Meat Recipes
1 turkey weighing about 3½ - 4 kg
1 large pear
3 Tbsp butter
salt
pepper
apple
1. Cut the pear into quarters without peeling it
2. Roll the pear in a salt and pepper mixture
3. Remove the giblets from inside the turkey and put in the pear quarters
4. Sew up all the openings and truss the turkey (tie the legs together)
5. Put the turkey onto a baking rack and bake in a moderate oven 180°C
6. Halfway through the baking, pour 1 glass of water into the drip pan
7. Once cooked (about 2 - 2½ hours) wrap entirely in tin foil and keep warm until you serve
8. By doing this, the turkey stays moist
9. Meanwhile put the liver through a fine food sieve and fry gently in butter, salt and pepper
10. Add the baking juice from the drip tray to the liver (the liver will thicken the sauce)
11.Decorate the dish with the pieces of pear and apple fried in butter.
12. Sautéed chestnuts also go well with turkey
13. Serve the sauce in a gravy boat
1 whole ham, about 4kg
½ bottle dry white wine
1 bouquet garni
20 peppercorns
40 cloves
¾ cup sugar
50ml white rum
1 can pineapple rings
1 cup stock
1 Tbsp tomato paste
½ cup butter
1 ¼ cups caster sugar
1. Cook the ham for 3½ hours with the wine and enough water to cover, the bouquet garni and 20 peppercorns
2. Take off the stove and allow to cool in the liquid
3. Drain and keep some of the liquid to add to the sauce
4. Remove the rind and excess fat from the gammon and score into cubes
5. Stud the cubes with whole cloves and place in an ovenproof dish
6. Cook the sugar until light gold in colour (this is now caramelised)
7. Set a ¼ of the caramel aside for the sauce and cover the ham with the rest
8. Preheat the oven to 180°C for 15 minutes, then bake the ham on a low heat to glaze
9. Meanwhile prepare the sauce by pouring the rum, stock, tomato paste and cooking liquid into the caramel
10. Stir well and allow to reduce by a ¼ then check the seasoning
11. Drain the pineapple, keeping one ring per quest, and dicing the rest into the sauce
12. Fry the remaining rings in a little butter, sprinkling with caster sugar to caramelise
13. Surround the ham with the pineapple rings and serve the sauce on the side
3 kg fresh ham leg
2 Tbsp mixed herbs (rosemary, sage, thyme etc)
salt & pepper
3 Tbsp red currant jelly
125ml sour cream
couple of drops of lemon juice
2 Tbsp margarine
1 ¼ kg medium-sized potatoes, peeled and boiled until slightly cooked
1. Place the ham on a rack in an oven pan and surround with potatoes
2. Cook at 180°C for 30 minutes per 500g of weight
3. As the ham cooks, spread the herb mixture, salt and pepper over the meat, and turn the meat often
4. When the meat is brown on all sides, cover with tin foil and lower the heat slightly and continue to cook
5. Test for readiness by inserting a knitting needle into the centre of the meat. The temperature of the point must be the same as the surface. Remove and keep warm
6. To the sauce in the drip pan, add the red currant jelly, stirring until it melts, then bring to the boil and reduce slightly
7. Add the cream and turn off the heat
8. Add some drops of lemon juice and season to taste
9. Serve the ham surrounded with potatoes and the sauce on the side
3 kg gammon
1 litre stock
2 cups port
10 Tbsp water
3 spring onions
2 onions
1 carrot
1 bouquet garni
6 peppercorns
pepper
1 Tbsp cornflour
2 Tbsp butter cut into chunks
1. Boil the gammon in the stock for 30 minutes per 1kg, allow to cool in stock
2. Remove the rind and excess fat from the meat
3. Put a little of the fat in a frying pan and add thinly sliced onions, shallots and grated carrot
4. When the vegetables are slightly brown, add the port, 10 Tbsp water, bouquet garni and 6 peppercorns and put into an ovenproof dish with the gammon on top
5. Cook uncovered, in a hot oven 190°C, regularly turning to brown the meat all over
6. Test the gammon for readiness with a needle, then take the meat out and keep warm
7. Sieve the sauce and thicken with 1 tablespoon of cornflour dissolved in cold water, check the seasoning
8. When about to serve, whisk the butter, in small chunks, into the sauce
