Issue Eight Summer
Beef With guest chef editor
Clayton Wells

Contents

Editors’ Letters

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Editors’
Letters

Welcome to issue eight of our seasonal e-magazine. I feel incredibly privileged to share with you the stories of Australian beef and lamb from paddock to plate – from our inspiring producers and formidable chef editors to the exceptional beef and lamb dishes on menus around the country and the world.
 
This issue is dedicated to beautiful beef and the abundance of opportunities when utilising the whole bountiful beef carcase. Common themes weaved throughout the issue shine a light on the prospects and possibilities when communication and collaboration occur through the supply chain.
 
In planning for this issue, our guest chef editor Clayton Wells from Automata and A1 Canteen in Sydney, expressed an interest in finding out why he can’t always get the cuts he wants when he wants them and so we journey into the Australian beef supply chain for answers. What we find, which I think is more important than answers, are opportunities. With more open communication between producer, processor and customer and a willingness to action change – those opportunities are quite literally endless. It all starts with a conversation. So what do you have to say?
 
Our feature story on the Grand Hyatt Singapore’s Natural Fall program shows how things can be done differently – all it takes is an idea and an appetite to make it work. Now importing nine full Australian beef carcases every three weeks, including bones and offal, this story looks at a different procurement model for beef and the swag of benefits that come with it. This incredible story sets a benchmark for what is possible when passionate chefs collaborate with a proactive processor. It rewards producers for the exceptional work they do and provides customers with better quality, better value and a greater range of beef cuts on menu. Did we mention one price per kilo for beef?
 
This issue is literally packed from end to end – or more pertinently from tongue to tail – with ideas and inspiration for utilising all parts of the beef carcase. Our On the Menu section is an ode to the beef carcase with dishes utilising non-loin cuts from the tongue to the tail and everything in between. It’s inspiring to see so many chefs exploring life beyond the loin, getting creative with cuts and educating and engaging diners with the possibilities of Australian beef in the process.
 
We are all busy and sometimes convenience trumps creativity but how do we move forward if we don’t challenge the status quo? In this issue, we encourage you to think a little differently, collaborate and communicate more openly and create your own opportunities for change.
 
Don’t look back – you’re not going that way. The future is now and it’s bright. How are you going to shine?

 

Mary-Jane Morse
 
Meat & Livestock Australia
[email protected]
@_raremedium

When MJ and I started brainstorming, I wanted to understand why we chefs have issues obtaining less popular cuts on a regular basis considering the size of the beef industry here in Australia. Where does all the offal go? I have always wanted to be able to serve cuts like beef heart & veal sweetbreads to my customers, but I always end up at a roadblock when it comes to consistency in supply.

We headed up to Casino, NSW to the Northern Co-operative Meat Company (NCMC) where we met with Mark Manning and took a tour of their farms and processing facilities. It was inspiring to see the co-operative model working so well, especially in times of drought and seeing how they manage the land to still produce great consistent pasture-raised beef. Part of our conversations led us to discuss my issues as a chef with supply and I soon realised it really is just about establishing a relationship with people closer to the product.

A few weeks later we headed down to Tassie, which is one of my favourite spots, to basically try and eat every beef dish in the state. It started with a beef pie, then a bunch of excellent meals and good times and ended with…more pies.

I hope you enjoy this issue as much as we have enjoyed being part of it, I hope this opens up more conversations and opportunities for us all when it comes to our wonderful Aussie beef.

Love your work MJ & Macca.

 

Clayton Wells
 
Automata & A1 Canteen
@c_j_wells
@automata_syd
@a1canteen

Copyright: this publication is published by Meat & Livestock Australia Limited ABN 39 081 678 364 (MLA).

Guest Chef Profile

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With four years of the two-hatted Automata notched on the calendar and his casual diner A1 Canteen having just celebrated its first birthday – Clayton Wells has built himself somewhat of a reputation. The boy from Sydney’s western suburbs could in fact be considered the King of Kensington Street – reigning over a dining precinct near Sydney’s Central Station where many others have tried and failed.

Clayton Wells – the King of Kensington Street?

Both restaurants operate from large, open plan kitchens – turning out produce driven plates of food to customers with reputation driven expectations. Fortunately, Wells’ abilities not only as a chef but as a leader ensure that his teams are ready to deliver – and be guided by just a look from the face behind the frames.
 
