Cooking and culinary tips/recipes

[DJR]

Thanks for all the replies about baking bread. I'll post the results, good or bad

[DJR]

Adventurous for me, but since the boss is spending much more time at work than I am, I have gone a bit more domestique: 

 

A Malay curry, but the twist is that it is made with Eland silverside and served with risotto in stead of basmati rice (nothing left). DELICIOUS! The Ds polished their plates! Made me feel good!

Edited April 20, 2020 by DJR

[Rocket-Boy]

I made an ice cream from a recipe on Masterchef Aus - the guy that finished runner-up about a or two ago. Fantastic taste as ot is also a custard base (with egg yolks).

It makes for a super creamy and rich ice cream. 

My wife doesnt enjoy doing it often because of the time it takes to thicken on the stove top.

[Frosty]

It makes for a super creamy and rich ice cream. 

My wife doesnt enjoy doing it often because of the time it takes to thicken on the stove top.

I've only followed the MC-Aus recipe once, and I did it over two nights - stove top on night one, then refrigerate, the churn in the ice cream maker the second night. I was home alone while the rest were at their Mom/Ouma for the week.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

So, my sourdough is getting better. I'm just trying a few different things to get the crumb the way I want it, but this one has so far been my best, and it has an excellent crumb for sandwiches. I still want it to be a bit more open, but I think I need to use a different flour. The normal Eureka flour I normally use was OOS, and had to get a normal bread flour with a slightly lower protein content. 

 

From here I'm experimenting with different proofing, folding & scoring methods to see which one works best for me. 

 

I want a slightly more open crumb than this, but not super wild. This bread tastes WONDERFUL, my son loves it, and it makes tremennnndous toasties. Like... next level. If it's too open it won't make terriffic toasties / sarmies. 

 

 

 

Edited May 7, 2020 by Captain Fastbastard Mayhem

[Pieter1]

Howzit guys/girls

 

So i got some lekker Springbok filets from our butcher.

Any one got a lekker recipe?

[DJR]

Howzit guys/girls

 

So i got some lekker Springbok filets from our butcher.

Any one got a lekker recipe?

I assume you got springbok sirloins (rugstring) The real fillet is very small. With Springbok I keep it very simple:

 

Drizzle with plenty of olive oil, sprinkle a little salt and rub with something sweet, like fig preserve. I sometimes add a little balsamic vinegar, but no more than a little splash. Leave for a couple of hours if you can but I have also done it pretty much immediately (I think strong barbecue type marinades destroy the delicate taste of springbok.)

 

Make coals in the Weber, in the 2 side baskets. When coals grey and very hot, sear the springbok directly over the hot coals to seal it, Then put it in the middle over the drip tray, indirect heat in other words. Close lid with all vents fully open. Leave it exactly 20 minutes and remove meat. Cut in thickest part to see if it is right for you. I like mine pretty rare, definitely no more than medium-rare. Try not to over cook it, because it is lean and you don't want to lose the juices. Let it rest on a plank covered with a cloth for 10 more minutes. Cut up into thin slivers and serve. It will be very tender and not have a wild taste.

[DJR]

If I don't have a Weber, like in the veld, I prepare it the same, but then rub as much bread or cake flour on it  before I braai it directly over the coals. I keep sprinkling more flour on it every time I turn it over so that the flour forms a crust all around the meat. It looks terrible because the flour turns brown and black, but what it does is to keep all the juiciness inside the meat. When it is ready, I give it a few whacks with the flat of a knife and most of the flour crust will fall off. Or I scrape it off before cutting it into thin slices. I know it sounds like a bizarre way to braai a whole fillet or sirloin, but it works, even if it is a trick I learnt from an Englishman! I've also done it that way for a whole butterflied leg of springbok.

[Pieter1]

Thanks for the tips DJR. Both weigh less than a kilo so not too sure but it says fillet so I dunno. But regardless your recipe sounds pretty damn good so I’ll give it a go and post some pics. I was thinking couscous and some kind of side salad to go with it?

[DJR]

Thanks for the tips DJR. Both weigh less than a kilo so not too sure but it says fillet so I dunno. But regardless your recipe sounds pretty damn good so I’ll give it a go and post some pics. I was thinking couscous and some kind of side salad to go with it?