2 ½ kg venison of your choice
6 cups dry white wine
1 ½ cups white wine vinegar
1 cup oil
3 carrots, chopped
2 onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
4 stems parsley
2 stems thyme
2 bay leaves
1 Tbsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
3 cloves
250g diced bacon
½ cup Madeira wine
¼ cup pine nuts
¼ cup raisins
1 Tbsp maizena
2 Tbsp butter, unsalted
1. Heat 3 Tbsp oil in a casserole and cook the carrots, onions and garlic until softened, about 5 min
2. Add the dry white wine and vinegar and bring to the boil
3. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, cool
4. Place the venison in a deep casserole and add parsley, thyme and bay leaves
5. Sprinkle with 1 Tbsp salt
6. Add the remaining oil to the marinade and pour over the meat
7. Cover and refrigerate for 1 - 3 days
8. Remove the venison from the marinade and dry with paper towels
9. Strain and reserve the marinade and marinated vegetables
10. Preheat oven to 180°C and brown the meat and bacon in a large casserole
11. Pour in 1 ½ cups marinade and bring to the boil
12. Transfer the casserole to the oven and roast for 2 hours, basting the meat often and adding more marinade if necessary
13. After 2 hours, cover and continue cooking for another 2 hours, remove the meat and keep warm
14. Soak the raisins and pine nuts in the Madeira
15. Bring the cooking liquid to the boil and cook until reduced by half, season with freshly ground black pepper and the cloves
16. Stir the raisins, pine nuts and Madeira into the sauce and heat through
17. Stir the maizena, dissolved in a little water, into the sauce, bring to the boil, and allow to thicken for 1 minute
18. Just before serving, whisk the butter, little by little into the sauce, but do not boil
2kg leg of lamb
2 cloves garlic
1 onion
2kg potatoes
100g butter
thyme
bay leaf
salt & pepper
1. Allow the lamb to reach room temperature before cooking
2. Thinly slice the potatoes
3. Take 1 large tsp of stripped thyme, grind 2 bay leaves and finely chop the onion
4. Combine all these ingredients with 1 tsp salt and a generous pinch of freshly ground black pepper
5. Butter an ovenproof dish and fill with 2 layers of potato, sprinkling the herb mixture over each layer
6. Add ½ of the butter cut into pieces, and enough warm water to barely cover the potatoes
7. Bake this in a hot oven 190°C for 1½ hours
8. The potatoes will be cooked when there is only a little liquid left in the bottom of the dish
9. Cream the remaining butter with the salt and pepper - ¾ teaspoon
10. Spread the butter mixture over the lamb and push slivers of garlic into the meat
11. Put the lamb on top of the potatoes and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes per 500g, turning to brown
12. When roasted, let the meat rest for 5 minutes with the oven off and the door ajar
13. Slice the lamb and retrieve as much juice as you can to pour over the lamb
14. The success of this delicious dish is the potatoes being completely cooked when you add the lamb
1 anchovy
1 tsp turmeric
1 chili pepper
½ tsp powdered lemon grass
100g peanuts
100g fresh ginger
100g sugar
2 tsp tamarind paste
2 tsp cumin powder
2 dsp peanut oil
100ml water
4 cloves garlic
5 medium onions (red if available)
500g beef fillet
salt and black pepper
1. Cut the meat into thin strips and place in a shallow dish
2. Finely chop 3 onions, garlic and ginger and crush 50g of peanuts
3. In a bowl mix the 60g sugar, the onion mixture, crushed peanuts, turmeric, cumin, lemon grass and salt
4. Rub into the meat strips and leave in a cool place to marinate
5. For the sauce, crush the anchovy with a fork until finely mashed
6. To the anchovy, add the chopped pepper, remaining 50g of peanuts, crushed and 1 finely chopped onion
7. Add the rest of the sugar, the tamarind paste
8. Brown the last onion in the peanut oil and add the anchovy mixture and 100ml water and stir well
9. Season with salt and pepper, remembering the anchovy is very salty, so taste first
10. Simmer for 10 minutes over a low heat, adding a little extra water if necessary, then keep warm
