Herb-stuffed rolled lamb flank

  • 1 lamb flank
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
  • ¼ cup chives chopped
  • ½ cup fresh chopped mint
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 onions sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Butcher’s twine

Heat oven to 300F.

Season flank with salt and lay muscle side up. Brush with mustard and sprinkle herbs. Roll up tightly and secure with twine.

Heat oil in Dutch oven and brown roll until golden all over. Remove and proceed to cook onion and garlic until soft. Pour in wine and stock, return lamb to Dutch oven and cover with lid.

Bake for 3 hours until tender. Take lamb flank out and tent with foil on plate to rest for 20 minutes.

Skim the gravy of excess fat and add water if too thick. Slice lamb and serve with gravy and a sprinkle of mint.

Bon appetit!

Kefta and falafel

Ingredients for the lamb meatballs and yogurt sauce

  • 1lb ground lamb
  • 1 Grated onion
  • ¼ cup panko
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • ¼ cup cilantro chopped
  • ¼ cup mint chopped
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 2 tsp coriander
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp cayenne
  • 1 ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 cup yogurt
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • ¼ tsp salt and pepper

Ingredients for the falafel

  • 1 15 oz can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 1/3 cup shallots roughly chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves chopped
  • ½ cup cilantro
  • ½ cup parsley
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp cumin
  • ¼ tsp coriander
  • Pinch black pepper
  • 6 tbsp flour
  • ½ cup panko
  • Oil for frying

Yogurt Sauce: Combine yogurt, olive oil, 1 crushed garlic clove, cumin, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Set aside.

Meatballs: Mix lamb, onion, panko, 2 cloves garlic and fresh cilantro together and roll into meatballs. Fry in pan with a bit of olive oil turning to brown evenly.

Falafel:

In a food processor pulse chickpeas, shallot, garlic, cilantro, parsley, salt, cumin, coriander and black pepper until a coarse pea-sized mixture forms. Add 6 tbsp of flour and continue pulsing until mixture is fairly smooth but some texture welcome! Form into balls and roll in panko. Heat vegetable oil (about ½ inch high in pan). Use spatula to press down on balls to form a disc, cook for 3 minutes on each side until golden.

Serve with pita bread and some tomato, cucumber, and feta salad. Enjoy!

Birria tacos

1.5 lb beef shank

3-4 lb blade roast

Marinade

·         3 dried guajillo peppers 

·         1 can chipotle peppers in adobo

·         1/4 cup vinegar

·         1/2 cup crushed tomatoes

·         5 cloves garlic

·         1 tsp dried oregano

·         1/2 tsp smoked paprika

·         1 tsp cumin

Stew

·         1 medium onion chopped

·         1 cinnamon stick

·         2 bay leaves

·         6 whole cloves

·         chicken stock to cover (approx. 1 L) 

Tacos

·         4″ corn or flour tortillas as needed, 12-16

·         1 medium red onion chopped

·         1 bunch cilantro chopped

   

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and then remove from heat. Soak your dried guajillo peppers for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, debone and cube your blade roast, then season both the steak and the shank with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Add marinade ingredients to the blender. When the peppers are done soaking, hold them by the tip over the sink and use scissors to cut the stem off and allow the seeds to fall out, then add to blender. Blend the marinade into a smooth paste. Marinate the meats for a minimum of two hours or up to overnight.

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, add 1-2 tbsp oil, then sauté the onions until golden and translucent (6-8 minutes).

Add the meats, marinade, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, and cloves to the pot. Cover with chicken broth, bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 4-6 hours.

When done, remove the meat. Shred, set aside, and discard the bones.

Dip the tortillas in the stew. Build your tacos with meat, onion and cilantro, fold in half then fry (using the fat from the stew) over medium heat on a nonstick skillet. Serve with a bowl of the stew sauce to dip your taco in. Enjoy immediately. Make enough for leftovers as this recipe is sooooo delicious you’ll want to eat some more the next day!

Flat iron steak with cowboy butter

The flat iron steak is a nicely marbled cut harvested from the beef shoulder. When cooked properly, this cut is tender and juicy.

The best way to cook this cut is grilling or searing on a flaming hot grill or pan.

Season steak with salt and pepper. Sear one side on high heat for about 5 minutes and flip over. Grill until it reaches your desired doneness temperature (3-4 minutes). For rare, stop grilling at 115-120 F, medium rare 120-125 F, medium 135-140 F. Let rest for 10 minutes.

When paired with cowboy butter, this steak is out of this world.

Cowboy butter recipe :

-1 stick unsalted butter

-1 tbsp shallot, diced finely

-1 garlic clove minced

1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

-1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

-1 tbsp lemon juice

-1 tsp red pepper flakes

-1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley

– salt and pepper to taste

Bon appetit!