“People come in expecting a certain experience – a level of food, a standard of service – and what we want is for them to leave with more than that. On an operational level, and with open kitchens, I need my team to understand my expectations so we can exceed those of our diners. That takes discipline and it takes training – and we’ve gotten to the point now in service where all it takes is a look from me and they know.”
 
 

Open five nights and two days for lunch, Automata seats 62 guests across two floors.

But it’s about far more than just a look. Wells has done the time to earn the respect that warrants the look. Originally he wanted to be an architect which makes perfect sense. Based on the architectural principles of durability, utility and beauty – he has built a career and two successful restaurants with precision and purpose; balanced squarely on an underlying foundation of solidity and structure.
 
Wells started as an apprentice in the Hawkesbury in 1999 working in hotels for five years before moving to the city to take up post as chef de partie at Quay and then junior sous chef at Tetsuya’s – catapulting himself into a world of fine dining and inspired cooking under the guidance of two world renowned leaders.
 
From there, he expanded his culinary horizons even more, travelling overseas for a stint in Michelin starred restaurants in the UK and Scandinavia before returning home in 2011 to open David Chang’s Momofuku Seiobo alongside head chef Ben Greeno where he stayed as sous chef for three years.

With Rodney Dunn at Agrarian Kitchen – Clayton encourages young chefs to travel and taste as much as they can.

“Whether it be something as simple as a carrot, an interesting seaweed or a different cut of beef that’s not so common – we work towards making it shine on the plate. It’s a great challenge – it’s not a hard challenge but it’s an interesting challenge and that’s what we always try and do.”

Slicing Automata’s pastrami-like beef tri tip which is dry roasted with mustard, coriander seeds and pepper then smoked.

“At Automata our diners love beef and I always try and use it – about 70 percent of the time our set menu will have a beef dish. I try and stay away from the prime cuts and use cuts that I find delicious but need a bit more attention to cooking. Skirt steaks, tri tips, rump caps and hanger – the things that don’t melt in your mouth but they’re the most delicious.”

Automata’s grain fed Angus tri tip with fermented celeriac and mustard oil.

As a noted leader in the foodservice space and with an ever evolving menu that changes every few weeks – Clayton uses his influence as an opportunity to educate the customer by using lesser known cuts of meat and serving them in a way that is refined but still approachable.
 
“I think it’s important for us to use different cuts so we can educate diners about what is available on the carcase. It’s not always about the sirloin or the fillet or the rib eye and I want my customers to try different things and then go out and buy it for themselves.”
 
With the Sydney dining scene and diner continuing to evolve and with many restaurants struggling to keep up, Clayton saw an opportunity to open a fun casual dining restaurant in the Chippendale dining precinct. In mid-2018, and just 20 metres from Automata, the 56 seat A1 Canteen was born.
 
“I wanted to have a more casual place that was close by Automata where we could bounce ingredients and ideas off each other and use more of the ingredients across the venues but in different ways. Also I have a weird love of cooking breakfast food, I don’t know why because most chefs hate it – but I really like it.”
 
“I think the dining scene is changing at the moment – there is definitely a shift towards the more casual but I still want what we do to be of great quality. I just sort of felt that there was something missing in this area – and so that’s why we conceptualised A1.”
 

Preparing A1’s Salted Beef Bagel using beef silverside.

“At A1 we’ve always had beef on the menu – we do things like salted beef bagels and hanger steaks and at the moment we have a tri tip tartare. Like Automata, we always try and have something interesting and delicious that educates the customer and inspires them to think differently. It is a very different offering to Automata so it keeps it interesting for us as well as the customer.”

A1’s tri tip tartare.

With a 20-year career cooking in some of the world’s best fine dining restaurants under the guidance of some of the industry’s greatest – and approaching five years leading a team of his own at one of Australia’s favourite venues – what does the future hold for Clayton Wells?
 
“What’s the future hold for me? I’m not sure. I love what I do. I’m going to stay here and do this for as long as I can. Just building a good strong team that are all working together on constantly moving forward. That’s all I can ask for.”
 
Whatever the future holds – if the past is anything to go by – it’s clear that all is well that ends Wells.

Paddock Story

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In planning for this issue, our guest chef editor Clayton Wells expressed frustration with his inability to source certain cuts and particularly offal from his suppliers – a challenge not unique to him – and wanted to understand why this is the case.
 
It’s not a simple answer – but it’s also one that doesn’t have to be definitive.

Australian beef is in high demand around the world – 70% of our beef is exported.

 

The Australian cattle and beef industry is diverse with a variety of channels through which cattle are produced, sold and processed – in order to reach a range of end markets.
 
