Mark Hix's St Patrick's Day treats

By Mark Kebble on February 22nd 2012

Whether Irish or not, we all seem to enjoy celebrating 17 March, but it’s not all about the craic – the food from Ireland is really good too, particularly the beef. It’s grass-fed most of the year so it has great flavour, it’s leaner than other beef, but still has a fantastic marble that keeps the meat tender. There are so many dishes you can create with beef – don’t be afraid to experiment, particularly with the different cuts…

 

Grass-fed Beef Burgers with Cheese and Bacon (pictured)

 

Stunning burgers made from grass-fed beef, cheese and crisp streaky Irish bacon rashers, all perched on rosti potato cakes.

 

Makes 4

1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

2 tbsp crème fraîche

2 large potatoes, peeled and grated

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 tbsp sunflower oil

500g/1lb best Irish minced beef

1 onion, peeled and grated

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley

4 thin slices Irish cheese of choice

8 rashers streaky bacon, rinded

Rocket for serving

 

Mix wholegrain mustard with crème fraîche and reserve. For the potato cakes, place grated potato on a clean tea towel, gather edges together and squeeze to remove excess water. Transfer potato to a bowl and season. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan. Divide potato into four portions and flatten each into a cake. Fry in hot oil until crisp and golden.

 

For the burgers, place mince in a bowl and add grated onion, parsley and seasoning. Mix well and shape into 4 burgers. Heat remaining oil in a pan and cook burgers to brown all over. Top with cheese and place under the grill to melt. At the same time, grill bacon rashers crisp.

 

To assemble, place potato cakes on 4 warmed plates, top with a cheeseburger and finish with two crispy bacon rashers. Serve with a rocket salad and mustard cream.

 

Easy Beef Stir Fry

 

Colourful, zingingly tasty stir fry of tender, grass-fed, juicy rump steak, with baby corn, yellow and green peppers with beans, spring onions and sugar snap peas, flavoured with chilli, ginger and garlic.

 

Serves 4

225g/8oz thick piece of grass-fed rump or sirloin steak

2 cloves garlic, crushed to a paste

2cm/1in piece ginger, peeled and grated to a paste

3 tbsp oil

2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

5cm/2in piece ginger, peeled and in matchsticks

1 red and 1 orange chilli seeded and chopped

Pinch caster sugar

100g/4oz baby corn

1 each green and yellow peppers, seeded and in chunks

75g/3oz thin French beans, trimmed

100g/4oz baby sugar snap peas, trimmed

1 tbsp Chinese rice wine

1 tbsp light soy sauce

 

First cook the grass-fed beef. Rub on both sides and with garlic and ginger and leave for 10 minutes to absorb flavours. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok and fry steak over high heat on both sides to crust - but leaving meat pink in the middle. Leave to rest while the vegetables are cooked.

 

Heat remaining oil in the wok and fry garlic, ginger and chilli for around 20 seconds with a pinch of sugar. Add corn and peppers and stir fry around until they begin to soften. Add beans and sugar snap peas and continue stir frying.  Pour over Chinese rice wine and soy sauce and bubble for 3 minutes more.  Add sliced steak and toss around to heat through. Serve immediately.

 
 
Grass-fed Beef and Oyster Stew
 
Rich stew of grass-fed beef cooked in stock and red wine with freshly shucked oysters, finished with a puff pastry shamrock.
 
Serves 4
700g/1 1/2lbs grass-fed beef chuck steak
Seasoned flour
4 tbsp oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
300ml/1/2pt beef stock
300ml 1/2 pt red wine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
700g pack ready rolled puff pastry
1 egg, beaten
12 fresh oysters, shucked
1 tbsp roughly chopped flat parsley
 
Cut beef into bite-sized chunks and dip in seasoned flour. Shake off excess and reserve the beef.
 
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and gently fry onions and garlic over gentle heat until softened but not brown. Transfer to a flameproof casserole.
 
Add remaining oil to pan and fry beef in batches to brown on all sides. Add to casserole. Pour over beef stock and red wine and bring to bubbling. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Turn down to simmer for 1 1/2 hours with the lid half on, or until beef is tender.
 
At the same time roll out the pastry slightly thinner. Cut out 4 shamrocks using plain pastry cutters for the leaves and a thin strip for the stalk.
 
Place on a greased baking sheet. Brush with beaten egg then bake at Gas 6 400F 200C for 10 minutes until golden and crisp.
 
When beef is tender tuck in oysters and add any juice in the shells and cook 5 minutes more. Serve beef and oysters in bowls, scattered with parsley and topped with pastry shamrock.

This article was brought to you by Angel Magazine

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