Meaty Treats
Our recipes this month have been kindly contributed by the Livestock & Meat Commission (LMC). We hope you enjoy making these mouth-watering meat dishes! In the next few months, we will continue our theme of featuring recipes from local bodies responsible for promoting Northern Ireland produce.
Meaty Carbonara
Serves: 4
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
Method
1.) Prepare meat. Heat oil in a non-stick pan. Add meat and garlic, tossing well to seal all the slices. When almost cooked, add the onion. Cook until softened.
2.) Add the pepper, mushrooms and the sundried tomatoes. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the pasta.
3.) Add the passata, pesto and sugar to the meat. Heat through before adding the pasta, cherry tomatoes, basil and creame fraiche.
4.) Heat gently. Serve immediately with crusty bread and vegetables of choice.
Tip: Add tomatoes at the last moment so that they keep their shape.
Adjust the sauce with more creame fraiche if necessary.
Suitable cuts: rump, sirloin, topside steaks.
Beef Stroganoff
Serves: 2
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
seasoning
Method
1.) Melt half of the butter in a non-stick pan and fry the meat for 2 or 3 minutes until just cooked but not browned.
2.) Remove the beef from the pan and keep warm.
3.) Heat the rest of the butter in the pan and fry the onions over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, add the sliced mushrooms and fry for a further 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and keep warm.
4.) Add the wine to the pan and reduce by half. Add the beef and vegetables to the reduced wine, stir well and lower the heat.
5.) Stir in the creame fraiche and heat gently. Turn into a heated serving dish, sprinkle with cayenne pepper and garnish with chopped chives or parsley.
6.) Serve with boiled rice.
Tip: If more sauce is required, add more crème fraîche.
Suitable cuts: fillet steak.
Lazy Lasagne
Serves: 4
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Temperature: gas mark 5, 190°C, 375°F
Ingredients
Meat sauce
Spinach cheese sauce
Method
1.) Dry fry the minced beef and garlic until cooked through.
2.) Add onion; cook until softened.
3.) Add remainder of meat sauce ingredients (except lasagne); cook for approximately 10 minutes. Season as required.
4.) Combine margarine, flour and milk in a separate saucepan. Cook, stirring continuously, until the sauce thickens. Add spinach and 25g of the cheese. Heat through but do not allow the sauce to get too thick. Season with salt and pepper as required.
5.) Lightly grease the bottom of an ovenproof casserole dish. Pour one third of the spinach sauce on the base. Top with 3 lasagne sheets.
6.) Spread half the meat sauce over, then another third of the spinach sauce. Add another 3 lasagne sheets and the remainder of the meat sauce. Add final lasagne sheets. Cover with the remaining spinach sauce.
7.) Sprinkle the remaining 50g cheese on top and bake until golden and bubbling. Serve with salad and crusty bread.
Tip: *Use vegetable stock instead of wine if desired. Remember: stock cubes contain added salt!