With exceptional quality and outstanding safety and sustainability credentials – our beef is in high demand with 70 percent exported around the world. As a result, export markets, exchange rates and international competitors have a significant effect on supply, price and producer returns.
 
Of the 30 percent that remains on the domestic market, about 60 percent goes into the retail sector and the remaining 40 percent into foodservice where demand has traditionally been for primal cuts such as a striploin or rump; ready to cook cuts and steaks; and value added products like hamburger patties.
 
Our biggest export markets are the United States and Japan – followed by China and Korea. Australian beef exports to China have experienced rapid growth, increasing 60-fold over the past 10 years. In the first half of 2019, beef exports to China expanded 59 percent year on year and the country is now the third largest destination for Australian beef.

“Our biggest export markets are the United States and Japan – followed by China and Korea. Australian beef exports to China have experienced rapid growth, increasing 60-fold over the past 10 years.”

Generally, there is a significant difference in the cuts sold for export with many key export markets seeking cheaper carcases and cuts than the domestic market – a lot of these being the ‘secondary’ cuts that are now gaining popularity in Australia.
 
70 percent of Australian beef exported to China is made up of manufacturing beef, brisket, shin, silverside, blade, thick flank and knuckle while two-thirds of exports to the US are manufacturing beef destined for the foodservice market, particularly burger chains.

On the supply chain front – the Australian beef processing sector is primarily serviced by two large companies – JBS Australia and Teys Australia that operate multiple facilities across the Eastern states. These major players are joined by several medium scale operators and a range of smaller processors. The top five beef processors in Australia account for around 57 percent of our red meat production.
 
These large processors are a vital part of the Australian beef supply chain – able to process large volumes of beef through state of the art facilities and ensure the ongoing and consistent supply of Australian beef both internationally and domestically.
 
Cattle are delivered by producers directly to processors and change of ownership occurs when carcases are weighed after slaughter and trimming. Price is then determined via a carcase grading system on a cents/kg basis – this is known as an Over the Hooks (OTH) sale. In most abattoirs hides and offal are retained by the processors with no benefits paid to the producer for these products.
 
Processors then sell primarily boxed beef products on to wholesalers and exporters as well as branded products directly into domestic and export markets. Boxed beef is wholesale cuts of beef like rump or shorloin that have been vacuumed packed and boxed for shipping.
And so – it’s not a simple answer but essentially comes down to export market opportunities and the structure of the supply chain.
 
This is the current nature of the Australian beef industry and generally it proves to be an efficient, reliable and trusted system for delivering beef to both international and domestic retail and foodsevice markets.

Australian beef carcases being assessed at the NCMC processing plant in Casino.

“Depending on specifications, there are opportunities for foodservice operators to work directly with some processors on custom orders that not only meet their operational needs, but also deliver more benefits back to producers.”

However, as customers and consumers become more interested in where their food comes from, more educated about and interested in a range of cuts and more conscious of premium pricing – is there an opportunity for the system to evolve to reflect the needs of its changing customer?
 
Just because something has always been done a certain way – it doesn’t mean that it’s the only way or that there isn’t an opportunity to evolve. Some processors are already adapting their operations to suit more niche requirements and service bespoke orders from both international and domestic clients.
 
It’s about getting involved in the supply chain, doing the ground work, talking to suppliers and seeking solutions that benefit your business model and what you want to achieve. The more customers ask for certain cuts or products – the more likely these market signals will get back to industry and facilitate future change.
 
Depending on specifications, there are opportunities for foodservice operators to work directly with some processors on custom orders that not only meet their operational needs, but also deliver more benefits back to producers. It’s just a matter of thinking a bit differently about how and where you procure your purchases and finding someone willing to work with you.
 
For this issue, we took a trip NSW’s Northern Rivers region to visit one such processor. Northern Co-operative Meat Company is Australia’s largest meat processing co-operative – 100 percent owned by a membership of Australian producers and businesses that are focused on the paddock to plate philosophy.

Cattle on an NCMC property in the Northern Rivers region of NSW.

“We have about 1,000 farmers that have shares in and therefore own the meat company and we currently process about 6,000 head here per week, sourced mainly from the local area and from our local members. Being a cooperative and being member owned, it’s all about returning the profits and giving the ownership back to the producer,” said NCMC General Manager Mark Manning.

“One of our biggest attributes in being a service works is servicing our customers. Unlike some of the larger processors, we have the agility to work with customers to develop bespoke retail and foodservice offerings,” he said.