Korean Barbecue Ribs

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup fresh Asian pear juice or puree (optional) or pear

2 tablespoons of toasted sesame oil

2-3 cloves garlic, crushed

1-2 green onions, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

A pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Marinate for at least two hours in a ziploc bag or whatever you have available.

Prepare the grill. A gas grill will work but, according to Gregory, “Koreans prefer the char of charcoal.” Third choice is a broiler.

Drain excess marinade off ribs and reserve. Cook ribs, turning often with metal tongs. Depending on the thickness of the meat and the heat of the grill, this may take as little as 5 minutes, or as many as 15 minutes. Tend the grill carefully, watching for flare-ups which can be put out with a cupful of water.

Toward the end of the cooking process, pour remaining marinade over ribs, cook another minute to caramelize, then pull off to check for done-ness. Gregory’s tip is to cut a piece and taste it. The middle should look the way you like your steaks to look, which is probably not too bloody, and definitely not too dry.

Serve with rice, torn lettuce and a julienne of green onions, and a sesame oil and soy sauce dressing.

Flemish stew : Stoofvlees op grootmoeders wijze

So easy that even Gert can make it, but you have to let it simmer for about 24h

4 lbs beef cubes

4 tbsp butter

Salt and pepper

3 onions sliced

3 tbsp flour

1.5L beef broth

2 beers (350mL)

4 thyme twigs

2 bay leaves

1 tbsp dijon mustard spread on 1 slice of bread

1 tbsp brown sugar

Dry beef cubes with paper towel and salt and pepper them well. In a large pot (creuset), heat 2 tbsp butter on medium fire. Brown a layer of cubes (do not overcrowd as they will boil instead of brown) for 3 minutes each side without stirring.

Once brown, remove and repeat with the remaining cubes. Reserve cubes in a plate and heat 2 tbsp butter on low heat then add onions with ½ tsp salt, cook for 15 minutes.

Add flour and stir well, cooking for 2 minutes. Pour the broth in while deglazing the pot, then add the beer, thyme, bay leaves, beef cubes and their juice. Raise the temperature and wait until it boils.

Lower temperature and let simmer, adding the slice of bread mustard face down, covering the pot halfways. Simmer for 24 hours, stirring now and then to avoid pieces sticking on bottom. Once cubes are tender, add salt and pepper to taste, even a bit of brown sugar.

Remove thyme and bay leaves and serve with mashed potatoes or even better with fries and mayonnaise. To add some colour, you could add chunks of carrots when you mix in the beer.

Zabuton steak (Denver)

One of our favorite asian inspired recipes, is Zabuton steak. Zabuton is a japanese cut of beef found in the shoulder. Its name, loosely translated to ‘little pillow’, comes from the shape and tenderness of the steak, ressembling and feeling like Japanese floor pillows.  

A little less sexy, we just call it Denver steak here.

Served with a Yakiniku sauce, rice and your choice of greens, this is the perfect recipe to satisfy your umami craving.



Recipe

  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons mirin or sake
  • 3 tablespoons white sugar
  • 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce or chili paste
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
  • 1 Denver (Zabuton) steak
  • Salt & pepper
  • Preheat grill-oven to 225F
  • Season the  steak on all sides with a blend of salt and pepper
  • Put the steak in the preheated grill and cook for about 30 minutes at this lower temperature
  • While the steak is cooking, make the sauce by combining the remaining ingredients except sesame seeds in a saucepan
  • Reduce the sauce slightly while the steak continues cooking
  • When the steak has reached the desired internal temperature of 125*, remove the steak and the saucepan from the grill and increase the temperature to 400*
  • Sear the steak on all sides for about 60 seconds per side
  • Allow the pan to get hot and the sauce to bubble, reducing slightly
  • Pull the steak from the grill, tent with foil and allow to rest for 5 minutes
  • Transfer the sauce to a serving dish and sprinkle generously with sesame seeds
  • Cut the steak against the grain and serve with yakiniku sauce for dipping

Tri tip or picanha with chimichurri

Gert’s all time favorite recipe

1 tri tip or picanha

dry rub ferme d’orée

Chimichurri Ferme d’Orée

1 T chopped parsley

1/2 T fresh coriander, chopped

1/4 T chopped fresh mint

1/4-1/2 T olive oil

1 French shallot, finely chopped

1/2 finely chopped red hot pepper

2-3 tbsp rosé wine vinegar !

salt and pepper to taste

Mix the ingredients for the Chimichurri and set aside.

Coat the tri tip or picanha with the rub and sear on both sides on the bbq at high temperature. On indirect cooking with bbq temperature at 325F, grill the piece of meat until internal temperature of 135F. Remove the tri tip from the bbq and let rest for about 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving with Chimichurri (and french fries).