11. Thread the meat strips onto skewers in a zig-zag pattern and grill in a pan (skillet) over a high heat
12. Serve immediately with the sauce in a separate bowl
7 - 9kg whole turkey
salt & pepper
25 - 50ml butter or margarine
1. Heat oven to 160°C
2. Rinse turkey and pat dry with a paper towel
3. Sprinkle the cavity lightly with salt & pepper, secure legs together and place in a large roasting pan
4. Place the butter in a 250ml measure and microwave for 45 seconds on high, or until melted
5. Brush the turkey with the butter and sprinkle with salt & pepper
6. Insert a meat thermometer, if you have one, in the thigh and cover with foil
7. Estimate total cooking time at 65 minutes per kilogram
8. If making use of a thermometer, bake until internal temperature in inner thigh registers 85°
9. Remove the foil during the last 35 minutes of roasting time
10. Allow to stand for 15 - 20 minutes, tented with foil before carving
11. Reserve dripping for gravy
TURKEY GRAVY
2 cups of reserved dripping
50ml flour
1ml salt
pinch of pepper
1. Strain drippings into a 4 cup measure
2. Add water or chicken stock, if necessary to make it up to 500ml
3. Place the remaining ingredients in a small mixing bowl
4. Add a small amount of dripping to the flour mixture and stir until smooth
5. Add the flour mixture to the liquid, stirring with a whisk until smooth
6. Microwave on high for 6 - 8 minutes, or until mixture thickens and
bubbles, stirring 2 - 3 times
1½ tsp fennel seed, crushed
1½ tsp onion powder
1tsp salt
1tsp pepper
4kg pork crown roast, about 16 ribs
vegetable oil
1. Combine all the ingredients, except the roast and oil, in a small bowl
2. Rub the mixture all over the meat, cover, and refrigerate overnight
3. Stand roast on a rack in a roasting pan, bones upright, covering the exposed bones with foil
4. Brush roast with oil and roast at 160°C for 45 minutes per kilogram
5. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before carving
FRUIT GLACÉ
½ cup dried apricots halves
½ cup dried figs, if available
½ cup dried peach halves
¾ cup apple juice
¼ tsp dried cardamom
2 tsp maizena
1 cup seedless green grapes
1 cup seedless red grapes
1. Combine apricots, figs and peaches in a casserole, add ½ cup apple juice and the cardamom, cover and microwave on high for 5 - 8 minutes until fruit is plumped, stirring once
2. In a small bowl combine maizena and the remaining apple juice, stirring until smooth. Add to the fruit mixture
3. Mix well and microwave on high for 1½ - 2½ minutes, or until thickened and translucent, stirring once
4. Add grapes, stirring gently to coat
5. Spoon as garnish around your crown roast
RICE & SAUSAGE DRESSING
125ml Butter or Margarine
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped green pepper
½ cup chopped carrot
4 cups long grained white or brown rice, cooked
250g pork sausages, cooked and cut into 1cm pieces
½ tsp salt
½ tsp dried thyme leaves
¼ tsp garlic powder
pinch salt
1. In a large mixing bowl, microwave the butter on high for 1½ - 1¾ minutes,
or until melted
2. Add onion, green pepper and carrot, cover and microwave on high for 3 - 4
minutes until vegetable are tender, stirring once
3. Stir in remaining ingredients, spoon into a 2 litre casserole, re-cover
and microwave on high for 7 - 9 minutes, or until hot, stirring once
4. Spoon into the centre of your crown roast before serving
750g chicken livers
200g bacon
1 bouquet garni (mixed fresh herbs in a muslin bag)
fresh black pepper
½ cup port
1 Tbsp butter, melted
1/3 cup fresh cream
1 Tbsp gelatine dissolved in 1 ½ cups chicken stock, flavoured with 2 Tbsp port
1. Start this recipe two days before needed
2. Cut the bacon into strips and marinate together with the livers in the port, bouquet garni and black pepper, overnight
3. Remove the bouquet garni and process the liver mixture, together with the melted butter, in a food processor until finely chopped
4. Grease a terrine well and add the mixture
5. Cover with foil and bake at 160°C for about 40 minutes
6. Refrigerate to cool, then rub through a fine sieve
7. Add the cream and stir together
8. Fill 6 ramekin dishes with the mousse and cover with the gelatine stock
