Beef

Short ribs are my favourite type of beef. No other cut has their rich beefiness and melt-in-your-mouth texture. Of course they do have to be slowly braised to release all that rich goodness, but that’s just more time to anticipate the treat to come!

You don’t need a fire blazing in the backyard or a fancy barbecue to cook a great steak. Pan-roasting works well too, especially if you start with a great steak, use lots of butter and finish with browned onions.

The only thing better than a fire-grilled steak is the same steak with a round of flavoured butter slowly melting overtop, forming a rich, tasty sauce as it mingles with the steak’s juices. For the ultimate grilled steak experience, try taking the time to build a hardwood fire in your backyard!

Filet mignon is prized for its extreme tenderness, not for its rather bland flavour. It doesn’t have the rich beefy flavour of a well-marbled steak, but it’s still a rare treat and a great way to show off your kitchen’s best, especially when you add lots of flavour with an easy-to-make blue cheese crust.

Braising is my favourite cooking method. I just love the way it can transform an inexpensive, tough cut of beef into a tasty tender stew. Toss in the earthy flavours of root vegetables and aromatic red wine, and you are well on your way to a rich flavour base. But the real secret to a truly memorable beef stew is patiently browning the meat.

Over the years I’ve tried experimenting with many additions to the classic burger, and I’ve discovered that most just don’t work. One thing that does work is shredded meat from a tender beef stew. It adds a rich layer of beefy flavour and texture that I love! Just the thing to serve with my all-time favourite spud, smashed potatoes!

I love the way stewing transforms inexpensive, tough cuts of beef into tasty, tender stew. The earthy flavours of root vegetables combine with the full body of beef stock and aromatic red wine to form a rich flavour base. The only thing better than a bowlful of hearty stew is the same bowl with a biscuit topping!
Ease of Preparation: Moderate

If you’re a home cook you need a good meat sauce recipe up your sleeve. This is one of mine. Its secret is that I don’t brown the meat. That way it doesn’t toughen and need hours of braising to tenderize again. I also use a food processor to save a lot of knife work. Quick, easy and tasty!

Beef stews are a part of cooking all over the world. Cooks everywhere know they can simmer tough, inexpensive cuts of meat in a flavourful liquid then fill their bowls with a rich tender stew. My family loves this “Asian” version ladled over spinach leaves and bean sprouts. It’s a stew and a salad in the same bowl!

You don’t need a fire blazing in the backyard or a fancy barbecue to cook a great steak. Pan-roasting works well too, especially if you start with a great steak, use lots of butter and finish with browned onions.

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Chocolate has long been used in savoury dishes. The earthy bitterness of cocoa is a natural in rich meaty dishes like beef stew.