Yummy Lummy

A blog about food and me

Tag: Beef

  • Happy New Year (2026)

    Happy New Year (2026)


    It is a new year, and I am working in a new agency.

    To start a new year, I want a scotch fillet steak on the bone. That is, a bone-in ribeye steak.

    Recipe

    Sous-vide bone-in ribeye steak with potato gems, fried in beef fat.

    Ingredients

    • Steak (it weighed 950 grams with the bone)
    • Salt
    • Pepper
    • Potato gems
    • Beef fat
    • Brussels sprouts

    Equipment

    • Water bath
    • Precision cooker
    • Barbecue grill with cast-iron flat top.
    • Aluminium foil tray
    • Gas torch
    • Boning knife
    • Carving knife

    Instructions

    Steak

    1. Dry-brine the meat
    2. Vacuum-bag the steak, being careful around the rib bone.
    3. Cook the beef at 57 °C for three hours.
    4. Heat the barbecue grill and cast-iron flat-top.
    5. Dry the steak’s surfaces, then sear it over a hot barbecue grill using a gas torch.

    Potato gems

    1. Put sufficient leftover beef fat into an aluminium tray and heat while the barbecue is heating for the steak.
    2. Add the potato gems to the hot beef fat and deep fry until golden.

    Brussels sprouts

    1. Halve the Brussels sprouts longitudinally.
    2. Deep-fry in the hot beef fat used for the potato gems.

    Serving up

    1. Cut the meat from the rib bone with the boning knife.
    2. Slice the scotch fillet steak with a carving knife.
    3. Arrange the slices of steak onto a dinner plate.
    4. Season the steak with flaky sea salt and freshly cracked black and white peppercorns.
    5. Cut the bone off with a boning knife and dissect the spinalis from the longissimus dorsi.
    6. Slice the muscle bundles and arrange the bone and meat slices on a dinner plate.
    7. Arrange the Brussels sprouts and potato gems on the sliced steak.
    8. Enjoy almost 1 kg of steak.

    Photographs

    Here are photographs of the meal. It’s a 950-gram steak including the bone.

    Photograph of raw bone-in ribeye steak, which weighs about 950 grams. It has spent 24 hours dry-brining in the refrigerator.
    Photograph of Bone-in ribeye steak out of the water bath prior to being seared.
    Photograph of Bone-in ribeye steak after being seared on a hot cast-iron flat top barbecue grill with a gas torch.
    Photograph of Bone-in ribeye steak after being seared on a hot cast-iron flat top barbecue grill with a gas torch.
    Photograph of Bone-in ribeye steak after being seared on a hot cast-iron flat top barbecue grill with a gas torch. Dissected from the rib bone and the spinalis separated from the longissimus dorsi muscle.
    Photograph of Bone-in ribeye steak after being seared on a hot cast-iron flat top barbecue grill with a gas torch. Dissected from the rib bone and the spinalis separated from the longissimus dorsi muscle. Both muscle groups have been sliced and laid out on the dinner plate.
    Photograph of Bone-in ribeye steak after being seared on a hot cast-iron flat top barbecue grill with a gas torch. Dissected from the rib bone and the spinalis separated from the longissimus dorsi muscle. Both muscle groups have been sliced and laid out on the dinner plate. The potato gems and Brussels sprouts have been added on top of the cut meat.
    Photograph of Bone-in ribeye steak after being seared on a hot cast-iron flat top barbecue grill with a gas torch. Dissected from the rib bone and the spinalis separated from the longissimus dorsi muscle. Both muscle groups have been sliced and laid out on the dinner plate. The potato gems and Brussels sprouts have been added on top of the cut meat.

    Thoughts on the meal

    This steak meal is a terrific way to start a new year. It was cooked the way I wanted it. The potato gems and Brussels sprouts were crispy and cooked just the way I like them.

    Personal note

    It will be good to work at a new agency and play a role in helping people, especially the people I work with.

    Spent last week with family for Christmas. We ate well. We ate vast amounts of seafood, including oysters, prawns, scallops, squid, Moreton Bay bugs, and fish. On Christmas Day, my nieces also wanted me to cook each of them a fillet steak. Surprised but happy to do it. Took a stainless-steel frypan and a stainless-steel scrubber with me on the flight, which made for a heavy bag. I also ate four servings of Eggs Benedict with bacon. When I weighed in on my return home, there is now a peak in the spreadsheet!

    Favourite Christmas meals

    My favourite lunch was a Moreton Bay bug and half a dozen large Pacific oysters. I made it luxurious with a pot of melted grass-fed butter.

    Photograph of Morgan's Seafood Large Pacific Oysters and Moreton Bay Bug with a pot of melted butter.