9. Refrigerate overnight
Ham (with or without bone)
5ml Dry Mustard
5 Whole Peppercorns
2 Bay Leaves
2 Bottles of Beer or 2 Cans of Coke
GLAZE
250ml Apple Cider or Apple Juice
30ml Brown Sugar
30ml Honey or Golden Syrup
10ml Dry Mustard
Whole Cloves
1. Coat Ham with mustard
2. Put into a roasting pan and add peppercorns and bay leaves
3. Add beer or coke (I have tried it with both. I prefer the beer, but the coke is also good)
4. Bake at 160 C for 20 - 25 min per 500g
5. Remove from oven and drain off liquid
6. Remove the skin and score the fat in diamond patterns
7. If desired, put a whole clove into every diamond point
8. Combine glaze ingredients and spoon half over the ham
9. Bake at 160 C for 30 - 45 minutes basting with remaining glaze whilst baking
10. Serve glazed ham hot or cold
1 Saddle of Venison
8 rashers streaky bacon
100 - 125ml Port (optional)
2 Tsp Cake Flour mixed with 25g Butter
MARINADE
300ml Red Wine
300ml Red Wine Vinegar
300ml Water
1 Sprig of Thyme
2 Bay Leaves
1 Piece of Orange Peel (about 2.5cm square) pith removed
1. Trim hard skin from the meat, being careful not to cut into the flesh
2. Combine all the marinade ingredients and pour over the meat
(the meat must be covered with marinade)
3. Leave uncovered to marinade for 2 days in a cool place You can cover the dish with muslin as the air must circulate. Turn the meat from time to time
4. Drain the meat and pat dry
5. Arrange the bacon on top of the venison
6. Place in a roasting pan and cover with foil
7. Cook at 200 C for 30 minutes to seal the meat
8. Reduce to 180 C and cook for a further 2 hours, basting with some marinade every 15 min
9. You can add the port, if desired, to the roasting pan when temperature is reduced
10. Remove the foil and bacon from the meat and return to oven for 10 min at 200 C to brown
11. Remove the venison from the pan and keep warm
12. Add enough boiling water to the pan juices to make 300ml of gravy
13. Thicken with the flour and butter
14. Venison may be served with quince or red current jelly
3kg Turkey
50g Softened Butter
300ml Chicken Stock
STUFFING
40g Butter
1 Chopped Onion
500g Sausage Meat
240g can Whole Chestnuts Chopped
1 Grated Apple
100g Fresh Breadcrumbs
2Tsp Fresh Sage
1tsp Orange Rind
1tsp Lemon Rind
1. For the stuffing, melt the butter and cook the onion till soft
2. Mix in the rest of the stuffing ingredients and season with salt and pepper
3. Stuff the turkey and secure with a skewer
If preferred, the stuffing may be rolled into balls and cooked alongside the turkey, but I suggest you then stuff the neck of the turkey with a little of the stuffing
4. Loosen the breast skin of the turkey and smear the butter on the flesh underneath
5. Season the turkey with salt
6. Place turkey in a large roasting dish and pour over the stock
7. Cover loosely with foil and cook at 190 C for 20 - 25 min per 500g
8. Remove the foil for the last 30 minutes to brown the turkey
9. Turkey can be checked for perfect cooking by piercing the thigh - there should be no traces of pink in the juices, if there is, return to the oven for a while
10. Put the turkey on a platter and allow to rest for 45 minutes
11. To make the gravy, skim off fat from the juices and to this fat add 3Tsp of flour
12. Stir over a low heat for 2 - 3 minutes
13. Add 60ml Madeira or brandy to flour mixture and stir
14. Add juices from roasting pan and stir until smooth
15. You want about 500ml of gravy, so if there is not enough liquid add some more stock
16. Boil for a minute and check seasoning
Ingredients
3 kg pickled leg of pork
30 g sugar
1 bay leaf
5 ml pickling spice
GLAZE
1 egg
30 ml prepared mustard
15 ml sugar
75 ml plain breadcrumbs
Method:
Place pork in large saucepan and add water to almost cover leg. Add remaining ingredients and bring to boil. Boil gently for 30 minutes per 500 g, or until meat begins to come away from bone. Remove from saucepan and peel away skin. Preheat oven to 220 ºC. GLAZE: Mix egg, mustard and sugar and spread over pork. Sprinkle over breadcrumbs and bake for 10 minutes or until brown. Serve hot or cold.
