Some traditions or ways of doing things die hard! And not everyone has a thermometer on hand to test the heat of their BBQ. So here’s a quick run-down on the Kiwi way of doing it, for adults only! It entails holding your hand approximately the height of a beer can above the heat over … Read more
We’ve all seen people hack away at a chicken and totally destroy it! There is a simple process to carving a chicken, so it looks attractive on your plate. Here are our tips on how to carve a chicken: Ensure your chicken is cooked well until the juices are no longer pink and run clear. … Read more
Beef brisket is an old-fashioned cut has become very trendy in recent times. One of our chef clients in 2018 ran a meat smoking class for the Wellington on a Plate festival using beef brisket. It’s a versatile, economical cut that if cooked quickly will be tough but when cooked slowly results in flavoursome, succulent … Read more
Browsing through one of my mother-in-law’s cookbooks from the 1950s recently, The League of Mothers, I came across these instructions for making gravy. It’s good to see traditional techniques still work today! Here’s the recipe word-for-word: Gravy to serve with roasts After removing meat from pan, strain off fat, leaving only a tablespoon of fat … Read more
It took me a while to build up the courage to do some cooking with pork belly, as there always seemed a bit of mystery about whether it needed to be twice cooked. Well, I’ve finally done it and wonder now why I waited so long! Pork belly is a fatty cut taken from – … Read more
Part of the fun of travelling is visiting local markets and sampling the local cuisines. Cambodian cuisine is traditionally simple and fresh with an emphasis on layers of flavours from fresh herbs and spices, resulting in dishes with delightfully contrasting textures and flavours. When we were in Cambodia in June 2018 we participated in a … Read more
Beef short ribs is a cut that responds well to slow cooking, resulting in a rich and tasty dish. Winter is the perfect time of year to try them. Once destined for the “mincer”, beef short ribs now have a new lease of life as one of the “fashionable” meat cuts, and yet are still … Read more
It’s often hard to know how much meat to serve when you have people round for dinner. Whether it’s for 6 people or 60, here are a few things to consider: If you’re serving individual meat items, e.g. steaks or chicken breasts, portions are fairly straightforward – one per person or maybe two for hungry … Read more
So many of us grew up with the Sunday roast. Mum would “throw the meat” in the oven with some dripping and it would cook itself! Somehow, it always worked, tasted tender and succulent and was considered an easy-to-cook meal. Here are a few easy tips on how to cook the perfect roast, whether it … Read more
Versatile venison is naturally low in fat and high in iron so is a valuable component of a healthy diet. New Zealand venison is produced on natural free-range farm environments which adhere to strong quality assurance programmes. These programmes follow through to the processing plants, ensuring the end consumer is receiving a monitored, quality product. … Read more