In the small coastal hinterland town of Casino, the processing plant is a vital lifeline to the community employing over 1,000 people across its divisions as well as providing a world class processing facility for producers in the region.
 
“Northern Rivers is one of Australia’s food bowls. We’re part of the Northern River’s Food Group which includes dairy, nuts, coffee, beer and other products. With the sustainability that everyone focuses on around this region, it’s a really good selling point as customers now really want to know where their products are coming from and that they are sustainably farmed.”

Australia’s National Livestock Identification system, via tags in the ears, ensures that every animal can be traced through the entire supply chain.

“Australia has a very stringent traceability system that ensures the provenance of every animal that is processed around the country. All animals come with NLIS (National Livestock Identification) devices and all animals must be accompanied by a National Vendor Declaration when sent to the abattoir – so we know from the time they leave the farm to which box they go into – where that animal came from.”
 
The company also has an abundance of its own agricultural land made up of a number of separate properties which they utilise in different ways to improve the overall sustainability of their business. Waste water from the abattoir is recycled and irrigated out onto the farms to provide year-round access to crops and fodder for livestock as well as to create hay for feed.
 
Like abattoirs across the country, NCMC is also committed to animal welfare and the promotion of low stress stock handling. Animal welfare not only ensures the best practice treatment of the animals but is crucial component in ensuring the quality of the end product and is thus essential through the entire supply chain.

Horses are used to move cattle aiding in low stress for the animals.

“We work all our cattle on the farms using dogs and horses, no motorbikes or utes or anything like that. We have good trained men in the yards and practice low stress stock handling techniques – the less stress you can put the animals through and the calmer you can go about moving the animals means a much better end product for everyone,” said NCMC Farm Manager Craig King.

At the processing plant, the commitment to animal welfare continues with certification under the Australian Livestock Processing Industry Animal Welfare Certification System (AAWCS), shaded yards, fresh water, employees trained in best practice animal welfare procedures and Temple Grandin designed yards and humane slaughter practices. Temple Grandin is a renowned professor of animal behaviour who has worked extensively with the livestock industry around the world to minimise the stress animals endure in yards and through the processing procedures.

Provenir is an Australian-owned disruptive ag-tech company focused on animal welfare, food provenance, quality produce and facilitating the connection between farmers and customers.

 
 
In 2019, Provenir launched Australia’s first and only mobile on-farm abattoir – eliminating the need for cattle to be transported for slaughter thus reducing stress levels and improving the overall quality of the end product.
 
The commercially-licensed mobile abattoir processes livestock on the farm where they are raised – partnering with farmers who share their ethos of raising quality livestock through best practice animal welfare.
 
Provenir oversees the whole operation from purchasing and processing livestock on farm, into its own artisan whole beast butchery and through to the customer. By processing on-farm and utilising the latest in digital traceability technology, the company provides full transparency and guaranteed provenance.
 
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer Chris Balazs is a farmer with a background in corporate science and through Provenir aims to provide premium quality beef with an authentic provenance story.
 
This unique development in the supply chain cuts transport costs to farmers, removes stress on animals and in return produces a quality product that was recently awarded Gold and Best in Class in the Branded Beef Category of the 2019 Australian Food Awards.

Cut Showcase

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Frustrated by a lack of availability of cuts?
Hamstrung by pricing?
Looking for a little creativity in the kitchen?
 
Maybe it’s time to think about going natural.
Ok, keep your pants on – we’re talking about Natural Fall.

Natural Fall beef laid out at the Grand Hyatt Singapore.

So what exactly is Natural Fall and what could it mean for your business? Meat & Livestock Australia’s Manager Supply Chain Technical Services David Carew says it’s a question he gets asked often.
 
“People ask me quite often what Natural Fall means and the easiest way I can explain it is – Natural Fall means everything that comes off the body. That’s opposed to a Full Set operation which is select cuts off the body and then the third variation where customers are choosing individual cuts.”
 
David, a former chef, works in MLA’s Singapore office servicing the South East Asian market. His father was also a chef and from an early age instilled in him a passion for food and where it comes from. Working now within an industry that has moved, for many reasons, to a mostly fragmented supply chain – David is facilitating closer supply chain collaboration to realise opportunities for both the red meat and foodservice industries.
 
“Natural Fall is about celebrating these really unique, beautifully bred, beautifully well looked after Australian animals that have got such a brilliant story to tell. We have the sustainability credentials; we have the food safety credentials – but what we don’t really have is a procurement sustainability model.”
 