Ingredients
1 fresh ox tongue
2 onions, coarsely chopped
1 lemon
2 bay leaves
6 whole peppercorns
2 whole cloves
2 sprigs parsley
SAUCE
30 ml butter
30 ml cake flour
250 ml chicken stock
1 small lemon, juice and rind
2 ml ground cinnamon
5 ml mustard powder
65 ml sweet sherry
250 ml prunes, stoned and chopped
125 ml seedless raisins
125 ml almond slivers (optional)
sugar to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Method:
Place the tongue, onions, lemon and other seasonings in a large saucepan. Cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Simmer gently until tender and cooked, about three to four hours. Cool slightly, remove the skin and slice thinly. Set aside. Melt the butter and stir in the cake flour. Heat for about one minute while stirring. Remove from the stove and stir in the chicken stock. Heat while stirring until the sauce come to the boil and thickens. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil once more. Add the sliced tongue, cover and simmer very slowly for about 30 minutes. Stir every now and then to prevent the mixture from burning. (The tongue can also be baked in the oven.) Serve with mashed potatoes and buttered French beans
Ingredients
Pastry
250 g cake flour
1 ml salt
180 g cold butter
1 large egg yolk
Filling
30 ml sunflower oil
10 pickling onions
1 green pepper
250 g fresh button mushrooms
1 clove garlic
1 packet instant tomato soup
500 g turkey meat
30 ml fresh origanum
1 large egg
Method:
PASTRY
Place flour and salt in a bowl.
Rub in the butter using your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
Mix in the egg yolk using a knife. The mixture should form a firm dough. If it's too dry, add a little cold water.
Roll into a ball and refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
FILLING
Heat oil in a saucepan and brown the onions.
Add green pepper, mushrooms and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
Stir in 400 ml water, tomato soup, turkey and origanum (5 ml if using dried origanum).
Bring to the boil and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Season to taste, then set aside to cool.
Spoon cool mixture into a greased pie dish.
Roll pastry out on a floured surface.
Use a sharp knife to cut out leaf shapes. Layer the pastry leaves over the filling.
Brush with egg and bake in a preheated oven at 200 ºC for 30 minutes, or until pastry is golden.
1.5kg Chicken
150g Shallots, Peeled and Quartered
250ml Water
Salt & Freshly Ground White Pepper
2 Garlic Cloves, Chopped
80g Butter
3 Tbsp Finely Chopped Tarragon
2 Tbsp Finely Chopped Parsley
500ml Dry White Wine
200g Mushrooms, Sliced
1/2 Tsp Flour
200ml Fresh Cream
1. Place 1 shallot, the chicken wings, water and a pinch of salt in a pot and simmer for 20 minutes
2. Strain and reserve the stock
3. Cut the remaining chicken into 8 pieces, and fry until golden brown in 1/2 of the melted butter
4. Add the remaining shallots, garlic, tarragon, parsley, wine and reserved stock and season with salt and pepper
5. Cover and cook on a low heat for 25 minutes
6. Fry the mushrooms in the remaining butter, and add the flour
7. Remove chicken to a serving dish
8. Stir the cream and mushrooms into the sauce, and season to taste
9. Pour the sauce over the chicken
Ingredients
1 whole turkey
2 oranges, quartered
2 onions, peeled and quartered
2 stalks celery, roughly chopped with leaves
8 cloves garlic
250ml olive oil
3 red chillies
3 green chillies
Salt crust dough
3 cups bread flour
3 tsps fine salt
3 litres water
Method
Stuff the turkey with the oranges, onions, celery, chillies and half the garlic. Rub the outer skin with olive oil and the remaining garlic. Leave to marinade for 24 hours to let the flavours infuse.
