plant-based food, the cost per meal would be about $AUD6.50. This would be <$USD5 and <£GBP4 for a meal that consist of about 300 grams of meat.

    A nearly 2 kg piece of brisket in its supermarket plastic packaging with the label on it. The price on the label is $29.61 at $15/kg. The meat weighs 1.974 kg.

    This is less expensive to almost any scotch fillet steak in a supermarket. It’s also more filling and on a par for flavour.

    Recipe for a hot brisket bowl

    Ingredients

    • Brisket
    • Salt
    • Spinach leaves
    • Cherry tomatoes
    • Green olives
    • Cheddar cheese
    • Pure cream

    Equipment

    • Slow cooker
    • Frypan
    • Oven

    Instructions

    1. Cut the large piece of brisket with a sharpened butcher’s knife.
    2. Put the fist-sized chunks of meat into the slow cooker with a cup of water and a tablespoon of cooking salt.
    3. Cook the brisket for 8 hours.
    4. Transfer the meat to a sealable bowl and refrigerate.
    5. Filter the cooking liquor and refrigerate. After the filtrate has cooled, the beef fat will solidify and be easy to lift away from the beef broth which will be gelatinous.
    6. When preparing the meal, take a portion of the meat from the refrigerator and cut it into small cubes.
    7. Wash some spinach leaves, cherry tomatoes, and green olives.
    8. Roughly cut the tomatoes and olives.
    9. Put the meat, spinach, tomatoes, and olives into a cold frypan. Add a few tablespoons of the gelatinous beef broth.
    10. Put the frypan on a hob and turn on the heat to low.
    11. The beef broth will liquefy and begin to simmer. Keep stirring until the liquid evaporates. The meat will begin to breakdown.
    12. When the liquid has evaporated, turn off the heat and transfer the contents of the frypan to a heat-resistant glass bowl.
    13. Add some grated cheddar cheese and pure cream.
    14. Put the bowl into a baking dish filled with water.
    15. Cook the brisket bowl in a moderate oven for 30 minutes.
    16. Eat the meal straight from the bowl with a spoon.

    Photographs

    This is a gallery of images. Click on one and scroll through the full sized image.

    Thoughts on the meal.

    The brisket bowl was tasty, filling, and delicious.

    The added plant-based food is relatively low carbohydrate and adds to the mouthfeel of each bite.

    Questions for readers

    Feel free to write your answers or any questions in the comments box.

    1. Do you enjoying cooking and eating beef brisket?
    2. How do you prefer to cook brisket?
    3. What’s your favourite brisket meal?
    4. What’s your most economical beef-based meal?

    Leftover meals

  • Lumpy rumpy

    Lumpy rumpy


    I spotted a lump of lamb rump in the supermarket and thought it would make a good option for tonight before I watch the footy. One of my favourite players is featuring tonight. He’s an Indigenous All Star.

    Cooking and Eating Lamb Rump Roast

    Lamb rump on a dinner plate with a sprig of rosemary after being carved and served on the plate

    Anatomy of a Lamb and Origin of Lamb Rump Roast

    A lamb, a young sheep less than a year old, consists of various cuts, each with its distinct flavour and texture. The lamb rump roast is derived from the upper part of the hind leg, near the lamb’s hip. This cut is known for its tenderness and rich taste, making it a favourite among lamb enthusiasts. I don’t know that I can call myself a lamb enthusiast.

    International Names for Lamb Rump Roast

    In different countries, the lamb rump roast might be referred to by various names:

    • United States: Lamb sirloin or lamb hip
    • United Kingdom: Lamb chump or lamb leg steaks
    • France: Rumsteak d’agneau
    • Italy: Lombata di agnello

    Best Ways to Cook Lamb Rump Roast

    Lamb rump roast can be prepared using various cooking methods to enhance its flavour and tenderness:

    • Roasting: Slow roasting at a low temperature ensures the meat remains juicy and tender. Garlic, rosemary, and olive oil make for an aromatic experience if you eat those things.
    • Grilling: Marinating the lamb beforehand and grilling it over medium heat brings out its natural juices and imparts a smoky flavour. In my opinion, a marinade is optional.
    • Pan-Seared: A quick sear in a hot pan, followed by finishing in the oven, results in a perfectly cooked roast with a crispy exterior.
    • Sous vide: This technique involves cooking the lamb in a vacuum-sealed bag in a water bath at a precise temperature, ensuring consistent doneness. This is what I did tonight.

    Selecting Lamb Rump Roast at a Butcher Shop

    When selecting a lamb rump roast, consider the following tips:

    • Appearance: Look for a bright red colour with marbling of fat throughout the meat. Avoid cuts that appear brown or greyish.
    • Freshness: Fresh lamb should have a mild, clean smell. Any off-putting odour could indicate spoilage.
    • Firmness: The meat should be firm to the touch, not slimy or sticky.
    • Butcher’s Advice: Engage with your butcher; they can provide insights into the best cuts available and suggest preparation methods. I bought mine from a local state-based supermarket. I didn’t consult anyone.

    Nutritional Value of Lamb Rump Roast

    • Fats: Lamb rump contains around 20 grams of fat per 100 grams. This includes both saturated and unsaturated fats, with some cuts containing higher fat content than others.
    • Protein: A rich source of protein, lamb rump provides approximately 25 grams per 100 grams, which is essential for muscle repair and growth.
    • Carbohydrates: Lamb rump roast is virtually carbohydrate-free, making it suitable for low-carbohydrate diets.

    Premarket Processes

    Consumers should be aware of the premarket processes that lamb rump roast may undergo:

    Ageing: Lamb meat is often aged to enhance its tenderness and flavour. This process involves storing the meat at a controlled temperature for a specific period.

    Trimming: Excess fat and connective tissue are trimmed off to provide a more desirable cut.

    Packaging: Vacuum-sealed packaging helps to maintain freshness and extend shelf life.

    Conclusion

    Cooking and eating lamb rump roast is a delicious culinary experience. Understanding its origin, selecting the best cut, and knowing the best cooking methods can elevate any meal. With its rich nutritional profile, lamb rump roast is a good choice for a delicious and nutritious meal.

    Recipe

    Ingredients

    • Lump of lamb rump
    • Salt
    Lamb rump in the store packaging. The price is $AUD8.56 at $AUD19.90/kilogram.
    Lamb rump

    Equipment

    • Water bath
    • Precision cooker
    • Propane gas torch

    Instructions

    1. The day before the meal, dry brine the meat.
    2. A few hours before the meal put the meat into a bag and vacuum seal it.
    3. Cook the lamb in a water bath with a precision cooker set at 58 °C (136.5 °F) for 3 hours.
    4. Remove the meat from the bag and dry the surfaces.
    5. Sear the meat with a propane gas torch.
    6. Carve the meat with a sharp knife and serve the meat on a dinner plate.

    Photographs

    This is a gallery of images. Click on one and you can scroll through the series.

    Thoughts on the meal

    The lamb was tender and tasted great. The fat was nicely seared. I’ll add sous vide lamb rump to the list of food I’m happy to enjoy repeatedly.

    Lamb for lunch

    I also enjoyed lamb loin chops for lunch.

    It was cold this morning.

    A photograph of Henley Beach Jetty just after dawn. The surf is choppy because of the strong offshore winds. The clouds are dark and heavy in the sky. The street lamps on the jetty are on.