Working closely with the Grand Hyatt Singapore, David and the culinary team have developed and implemented a whole carcase program that disrupts the supply chain with a sustainable procurement model and sets an inspiring benchmark for any foodservice business seeking an alternative procurement solution.

The Grand Hyatt Singapore serves between 3,000 and 5,000 meals every day.

“What we’re doing is not to disrupt the whole industry, it’s just to say you know, we’ve been doing things one way for a long time – but is it the right way? Part of the future is understanding where things are moving to and being across that.”
 
“Natural Fall is one style, it’s one solution and it’s not going to fit everybody. The Natural Fall program for the Grand Hyatt was firstly about answering their needs – a passionate group of executive chefs who were very keen to work within sustainability boundaries.”
 
The Natural Fall program was an exciting experiment for MLA and the Grand Hyatt team – to work collaboratively and look at how they could make a whole carcase program work – studying every part of the hotel and its operations to determine how they could fit every part of the animal into the hotel.
 
“We developed a diagnostic about where we could use the simple cuts first, the ones that they were familiar with, the next stage was to turn everything else into a meaningful value added product. Then after that, working systematically with the Grand Hyatt every couple of months to do a new workshop where we take one of the cuts that they hadn’t previously used and demonstrate a range of three of four different options that it’s ideally used for.”
 
Director of Culinary for Hyatt South East Asia Lucas Glanville overseas 24 hotels across the South East Asia region including the Grand Hyatt Singapore. Driven by sustainability, Lucas launched a sustainability program in 2010 with a range of initiatives implemented across the hotel.

Value adding products play a key role in the Natural Fall program – beef salami and dry aged beef heart at the Grand Hyatt Singapore.

“Sustainability is a big word that has many different meanings to many different people and we feel it should always be very independent, it shouldn’t be our version of the truth. It’s really important that we are using the right products and that they are ethical and sustainable, that we have a relationship with our supply chain and utilise the right resources to serve our guests.”
 
“The Natural Fall program started mid 2018 though our collaboration with MLA and a conversation about how we can create change in the hotel by doing things a little bit differently – through that disruptor mentality – and this program has enormous advantages.”
 
“We’re looking at a different business model that rewards the farmer for the work they’ve done and sharing that with our customer. We pay one price per kilo – the same price from the head to the tail and everything else in between. That gives us great opportunity to offer guests the best value for money using the best product possible.”
 
So what does actually using a whole carcase – or in the case of the Grand Hyatt – nine whole carcases every three weeks – look like?
 
The Grand Hyatt Singapore has five main restaurants – one serving Singaporean and local Malay and Indian cuisines, a signature steak house, a poolside barbeque, an outlet serving Western and Asian cuisines across nine different dining experiences and an Italian restaurant. There’s also a room service menu servicing 677 guestrooms and suites and an events business that covers 5,000 sqm over three floors serving up to 2,500 guests on a weekend.
 

Australian beef neck on the menu at the Grand Hyatt is proving to be extremely popular.

Executive Chef Gregor Streun oversees the feeding of around one million guests per year – serving between 3,000 and 5,000 meals every day and up to 6,000 meals a day on the weekend. It’s no small feat and it takes some meat to meet the needs – 260 tonnes annually to be precise – of which 70-80% is beef and lamb.
 
Gregor says the Natural Fall program has provided a wealth of benefits to the hotel – with price advantages, menu opportunities and chef engagement serving a superior product with an authentic sustainability story and increasing guest satisfaction.
 
“We started the Natural Fall beef program as a trial run with two bodies then gradually went up to the nine bodies at a time which we figured out works best for us. We have now started with a Natural Fall program for Australian lamb as well.”
 
“The whole point of the program was to be more sustainable so we had to confront ourselves with what we would do with all the cuts as well as all the offal, the fat, the bones – everything.”
 
“We started cooking the bones for stocks for all the venues and the some of the primal cuts we started dry ageing in house to further value add to the product and the slow cooking cuts are mainly used in our Malay and Indian cooking for the stews and curries. Then you have our events business where I’d say we use almost every cut because there is so much variety with really helps us make this program so successful.”
 

Australian beef dry ageing in its own fat at the Grand Hyatt Singapore.

“We first struggled a bit about what to do with the beef heart but now we season it, dry cure it and air dry it and it is part of a charcuterie plate. We do our own salamis, our own pastrami and we turn the liver into a beef pate. This is a big benefit for us because we can go back to doing product in house and convey the whole story to our guests – we made this pastrami, we know exactly where the beef comes from and we know exactly what goes in it – it’s just this level of trust to give to the guests and it’s something unique which not many hotels do anymore.”
 