    My favourite dessert was Christmas cake warmed with microwave radiation and served with vanilla ice cream.

    Photograph of warmed Perryman's Bakery Christmas cake and vanilla ice cream
  • Beef short rib with Brussels sprouts!

    Beef short rib with Brussels sprouts!


    I had a meeting this week with a former work colleague in Tasmania. Brussels sprouts came up in the conversation. I didn’t like them as a child, even when Mum cooked with bacon.

    These days, though, I like them, especially when parboiled and finished in beef fat on a cast-iron pan. Crispy Brussels sprouts are now a favourite vegetable.

    Barbecue “emergency”

    During the week, I had some meetings that would extend late into the evening, so I carefully orchestrated the evening meal to fit within a short break.

    I had my meat ready and was about to ignite the barbecue. I opened the bottle valve, then opened the barbecue valve and pressed the electric ignition switch. I saw and heard sparks, but saw no flames! The tank had gas. I disconnected the hoses and the regulator and reconnected them to reset the regulator. Still no flame. I removed the grill plates and checked the burners for blockages. Nup, the burners were clean, and all the holes were open. I deduced it was the regulator[i]. It had to be. It was too late in the evening, and I didn’t have time to drive to the hardware store. I had to cook my meat inside on the stove top. I’m sure it would have tasted better cooked on the barbecue.

    The next morning, I drove to the hardware store before work and bought a new regulator. After installing it, I rejoiced at the sight and sound of a gas flame erupting from the burner tubing.

    I use the barbecue nearly every night to cook meat. If the problem had been more difficult, I would have been unhappy.

    Tonight’s meal needed the barbecue to work.

    Recipe

    Slow-cooked beef short ribs with Brussels sprouts fried in beef fat, served with blue-vein cheese and mustard sauce.

    Ingredients

    • Beef short ribs[ii]
    • Salt
    • Water
    • Brussels sprouts[iii]
    • Beef fat
    • Butter
    • Cream
    • Cream cheese
    • Mustard
    • Blue vein cheese[iv]

    Equipment

    • Slow cooker
    • Barbecue
    • Gas torch
    • Saucepan

    Instructions

    1. Cook the beef short ribs with salt and water in the slow cooker. Cook on low heat for 8 hours.
    2. Cut the Brussels sprouts in half (longitudinally).
    3. Parboil the Brussels sprouts for 5 minutes.
    4. Drain the Brussels sprouts, lay them cut side down on a plate, and then place the plate in the freezer.
    5. Remove the ribs and keep one aside.
    6. Dry the surface with absorbent paper.
    7. Heat the barbecue, which contains a shallow cast-iron plate with beef fat from previous cooking sessions.
    8. Place the frozen Brussels sprouts on the cast-iron plate, cut side down.
    9. Heat some butter in a small saucepan, then slowly add the cream, cream cheese, and mustard. Crumble in the blue vein cheese and keep stirring until a sauce forms.
    10. Place the sequestered beef short rib on a hot grill plate to sear the surface.
    11. Add to the searing with a gas torch.
    12. Transfer the beef short rib and Brussels sprouts to a dinner plate.
    13. Drizzle the blue vein cheese and mustard sauce over the meat and Brussels sprouts.
    14. Use a sharp, non-serrated dinner knife to avoid tearing the meat. You want to cut cleanly against the grain. Perfectly cooked meat won’t squash between the knife and bone. The meat will come away from the bone easily and have a bit of “bounce” when pressed.

    Thoughts on the meal

    The meat was tender and combined well with the crispy Brussels sprouts and the creamy, pungent sauce.

    The meat came away from the bone easily but wasn’t mushy. I cut the meat with a sharp knife. It cut easily into bite-sized portions and then combined with sauce and Brussels sprouts for a bite with incredible flavour and mouthfeel.

    I will definitely cook this again.

    Photographs

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

    Slow-cooked beef short rib with Brussels sprouts fried in beef fat and served with blue vein cheese and mustard sauce
    Slow-cooked beef short rib with Brussels sprouts fried in beef fat and served with blue vein cheese and mustard sauce
    Slow-cooked beef short rib with Brussels sprouts fried in beef fat and served with blue vein cheese and mustard sauce

    Questions

    How often do you cook with a barbecue?

    Have you ever had a barbecue “emergency?”

    Do you like Brussels sprouts? How do you want them cooked?

    [i] A barbecue gas regulator is a compact device attached to your LPG cylinder that reduces high cylinder pressure to a safe, steady flow for cooking. In Australia, the standard is 2.75 kPa, with modern LCC27 fittings offering improved safety. Regulators are typically sold with hoses (PVC or braided) and may include gauges for monitoring gas levels. They are essential for safe and reliable barbecue operation. I bought the cheapest one I could find. It didn’t come with a gauge.

