1 tablespoon olive oil

225g (8oz) freshly minced beef

1 fat clove of garlic

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

salt and freshly ground pepper

50g (2oz) chopped onion

Tomato Fondue (see recipe)

2 tablespoons chopped marjoram

Garnish

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Sweat the onion in the olive oil until soft.  Mix the mince with the crushed garlic and mustard, season with salt and freshly ground pepper.  Add the sweated onion and mix thoroughly.  Fry the mixture on a very hot pan turning all the time.   Add half or all the Tomato fondue, depending on taste. Add the marjoram, simmer for a few minutes.  Taste and correct the seasoning. Serve spooned over freshly cooked pasta and scatter with chopped parsley.

Tomato Fondue

Tomato fondue is one of our great convertibles, it has a number of uses, we serve it as a vegetable or a sauce for pasta, filling for omelettes, topping for pizza.

Serves 6 approximately

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

110g (4oz) sliced onions

1 clove of garlic, crushed

900g (2 lbs) very ripe tomatoes in Summer, or 2 tins (x 14oz) of tomatoes in Winter, but peel before using

salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar to taste

1 tablespoon of any of the following;

freshly chopped mint, thyme, parsley, lemon balm, marjoram or torn basil

Heat the oil in a stainless steel saucepan or casserole.  Add the sliced onions and garlic toss until coated, cover and sweat on a gentle heat until soft but not coloured – about 10 minutes. It is vital for the success of this dish that the onions are completely soft before the tomatoes are added.  Slice the peeled fresh tomatoes or chopped tinned tomatoes and add with all the juice to the onions.  Season with salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar (tinned tomatoes need lots of sugar because of their high acidity).  Add a generous sprinkling of herbs. Cover and cook for just 10-20 minutes more, or until the tomato softens, uncover and reduce a little.  Cook fresh tomatoes for a shorter time to preserve the lively fresh flavour.

Tinned tomatoes need to be cooked for longer depending on whether one wants to use the fondue as a vegetable, sauce or filling.

Tip: A few drops of Balsamic vinegar at the end of cooking greatly enhances the flavour.

Copyright Ballymaloe Cookery School / www.CookingIsFun.ie

6 x 175g (6 ozs) sirloin or fillet steaks
1 clove of garlic
a little olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper

Mushroom Sauce
15-25g (1/2-1 oz) butter
75g (3 ozs) onion, finely chopped
225g (8oz) mushrooms, sliced
110ml (4fl ozs) cream
freshly chopped parsley
1/2 tablespoon freshly chopped chives (optional)
a squeeze of lemon juice
salt and freshly ground pepper
roux (see recipe)

Garnish
Fresh watercress or parsley

Prepare the steaks about 1 hour before cooking. Cut a clove of garlic in half, rub both sides of each steak with the cut clove, grind some black pepper over the steaks and sprinkle on a few drops of olive oil. Turn the steaks in the oil and leave aside. If using sirloin steaks, score the fat at 2.5cm (1 inch) intervals.

Next make the mushroom sauce:
Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan until it foams. Add the chopped onions, cover and sweat on a gentle heat for 5-10 minutes or until quite soft but not coloured. Meanwhile cook the sliced mushrooms in a little butter, in a hot frying pan in batches if necessary. Season each batch with salt, freshly ground pepper and a tiny squeeze of lemon juice. Add the mushrooms to the onions in the saucepan, then add the cream and allow to bubble for a few minutes. Thicken with a little roux to a light coating consistency. Taste and correct the seasoning, and add parsley and chives if used.

To cook the steaks:
Heat the grill pan, season the steaks with a little salt and put them down onto the pan.
The approximate cooking times for each side of the steaks are:

-                             Sirloin              Fillet
Rare                       2 minutes       5 minutes
Medium rare            3 minutes       6 minutes
Medium                   4 minutes       7 minutes
Well done                5 minutes       8-9 minutes

Turn a sirloin steak over onto the fat and cook for 1-2 minutes or until the fat becomes crisp. Put the steaks onto a plate and leave them rest for a few minutes in a warm place.

To Serve

Put the steaks on to hot plates. Spoon the warm mushroom sauce over one end of the steak. Garnish with fresh watercress or parsley sprigs.

Copyright Ballymaloe Cookery School http://www.cookingisfun.ie/

Serves 8–10

prime rib or wing rib of beef on the bone (well-hung), about 4–6kg (9–13lb)

salt and freshly ground pepper

Gravy

850ml (11⁄2 pints homemade beef stock (see recipe)

25g (1oz) roux (see recipe), optional

salt and freshly ground pepper

Accompaniments

Horseradish Sauce (see recipe)

Yorkshire Pudding (see recipe)

Preheat the oven to 240ºC/475ºF/Gas Mark 9.

Weigh the joint and calculate the cooking time (see above). Score the fat and season well with salt and freshly ground pepper. Place the meat in a roasting tin with the fat side uppermost. As the fat renders down in the heat of the oven, it will baste the meat. The bones provide a natural rack to hold the meat clear of the fat in the roasting pan. Put the meat into a very hot oven, and after 15 minutes, turn down the heat to moderate (180ºC/350ºF/gas mark 4), until the meat is cooked to your taste (see above).