To make the dough: Mix the flour and salt together. Slowly add the water until its texture resembles that of dough. Knead until smooth. Cover and leave.
When the turkey has marinated overnight, roll out the salt crust dough. Place the turkey on top and fold upwards, making it like a bag. Squeeze the top together and make sure it is firmly sealed.
To cook:
Dig a hole in the ground!
Line the hole with rocks. Place some wood in the hole and allow it to burn to coals. Place the wrapped turkey in a baking tray and cover with a sheet of corrugated iron or metal. Weigh down with more rocks. Cover the sheet with wood and coals and let the turkey cook in the ground for approximately six hours. During this time check on the coals to ensure they are still burning throughout.
After six hours lift the turkey out of the ground. The dough will have hardened. Crack it open with a panga or a big knife. The turkey will be moist and cooked.
8 chicken pieces
15ml sunflower oil
1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 sticks cinnamon
salt & finely ground black pepper
1 clove garlic,crushed
500g sweet potato, peeled & cubed
500g pumpkin, peeled & cubed
250ml chicken stock
125g prunes
1. Brown the chicken in hot oil, add onion, cinnamon and a little seasoning and cook gently until golden
2. Add the garlic, sweet potato and pumpkin and a little more seasoning, then pour in the stock and bring to the boil
3. Cover and reduce the heat, cooking gently for 40 minutes until everything is quite tender
4. Add the prunes and allow them to heat through until they are plump and soft
5. If there appears to be too much liquid, remove the chicken and vegetables with a slotted spoon and reduce the stock over a brisk heat
6. Check the seasoning and pour the stock over the chicken and vegetables
VARIATION
Use butternut instead of pumpkin
1.5 - 2kg joint of roasting beef
30ml dripping or oil
YORKSHIRE PUDDING
125g flour
5ml baking powder
2ml salt
2 large eggs
230ml milk
5ml prepared mustard
GRAVY
15ml flour
300ml beef stock
1. Wipe the joint and put it in a roasting pan with the dripping
2. Roast for 15 minutes at 220°C. then reduce the oven temperature to 190°C
3. Continue roasting the meat for a further 15 minutes per 500g for rare, 20 minutes for medium-rare meat until tender
4. To make the Yorkshire pudding, sieve the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl and make a well in the centre
5. Break the eggs into the well and add a little of the milk and the mustard
6. With a wooden spoon gradually draw in the flour and mix the ingredients well, adding milk a little at a time until you have a thick batter
7. Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth, then stir in the remaining milk
8. Leave the mixture to stand in the fridge for at least an hour, or until the meat is cooked
9. When ready, remove the joint from the oven and keep it hot
10. Increase the oven temperature to 230°C
11. Cover the bottom of a baking dish, or muffin tins work very well, with a thin layer of fat from the roast and put it into the oven until smoking hot
12. Quickly stir the batter and pour it into the pan or muffin tins
13. Bake on the top shelf for 25 minutes (15min if using muffin tins) until risen, crisp and golden brown
14. While the Yorkshire pudding is cooking, make the gravy in the roasting pan
15. Pour off the excess fat, retaining the brown juices, mix the flour into the juices until smooth, then gradually add the stock. stirring continuously to loosen any meat residue
16. Place the tin over a gentle heat and continue stirring until the gravy thickens and comes to the boil
17. As soon as the Yorkshire pudding is cooked serve