Gregor says that the price advantage means they can now serve beef where they couldn’t before and they can also serve beef of a higher value than before.
 
“Our guests come back and say ‘wow we had this amazing beef at Hyatt and it doesn’t cost us a bomb’ which is rare in Singapore. We can offer a 220g beef burger for $9 which is probably the best value for money burger in town. We couldn’t do that before because the costs were too great for us.”

Grand Hyatt Singapore’s beef charcuterie plate including dry-aged beef heart, beef liver pate, beef pastrami, beef bacon and beef salami.

For Gregor, one of the biggest value adds of the program has been within the kitchen team and their increased interest in and engagement with the product.
 
“Prior to the Natural Fall program, most chefs’ connection to beef was the tenderloin that’s vacuum packed, the OP rib and maybe portioned cuts. Now we get the entire animal and we did some masterclasses with David from MLA where we got the whole team in the room, laid out the entire carcase on a table and went through and named every cut, what you can do with it and what you can’t.”
 
“The Natural Fall program is great because young chefs are drawn to us at Grand Hyatt because they know this program is in place. There is nowhere else in Singapore that would enable them learning that comes with the whole carcase butchery and just working with all the different cuts. We get interest from younger chefs because they know that here we can really learn about beef, how the animal is constructed and what to do with different cuts.”
 
But it’s not just the kitchen that is reaping the rewards – the entire hotel has benefited from the introduction of the program.
 
“Our marketing department now has a great and unique story to tell, the finance department is very happy because the food costs are lower, our materials department is very engaged because they know it’s a great product and where it comes from and obviously senior management is happy because it’s just an amazing product which we can serve to our guests.”
 
“Most importantly our guests really enjoy the product. We have quite substantially increased our red meat offerings on the menu through the entire hotel and have very unique dishes and certain cuts which before we simply could not get because they weren’t available on the market.”

David and Gregor did whole carcase masterclasses with the entire kitchen team.

Gregor’s Natural Fall Program Advice

 
 
— Don’t start with 10 bodies, start small and see if you can turn one body at a time and then slowly work your way up.
 
— Maybe get some products frozen and some products fresh – each venue knows their operation the best so just see how you could slowly apply it.
 
— Look to dry age certain primals and turn some products into pates, sausages, cold cuts which have a longer shelf life and just slowly build it up from there.
 
— Yes, at the beginning it might be a little bit overwhelming but if you sit down and see what’s happening, I’m sure it’s doable for other venues.
 
— Or maybe other venues can team up – if you have three or four restaurants in the same proximity maybe they can start with one carcase and share it.

Cut Showcase: Natural Fall

Homegrown
Heroes

James Viles at Bertha – his barbecue venue adjoining Biota.

Some Aussie chefs and restaurateurs are already thinking a little more creatively about sourcing, storing and utilising beef in their venues – driven by sustainability, provenance and price to do things differently.

 
 
With some disruptive thinking, an open mind to collaborate and a willingness to look a little deeper into the supply chain and their own businesses – chefs and restaurateurs can find solutions to their struggles with limited cut supply and associated price trauma.
 
Chef James Viles is approaching 10 years of his much-celebrated two-hatted restaurant Biota in the NSW Southern Highlands. Add to that his relatively new adjoining barbeque venue Bertha’s Meats and exquisite event venue Barn by Biota – and you’ve got the perfect opportunity for carcase usage.

Whole beef forequarter at Barn by Biota.

James purchases whole primals – primarily forequarters and hindquarters – from local farms and is moving towards purchasing whole beef quarters in the future.
 
“Having the three venues means that I can use the same thing in different ways across the three menus. At Biota we can demonstrate a more refined way of preparing and serving a specific cut, while at Bertha we are more inclined to serve whole cuts – and at Barn we have the capacity to use the whole primal to feed a group.”
 
At Bertha, James and the team cook cuts in a way that maintains their integrity. Except for the brisket, they always cook cuts on the bone which imparts more flavour into the beef but also acts as an internal cooking mechanism – cooking cuts gently from the inside out while maintaining gelatin and keeping the beef juicy.