When the meat is cooked, it should be allowed to rest on a plate in a warm oven for 15–30 minutes before carving, depending on the size of the roast. The internal temperature will continue to rise by as much as 2–3ºC/5ºF, so remove the roast from the oven while it is still slightly underdone.

While the meat is resting, make the gravy. Spoon the fat off the roasting tin. Pour the stock into the cooking juices remaining in the tin. Boil for a few minutes, stirring and scraping the pan to dissolve the caramelised meat juices (I find a small whisk ideal for this). Thicken very slightly with a little roux if you like. Taste and add salt and freshly ground pepper if necessary. Strain and serve in a warmed gravy boat.

Carve the beef at the table and serve with a fiery horseradish sauce, Yorkshire pudding, the gravy and lots of crusty roast potatoes. Enjoy!

Copyright Ballymaloe Cookery School / www.CookingIsFun.ie

Serves 6

Hamburgers

450g (1 lb) freshly minced beef – flank, chump or shin would be perfect

15g (1/2 oz) butter

75g (3oz) onions, chopped

1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh parsley

salt and freshly ground pepper

pork caul fat (optional)

oil or dripping

Ginger Mushrooms

15-25g (1/2 – 1 oz) butter

75g (3oz) onion, finely chopped

225g (8oz) mushrooms

125ml (4 1/2 fl oz) cream

freshly chopped parsley

1/2 tablespoon freshly chopped chives (optional)

a squeeze of lemon juice

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

20g (3/4 oz) nibbed almonds, lightly toasted

Buffalo Chips

6 large potatoes unpeeled

salt

oil for deep-frying – olive or a mixture of olive and sunflower

Green salad and cherry tomatoes (optional).

hamburger buns

First make the hamburgers.

Melt the butter in a saucepan and toss in the chopped onions, sweat until soft but not coloured, then allow to get cold.  Meanwhile mix the mince with the herbs, season with salt and freshly ground pepper, add the onions and mix well.  Fry off a tiny bit on the pan to check the seasoning and correct if necessary.  Then shape into hamburgers, 4-6 depending on the size you require.  Wrap each one in caul fat if using.  Keep refrigerated.

Next make the Ginger mushrooms.

Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan until it foams. Add the chopped onions, cover and sweat on a gentle heat for 5-6 minutes or until quite soft but not coloured.  Meanwhile slice and cook the mushrooms in a hot frying pan in batches if necessary.  Season each batch with salt, freshly ground pepper and a tiny squeeze of lemon juice.  Add the mushrooms to the onions in the saucepan, then add the cream, ginger, almonds and allow to bubble for a few minutes.  Taste and correct the seasoning, and add parsley and chives if used.  Keep aside.

Scrub the potatoes and cut into wedges from top to bottom – they should be about 2cm (3/4 inch) thick and at least 6 1/2cm (2 1/2 inches) long.  If you like rinse the chips quickly in cold water but do not soak, dry them maliciously with a tea towel or kitchen paper before cooking.

Heat the oil in the deep fry to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4, fry twice, once at this temperature for 5-8 minutes depending on size then drain.

Meanwhile fry the hamburgers and reheat the ginger mushrooms.

Increase the heat to 220°C/425°F/Gas Mark 7 and cook the Buffalo chips for a further 1-2 minutes until crisp and golden.  Shake the basket, drain well toss on to kitchen paper, sprinkle with salt.  Put the hamburgers onto hot plates, spoon some ginger mushrooms over the side of the hamburgers and pile on the crispy buffalo chips.

Put a little green salad dressed in a well-flavoured dressing on the side with one or two cherry tomatoes and a perky spring onion.  Serve immediately and tuck in.

Copyright Ballymaloe Cookery School / www.CookingIsFun.ie

This is a delicious hearty stew that can be made in large quantities because it reheats and freezes brilliantly
– the perfect ‘go-to’ meal for those busy evenings when you don’t have time to cook from scratch!

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1.35kg (3 lb) well hung stewing beef or lean flank
2 large carrots cut into 1cm (1/2 inch) slices
285g (10 oz) sliced onions
1 heaped tablespoon flour
150ml (5fl oz) red wine
150ml (5fl oz) brown beef stock (see recipe)
250ml (9fl oz) homemade tomato purée, otherwise use best quality tinned tomato – puréed and sieved
175g (6 oz) sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Method:

Trim the meat of any excess fat, then prepare the vegetables. Cut the meat into 4cm (1 1/2 inch) cubes.
Heat the olive oil in a casserole; sweat the sliced onions and carrots on a gentle heat with a lid on for 10 minutes.
Heat a little more olive oil in a frying pan until almost smoking.
Sear the pieces of meat on all sides, reduce the heat, stir in flour, cook for 1 minutes, mix the wine, stock and
tomato puree together and add gradually to the casserole.
Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover and cook gently for 2 1/2-3 hours in a low oven, depending
on the cut of meat, 160°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3.
Meanwhile, sauté the mushrooms and add with the parsley to the casserole, 30 minutes approx. before the end
of cooking.
Serve with mashed potatoes or noodles and a good green salad.
Copyright Ballymaloe Cookery School / www.CookingIsFun.ie