Yes for salad with it. And both a lightish red or a substantial white will work with springbok. Some will say it is made for beer but I can't tell you what kind (don't know enough). Maybe it is not the right time to mention drinks? Lock-down and all!

[Pieter1]

Yes for salad with it. And both a lightish red or a substantial white will work with springbok. Some will say it is made for beer but I can't tell you what kind (don't know enough). Maybe it is not the right time to mention drinks? Lock-down and all!

Hahaha! Yea will have to pair it with something if we do it again. Thanks for the help.

[Andrew64]

So, my sourdough is getting better. I'm just trying a few different things to get the crumb the way I want it, but this one has so far been my best, and it has an excellent crumb for sandwiches. I still want it to be a bit more open, but I think I need to use a different flour. The normal Eureka flour I normally use was OOS, and had to get a normal bread flour with a slightly lower protein content. 

 

From here I'm experimenting with different proofing, folding & scoring methods to see which one works best for me. 

 

I want a slightly more open crumb than this, but not super wild. This bread tastes WONDERFUL, my son loves it, and it makes tremennnndous toasties. Like... next level. If it's too open it won't make terriffic toasties / sarmies. 

 

 

 

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It is well worth doing a course through these guys https://crustandcrumb.co.za/.

[forkie]

another way to do a venison fillet ( or any venison steak) is to cover in olive oil, Worcestershire sauce and biltong spice. slap it onto very hot coals. sear the outside but leave the inside rare. slice into very thin strips and drizzle a bit of balsamic over. it is a mixture of braai, carpaccio and biltong. makes a beautiful starter...

[Frosty]

If I don't have a Weber, like in the veld, I prepare it the same, but then rub as much bread or cake flour on it  before I braai it directly over the coals. I keep sprinkling more flour on it every time I turn it over so that the flour forms a crust all around the meat. It looks terrible because the flour turns brown and black, but what it does is to keep all the juiciness inside the meat. When it is ready, I give it a few whacks with the flat of a knife and most of the flour crust will fall off. Or I scrape it off before cutting it into thin slices. I know it sounds like a bizarre way to braai a whole fillet or sirloin, but it works, even if it is a trick I learnt from an Englishman! I've also done it that way for a whole butterflied leg of springbok.

There was a YouTube or FB video that I watched where a guy cooked meat with a layer of "batter" on the outside. Was salivating watching him cook that meat.

[DJR]

another way to do a venison fillet ( or any venison steak) is to cover in olive oil, Worcestershire sauce and biltong spice. slap it onto very hot coals. sear the outside but leave the inside rare. slice into very thin strips and drizzle a bit of balsamic over. it is a mixture of braai, carpaccio and biltong. makes a beautiful starter...

Venison Carpaccio is fantastic. I am lucky enough to have a chef friend who makes it for us. We have done springbok sirloin, gemsbok and eland fillet and they all turned out so delicious that we never seem to have any for long.

 

Someone once also gave me a whole leg of springbok that they made a Parma style ham from. I've always meant to get someone to do that for me again because it was so good, but I haven't managed to find the right person with the equipment and who knows his stuff. From what I understand, the process takes a few months.

 

I have a friend with an industrial smoker and he did some de-boned leg of warthog and springbok for me. That was good, very good, but not as great as the carpaccio or the ham. I like his smoked venison sausages and salamis better.

[marko35s]

If I don't have a Weber, like in the veld, I prepare it the same, but then rub as much bread or cake flour on it  before I braai it directly over the coals. I keep sprinkling more flour on it every time I turn it over so that the flour forms a crust all around the meat. It looks terrible because the flour turns brown and black, but what it does is to keep all the juiciness inside the meat. When it is ready, I give it a few whacks with the flat of a knife and most of the flour crust will fall off. Or I scrape it off before cutting it into thin slices. I know it sounds like a bizarre way to braai a whole fillet or sirloin, but it works, even if it is a trick I learnt from an Englishman! I've also done it that way for a whole butterflied leg of springbok.

Basic cookery principle right there.

Batter/breadcrumbs etc might taste nice but the primary reason they are there is to protect the food from too much direct heat.