“Working with whole primals and aiming towards working with whole carcases is what we should all be aiming to achieve. Chefs are afraid of whole carcases for obvious reasons – they may not have the space to store it, the knowledge to utilise it or the time to consider it. But that’s not a reason to dismiss the concept. Find someone else to work with – another local venue or two that you can collaborate with and maybe start with doing an animal a month and working out the cuts between you.”
 
“By doing some research and working with local farmers – you may find that things are actually more achievable than you realise. It’s about getting out there and talking to other chefs, producers and suppliers and finding a solution that suits your business.”
 
Here are some ways that James is using a range of beef cuts across his venues.

BIOTA

 
Approaching a decade of service, Biota was one of the original trailblazers of regional fine dining. As its name intends – Viles’ two-hatted venue is focused on the animal and plant life of the Southern Highlands region and connecting the diner to it through elevated cooking that allows the produce to shine.

Aged Ox Heart

 
Beef heart is cured for a week, smoked on a low heat on and off for 2-3 days and then hung for a month. James uses the finished product like a bonito to flavour stocks – curing and smoking the heart reduces the strong mineral flavour of the heart while bringing out its beefy characteristics. He has also grated the heart onto a dish of waffles and chestnut cream.

Beef & Chilli Salami

 
James makes a salami using all the fatty beef trim from each of the three venues – seasoned simply with salt and native pepper and cured for 8 weeks.

Bone Marrow Broth

 
Beef bones are roasted overnight to make a broth which is then served with roasted bone marrow, radish, house-made buckwheat noodles and wattle seed oil.

BERTHA’S MEATS

 
In addition to the regular menu of chopped brisket sangas, platters of smoked brisket and beef cheek and grilled scotch fillet and rump steaks – James also runs regular beef specials using up various parts of the carcase.
 

Hot Smoked Oxtail

 
Using the butt end of the oxtail, this gorgeous glossy dish is designed to share between a couple. Hot smoked low and slow for about 13 hours it is then grilled over the fire, glazed with a malt glaze and served whole with rosemary flowers and Bertha’s hot sauce.

Smoked Trim Sausage

 
This juicy sausage uses up all the trim from the beef and pork dishes across the venue. Everything is minced together, folded through with lard, smoked chilli and salt then hot-smoked for 40 minutes. The skin has that smoked sausage crispy crack about it while the inside is juicy and bursting with flavour. Served with a vinegar-based Carolina hot sauce and house-pickled chillies.

Whole Glazed Beef Shin

 
The same cut as the ever-popular lamb shank, this versatile cut is often sliced across the bone for Osso Bucco. Prepared whole it makes quite a statement for a table to share – the tender unctuous meat falling from the bone. This one is smoked on the bone slowly overnight then glazed and served whole in its paper. Shred the beef from the bone, scoop out the marrow and load it onto some buns for the ultimate DIY dinner.
 
 

BARN BY BIOTA

 
The breathtakingly beautiful Barn is James’ event venue – a repurposed and beautifully renovated stables complex set on a 100-acre farm where Angus cattle are dotted across rolling green hills.
 
With a stunning shared central table and private dining areas set up within the individual stables – and a guest house upstairs – it’s the perfect place for a special event. The team also host a series of monthly dinners with menus based on ingredients best that day, week and month.
 
We were lucky enough to visit Barn as part of the produce tour for finalists in the 2019 Appetite For Excellence program for a very special long lunch – including a very impressive whole beef forequarter.

The communal dining table at Barn.

James tends to the beef forequarter.

Smoked Whole Beef Forequarter

 
If you’ve got the space and the time – is there anything better than a chunk of beef, simply prepared the natural way, to feed a large group of guests? This whole preparation, and the set-up of the Barn venue – allows for guests to interact and see the dish in its final stages of cooking and preparation. A whole beef forequarter hanging over coals certainly brings some theatre to the table and is an impressive sight to see.
 
This 45kg beauty was smoked overnight at Bertha then finished over Red Gum for about 5 – 6 hours. Sliced and served on platters to share with red wine jus, grilled mustard leaves with chestnut miso and mushrooms with Yarrawa raw milk cheese.

Terry in the kitchen at Soi 38 in Adelaide.

SOI 38

 
Meanwhile, in Adelaide – Appetite for Excellence Young Restauranteur Finalist Daisy Miller and her chef partner Terry Intararakhamhaeng have found a sustainable way to share locally sourced whole carcases with another local restaurant.
 
Terry has cooked all over the world through including Thailand, UK and Germany before coming to Australia where he opted for a career change and studied Environmental Science. Based in Adelaide, he was missing the comfort of good authentic Thai food and so he and Daisy opened Soi 38 in October 2014.
 