Braised beef with star anis

This is an easy recipe from Josée di Stasio that is just so delicious and perfect for a winter feast.

4 lbs beef osso bucco, blade roast or cross-rib roast
3 tbsp vegetable oil
3 onions, quartered
6 big carrots in big pieces
4 garlic cloves, crushed
3 cups beef broth
1/3 cup Tamari or soy sauce
2 tbsp tomato paste (ketchup works also, trust me)
1.5 tbsp brown sugar
2 inch piece of ginger, sliced
4 star anis

Preheat oven to 325 F. Salt and pepper your meat pieces. In a Dutch oven, color the meat on all sides on medium to high heat in 2 tbsp of oil. Remove from pot and add remaining oil along with carrots and onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Add garlic and continue cooking for about 1 minute. Place meat on veggies, add stock, tamari, tomato paste, sugar, ginger and star anis. Bring to a boil, cover and bake for approximately 3 hours or until meat comes off bones easily. After an hour of baking, turn the meat around and make sure the stock level covers about half of the meat. Enjoy with mashed potatoes!

Roast X-mas chicken with gravy and pork and merguez stuffing.


This recipe is inspired from Gordon Ramsay’s Christmas turkey. We tried it a few times, and we like it better without the apricots. And we like chicken better than turkey! Here are the three parts!

Stuffing

Here is the video for visuals:
1 lb ground pork
salt and pepper
1 large apple, grated
(in the original recipe there were apricots)
about a handful of pistachio nuts, shelled and roughly chopped
zest of 1 lemon
a handfull of chopped parsley
olive oil
a lot of fresh sage leaves
2 merguez sausages

Mix ground pork, grated apple, pistachios, zest and parsley together. Add salt and pepper, On a large sheet of aluminum, drizzle olive oil and arrange the sage leaves right side down so they stick to the oil and overlap in two rows so they form a rectangle of sorts the length of 1.5 to two merguez sausages placed end to end. Season. Spread half of the pork mixture onto the leaves, run your finger down the middle to make a groove for the sausages. Place sausages in groove and cover with remaining pork. Wrap foil around the stuffing, twisting ends to seal. Roll package to get a tight and even log shape. IF making ahead, refrigerate at this stage. Place in a baking dish and bake in a preheated oven at 400 F for about 40 minutes. Leave to rest for 10 minutes before slicing to serve.

Chicken

Here is the video in case you need visual cues.
1 chicken (or Turkey, but we prefer chicken)
salt and pepper
2 onions, peeled and halved
2 lemons
3 garlic cloves crushed
small bunch of parsley chopped
375 gr unsalted butter at room temp.
1 tbsp olive oil
3 bay leaves
bacon slices

Preheat oven to 430 F. Prepare herb butter by mixing butter with salt and pepper,  parsley, zest of 2 lemons, juice of 1 lemon, crushed garlic, olive oil and parsley. Set aside.
Season chicken cavity, stuff with onions, 1 lemon cut in two and bay leaves. Loosen skin on the breast with your hands, being gentle so as not to tear. Do the same with the thighs. Stuff half the butter mixture between the skin and meat and gently massage the butter into hard to reach areas. Place bird in roasting tray (not glass!) breast side up. Spread rest of butter onto bird, season with salt and pepper then drizzle a bit of olive oil. If preparing ahead, cover with foil and refrigerate.

Roast turkey in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Take bird out of oven, and place bacon strips over breast. Lower heat to 360 F and cook until done (use thermometer! it avoids errors), they say 30 minutes per kg, but it always takes more time here! When done, remove from oven, let chicken rest under foil. Remove parson’s nose (the butt) and wings for the gravy. Remove lemon and onion from cavity for gravy and bacon from breast!

Gravy

This has got to be the best tasting gravy I have ever eaten. here is a link to the youtube video in case you need visual cues.

3 sprigs fresh rosemary
3 fresh tomatoes chopped
1 cup apple cider (I never have this in house so I end up using leftover pear wine someone once gifted us)
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup walnuts chopped

Drain the roasting pan juices and reserve. Heat up roasting pan on the stove and add all the stuff you took from the roasted chicken- chopped up bacon, chopped up lemon and onion. Add 2 sprigs of rosemary and tomatoes. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add wings and parson’s nose to pan and stir. Pour in cider and bring to a boil, scraping the browned bits on bottom of pan. Reduce by half then add reserved juices. Reduce once more by half. Crush everything with a potato masher to bring out their juices. Pour in chicken broth, bring to a boil and add remaining rosemary. In your gravy boat, place walnuts. Strain gravy into boat and serve.

Bon appetit!