    [ii] Beef short ribs are a richly marbled cut taken from the chuck, plate, or rib areas, prized for their deep flavour and tenderness when slow-cooked.

    [iii] Brussels sprouts are small, leafy green vegetables that resemble miniature cabbages, belonging to the Brassica oleracea species. They are cultivated for their edible buds.

    [iv] Blue vein cheese (often called blue cheese) is a type of cheese made from cow’s, sheep’s, or goat’s milk that is ripened with cultures of the fungal mould Penicillium roqueforti, giving it distinctive blue, green, or grey veins throughout its body and a strong, pungent flavour.

  • Porterhouse Steak

    Porterhouse Steak


    🥩 What is a Porterhouse[i] Steak in Australia?

    In Australia, the term porterhouse steak refers to what many other countries call a sirloin steak. It’s cut from the short loin section of the cow, sitting just behind the ribs. The meat is leaner than ribeye (scotch fillet), with a firm texture and a beefy flavour.

    It gets confusing. I may be wrong about this, but this is my understanding:

    • 🇦🇺 Australia: Porterhouse = Sirloin.
    • 🇺🇸 United States: Porterhouse = A large T-bone steak, cut from the rear end of the short loin, which includes both the tenderloin (eye fillet) and the strip steak (sirloin).
    • 🇬🇧 United Kingdom: Porterhouse is sometimes used interchangeably with T-bone, but definitions vary.

    If you ask for a porterhouse in an Australian restaurant or butcher’s shop, don’t expect a massive T-bone with eye fillet attached. You’ll get a steak which is lean, flavoursome, and perfect for sous vide.

    💰 Why is Porterhouse Cheaper than Scotch Fillet?

    Meat is getting more expensive. Compared with this time last year, it feels like what I now pay for porterhouse is what I was paying for scotch fillet last year.

    Scotch fillet[ii] (ribeye) comes from the rib section and is appreciated for its marbling, tenderness, and flavour. Porterhouse, being leaner and less marbled, is generally cheaper. It’s still delicious, but it doesn’t have the same mouthfeel as scotch fillet. For everyday cooking, porterhouse offers more value without compromising on taste. Chuck steak would be cheaper, but chuck is tougher.

    🍽️ Recipe

    Ingredients

    • 1 × porterhouse steak (375 g)
    • Flaky salt and freshly cracked black pepper
    • Brussels sprouts, halved
    • Frozen potato gems
    • Blue vein cheese
    • Pure pouring cream
    • Cream cheese
    • Butter
    • Bowen mango

    Method

    1. Sous Vide Steak
      • Season the porterhouse with salt and pepper.
      • Seal in a vacuum bag and cook in a water bath at 55 °C for 2 hours.
      • Remove, pat dry, and sear quickly on a barbecue grill.
    2. Brussels Sprouts
      • Blanch in salted boiling water for 3 minutes.
      • Toss on a barbecue grill until caramelised.
    3. Potato Gems
      • Fry in beef fat until crisp and golden.
    4. Blue Vein Cheese Sauce
      • Melt butter in a small saucepan.
      • Add cream cheese and cream and bring to a gentle simmer.
      • Crumble in blue vein cheese and stir until smooth.
    5. Plate Up
      • Slice the porterhouse and arrange with mango slices, Brussels sprouts and potato gems.
      • Drizzle generously with blue vein cheese sauce.

    This dish balances the beefiness of porterhouse steak with the creamy, salty blue vein cheese. The potato gems add crunch, while Brussels sprouts bring a nutty sweetness. The Bowen mango adds a fresh sweet flavour.

    Grass-fed porterhouse steak with Bowen mango, potato gems, Brussels sprouts, and blue vein cheese sauce.
    Grass-fed porterhouse steak with Bowen mango, potato gems, Brussels sprouts, and blue vein cheese sauce.
    Grass-fed porterhouse steak with Bowen mango, potato gems, Brussels sprouts, and blue vein cheese sauce.
    Grass-fed porterhouse steak with Bowen mango, potato gems, Brussels sprouts, and blue vein cheese sauce.
    Grass-fed porterhouse steak with Bowen mango, potato gems, Brussels sprouts, and blue vein cheese sauce.

    🥐 Raspberry and Pistachio Cinnamon Scroll

    I visited Cannelle Fine Foods[iii] on Hayward Avenue, Torrensville, and picked up a raspberry and pistachio cinnamon scroll.

