A few blogs back, we discussed batch cooking and how it could help you make your meals go further. You must have been listening because a survey carried out for Great British Beef Week has revealed that two thirds of the nation are now taking this approach.
The Coronavirus lockdown has undoubtedly contributed to this, with people having more time on their hands to cook and not being able to pop to the pub, restaurant or, depending where you live, even getting a takeaway.
It may not seem like it at the moment, but we think there’s many positive things that will come out of this when it does finally come to an end. Being smarter about the way we work, enjoying the things in life you used to take for granted, such as going to the pub, on holiday or even visiting loved ones, and definitely more home cooking.
The study commissioned to mark the 10th Anniversary of Great British Beef Week (23rd – 30th April), reveals cooking in bulk makes life easier, healthier and cheaper – and I think we can all agree that those three things are good, regardless of the reasons why we may be doing it at present.
Beef of course is great for batch cooking and it’s not surprising that in the survey, meals like spaghetti bolagnese, lasgane, chilli and cottage pie were the ones particularly highlighted.
After all, all involve mince (please always make sure you use the best steak mince though – unless you are a vegetarian of course!) and a sauce which starts with a base of onion, carrots and celery. The French call this Mirepoix, which stands for humble beginnings. The dishes then diverge a little, but not by much, to make the final sauce, but it’s very easy and it goes a long way. Just please don’t tell me you use a stir-in sauce for this though as I will need to block you from ever seeing this blog again!
So, well done to Ladies in Beef, the organisers of Great British Beef Week for carrying out this survey, but also for continuing with the event this week, even in a scaled down format due to the current climate we are in.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, when this is all over (and it WILL end sometime) it’s important we remember those who kept the nation going during these unprecedented times, such as British farmers, UK supermarkets, farmshops, local butchers etc and continue to buy produce made in the UK, like beef.
This is the final month of our Thai-inspired recipes so I am using British beef to create this classic Thai curry.
(British) Beef Massaman Thai Curry
Ingredients:
- 50g unsalted peanuts
- 400ml can coconut milk, light version if trying to be healthier (see above!)
- 4 tbsp massaman curry paste
- 600g stewing beef steak, cut into large chunks
- 400g potatoes, cut chunks
- 1 onion, chopped into wedges
- 4 kaffir lime leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tbsp tamarind paste
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 red chilli, de-seeded and finely sliced
- Rice to serve
Method:
- Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6, then roast the peanuts on a baking tray for 5 mins until golden brown. Roughly chop the nuts once cooled and set aside. Turn the oven down slightly.
- Heat 2 tbsp coconut milk in a large pan with a lid. Add the curry paste and fry for 1 min, then stir in the beef and fry until well coated and sealed.
- Stir in the rest of the coconut with half a can of water, the potatoes, onion, lime leaves, cinnamon, tamarind, sugar, fish sauce and most of the peanuts. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for 2 hrs in the oven until the beef is tender.
- Sprinkle with sliced chilli and the remaining peanuts, then serve straight from the dish with rice.
About Sean Flint
Development & Innovation Chef of SK Foods.
Your food. Our Passion.
