Lamb Moussaka

If you’re in the market of luxurious meats, you’re in the right place. Unlike pork having to be cooked very well, lamb is best when it’s still slightly pink, but of course it can bear longer cooking if you like your meat properly dead on your plate.

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 1 large chopped onion
• 2 peeled and sliced carrots
• 3 sliced celery stalks
• 3 chopped garlic cloves
• 1 large sprig of fresh thyme
• 1 large sprig of oregano
• 1.5kg stewing lamb
• 2 cans (800g) chopped tomatoes
• 250ml white wine
• 2 large sliced brinjals

For the béchamel

• 60ml butter
• 60ml flour
• 500ml full-cream milk
• Salt and milled pepper
• Freshly grated nutmeg

Method

1. Sauté the onions, carrots, celery and garlic. When it is nice and soft add the thyme and oregano and fry for another minute before removing it from the heat to set aside.
2. Season the lamb place in a deep frying pan on medium heat for 30 seconds on each side then turn the heat to low.
3. Place the onions into the deep frying pan with the lamb and add the tomatoes and white wine.
4. Pour just enough water into the deep frying pan to cover the meat, then pop a lid on and allow to simmer gently for about 2-3 hours or until the meat is tender. If need be, at anytime add a little more water if the meat is looking a bit dry.
5. Preheat oven to 200°C
6. Slice brinjals just more than half way through. Be careful not to slice all the way through and pour plenty of salt over the brinjals.
7. Turn the brinjals over so that the sliced side is against the chopping board and leave for 20-30 minutes.
8. Before removing any gristle and bone from the lamb, allow the dish to cool.
9. When the juices of the brinjals have run out, season and steam them until they’re tender.
10. Melt butter in a saucepan then add flour and allow to cook for a minute. Gradually add hot milk while whisking to avoid lumps forming and whisk continuously until it becomes a smooth, thick white sauce.
11. Season the sauce and add a pinch of nutmeg to taste.
12. In a 30cm baking dish, arrange the lamb and brinjals in 2 layers, then cover with white sauce and grate a little nutmeg on top.
13. Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling.
14. If you wish, grate a little bit of cheese on top.

Know-how

Slicing the brinjals, adding salt and allowing the juices to run, removes the bitterness.

Classic pork roast

Far too often we hear people asking, “What’s your favourite food?” Chances are it’s not the food you enjoy, it’s the way it’s prepared.

In our opinion pork is just delicious. The sticky meat is so succulent and has a sweetened taste to it and is covered with crispy crackling. It’s perfect for a special occasion, but if it’s not done properly one might just ruin the meal.

Ingredients

• x1 pork rib roast
• Olive Oil

For the rub

• 30ml funnel seeds
• 2 bay leaves, finely chopped
• 1 large sprig rosemary, finely chopped
• 15ml sea salt flakes (and extra for skin)
• 10ml black pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 240°C
2. Mix in a bowl the funnel seeds, finely chopped bay leaves and sprig rosemary, sea salt flakes and black pepper.
3. On a chopping board, score the fat of the pork using a small, sharp knife, but be careful not to cut through the meat.
4. Rub a decent amount of olive oil all over the pork and sprinkle plenty of salt on the skin and rub it in well.
5. Massage the mixture into the meat.
6. Place the pork in a roasting pan and roast for 20 minutes.
7. Reduce the heat to 180°C and roast for an hour.
8. Allow meat to cook through before removing it from the oven.
9. Allow meat to rest in a warm place for 10-15 minutes.

Beef Brisket Pot Roast

Beef brisket is a highly flavoured piece of meat, as it’s not only marbled with fat, but the brisket is a muscle that gets quite a good work out. It’s perfect for slow braises.

Ingredients

• 1.8kg-2.2kg beef brisket
• Salt
• ±20ml olive oil
• 3 large sliced onions
• 5-6 minced garlic cloves
• 1 sprig of thyme
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• 3-4 bay leaves
• 2 cups of beef stock
• 2-3 large peeled and chopped carrots
• 12.5ml mustard (optional)

This meal is best served with mashed, boiled or roasted potatoes, egg noodles or polenta.

Method

1. Using a sharp knife score the fatty side of the brisket in parallel lines, but make sure you don’t cut through to the meat. If there are any chunks of fat, cut them off and discard them.
2. Repeat in the opposite direction to make a crosshatch pattern.
3. Salt the meat well and let it sit for 30 minutes.
4. Pat the meat dry and place it in a large ovenproof pot with the fatty side down.
5. On medium to high heat, cook for 5-8 minutes until the fat side is nicely browned. (You don’t want it cooking too fast that it becomes a raging sear and you don’t want it cooking too slow that it cooks all the way through.)
6. Turn the brisket over and cook for a few more minutes to brown the other side.
7. Once the brisket has browned, remove it from the pot and set it aside.
8. If need be, add a bit of olive oil to the pot.
9. Place the onions into the pot and sauté them adding a little bit of salt for taste.
10. When the onions are slightly browned, add the garlic and stir for another 1-2 minutes.
11. Preheat oven to 150°C
12. With some string, tie together the bay leaves, rosemary and thyme.
13. Move the onions and garlic aside and nestle the brisket inside.
14. Add the tied-up herbs and the beef stock to the pot, and bring it to a boil.
15. Pop a lid on the pot and place in the oven to cook for 3 hours.
16. Every hour or so flip the brisket so it cooks evenly.
17. After 3 hours of cooking, add the carrots and allow to cook for another hour or until the carrots are cooked through and the brisket is fall-apart tender.
18. Remove the pot from the oven and place the brisket on a cutting board, then over it with foil.
19. Pull out and discard the herbs.
20. Remove the carrots and half of the onions and cover them with foil.
21. Pour the ingredients remaining in the pot into a blender and puree until smooth.
22. Add the mustard to the mix, and put into a pot to keep warm (optional).
23. Upon serving, slice the brisket against the grain to encourage fall-apart tender.