    As seen on their Instagram feed, this scroll is as advertised:

    • A nice pastry scroll.
    • Cinnamon icing.
    • Dried raspberry and crunchy pistachios sprinkled on top for texture and a nutty finish.

    It’s a good companion to a strong coffee, balancing richness with sharpness.

    Raspberry and pistachio cinnamon scroll from Cannelle Fine French Pastries with a coffee

    🥭 Mango

    I don’t eat a lot of fruit these days. I still enjoy a mango. My favourite variety is the Bowen, which is also known as a Kensington Pride.

    Photograph of an uncut Bowen mango on a plate

    Bowen Mango: The original name, because the first trees were planted in Bowen, Queensland, in the late 1800s.

    Kensington Pride Mango: Later, the variety spread to Kensington Station near Bowen, and growers began calling it “Kensington Pride.” Over time, this name became more widely used across Australia.

    In Queensland[iv], many locals still call it the Bowen mango. We had a Bowen mango tree in the backyard of the house I grew up in.

    Map of Queensland coloured maroon

    Across most of Australia, it’s marketed and sold as Kensington Pride.

    Final Thoughts

    Porterhouse steak may not have the gravitas of scotch fillet, but when cooked sous vide and paired with flavours like blue vein cheese, it shines. And finishing with a mango makes for an indulgent evening.

    Questions

    1. What do you mean by porterhouse where you live?
    2. Have you noticed a change in meat prices?
    3. Do you like mangoes? What’s your favourite variety for plain eating?

    [i] The word porterhouse originally referred to a type of tavern or chophouse in the mid‑18th century where porter (a dark beer) was served. By the early 19th century, the name became associated with a particular cut of beef steak, supposedly popularised in New York or Boston establishments.

    [ii] Scotch fillet is the Australian and New Zealand term for the boneless ribeye steak. The word fillet comes from Old French filet (“thread, strip”), later applied to cuts of meat. The Scotch part likely reflects a marketing or culinary association with Scotland, where rib cuts were prized, though the exact origin is unclear.

    [iii] https://cannelle.com.au/

    [iv] The greatest state in the federation.

  • Corned beef and pickle liquor

    Corned beef and pickle liquor


    I had mentioned to someone a few weeks ago that I was enjoying a pickled gherkin with lunch when I made an open sandwich. It was suggested that the liquor[i] from the jar shouldn’t be discarded because it could be used for slow-cooking corned beef.

    I had about a cupful of pickle liquor, so I thought I’d give it a go.

    I bought a piece of corned silverside[ii] (roughly 2 kg at $AUD10/kg) and slowly cooked it with the pickle liquor.

    Recipe

    Ingredients

    • Corned beef silverside
    • Pickle liquor

    Equipment

    • Slow cooker

    Instructions

    1. Place the beef into the cooking vessel.
    2. Add the pickle liquor.
    3. Cook on low heat for 8 hours.
    4. Remove the cooked corned silverside and refrigerate.
    5. Cut a slice of corned beef and place it on a piece of buttered sourdough bread[iii].
    6. Serve with some mustard and a pickled gherkin[iv].

    Photographs

    For lunch, I had tinned corned beef.

    For tea, I had the slowly cooked corned beef silverside.

    Here are the photographs for comparison.

    Tinned corned beef
    Slowly cooked corned beef silverside.
    Corned beef silverside with pickle, mustard, and sourdough bread

    Thoughts on the meal

    I enjoyed the corned silverside. This version tasted better than my recent effort.


    I used the last of the slowly cooked corned beef silverside, which had been prepared with pickle liquor. I diced the meat along with some gherkins and cooked them in the corned beef cooking liquid. Then, I added mustard, cream, and some cheese.

    I used the last of the slowly cooked corned beef silverside, which had been prepared with pickle liquor. I diced the meat along with some gherkins and cooked them in the corned beef cooking liquid. Then, I added mustard, cream, and some cheese.

    [i] Did you know that pickle liquor is a strong acid solution used in metalworking to clean and descale metal surfaces? Pickle juice is the salty, acidic liquid used to preserve pickles—typically made from water, vinegar, salt, and spices. I like (and prefer) the word liquor because it means liquid in which something has been steeped or cooked.

    [ii] Beef silverside is a large, lean cut from the hindquarter of a cow, known for its coarse texture and low in fat content. It’s popular in Australia, the UK, and New Zealand for roasting, corning, or making biltong.

    [iii] Sourdough bread is a naturally leavened bread made using wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria, giving it a tangy flavour and chewy texture.

    [iv] A gherkin is a small, bumpy cucumber variety that’s typically pickled and enjoyed for its crisp texture and tangy flavour.

  • 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.