Passionate about sustainability and minimising waste, the concept of using whole carcases was something that the duo had been trying to implement from the early stages of opening the restaurant. Through collaboration and planning with local producer Tom Bradbury from Nomad Farm and chef Tom Tilbury at Coriole Winery – they found a solution to work for all.
 
Working on a carcase every three weeks – Soi 38 takes pretty much everything but the prime cuts which go to Gather at Coriole. Having a direct relationship with the farmer ensures nothing goes to waste and allows the team to value add products and use them as required. Currently Soi 38 is going through about 50kg of beef a week across a variety of menu items – and utilising various cuts for the same dishes to ensure the whole carcase is championed.
 
In a concerted effort to connect their customers with produce and to hero wherever possible the local produce they use – Soi 38 customers are told the story of the beef, where it is sourced and how it’s produced.

Charcoal Beef Salad

 

This dish stems from North Eastern Thailand where traditionally beef is hung over a fire pit in the house and serves a dual purpose – the smoke keeps insects away while also preserving the meat. At Soi 38, Terry uses dry-aged beef rump which is dry-aged on the farm allowing the kitchen to utilise it as they need – and serves with lemongrass and pickled garlic.

Minced Beef Stir Fry

 

Originating from Central Thailand this dish is adapted from Chinese cuisine and allows the restaurant to effectively utilise the carcase through mincing. Using offcuts along with trimmings from other dishes, the beef is hand minced with 60/40 beef to fat ratio. No additional oils are used in this dish with the fat rendering off quickly from the heat of the wok. The coarsely ground mince maintains its integrity and its full beef flavour is punctuated by long eggplant and kaffir lime.

Beef Massaman

 

At Soi 38, this traditional Thai favourite uses a variety of cuts including the cheek, chuck, rump and brisket. Terry tends to cook a lot of his meat dishes in their own fat without the need for additional oils. For this dish, two-inch dices of the various cuts are cooked out overnight allowing the fats to naturally release and render out slowly resulting in decadently tender beef.

Roadies

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Roadies is about exploring venues and menus to bring you the best of beef.

We took some time out from big city living to sample the island life with a two day tour of Tassie – exploring the best of island beef on a quest for gastronomic greatness.

 
Driven heavily by seasonal produce, Tassie turned out some real treats and some epic beef eats from renowned producers like Cape Grim, Robbins Island and Bass Strait Pure Southern as well as smaller local producers like Broadchurch Farm and Huon Valley Beef.

Tasmanian paddocks salted with sheep and peppered with Angus cattle.

What Rueben dreams are made of.

From Hobart we headed up to Launceston – stopping off at local bakeries for beef pies along the way – it’s an important part of every Roadies adventure. In Launceston, we visited Stillwater for beef tartare, beef cheek and a cracking Rueben sandwich and Black Cow Bistro where the focus is premium Tasmanian grass-fed beef.

 

From there, we cruised down through the beautiful Tassie countryside to New Norfolk and the beautiful Agrarian Kitchen Eatery where local, seasonal produce is celebrated through a community of local growers and farmers and where meat comes into the kitchen as whole carcases or primals to be hung and prepared as required.

The Agrarian Kitchen kitchen in full swing.

A meandering drive down to the Huon Valley where we get the hot tip from Franklin head chef Analiese Gregory to try out Summer Kitchen Bakery for their Huon Valley Beef pie. Possibly the best pie on our Roadies adventures so far – and it has a pastry cow on the lid. What’s not to love?!

On a road trip one must try all the pies.

Back to Hobart to Peacock & Jones a restaurant driven by Tassie produce and tucked away in a beautiful old sandstone warehouse on Hobart’s waterfront and hospo hot spot Tom McHugo’s where everything is made from scratch in house and whole primals and carcases are used thoughtfully and thoroughly.

 

Roadies Tassie was a real inspiration seeing just how seasonally driven the foodservice community is and their unwavering commitment to championing producers and showcasing Tasmanian produce, including of course beautiful island beef.

On The Menu

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In this issue our focus is on celebrating the whole beautiful beef carcase and our On the Menu section is no different. Here we take a tasty journey from tongue to tail with a delicious showcase of dishes using non-loin cuts that demonstrate diversity, tradition, technique, innovation and ideas. Which pieces will you pick for a fresh Summer menu?

 

Kunzea Glazed Beef Tongue

 

Tom McHugos – Hobart TAS
Bianca Johnston

 
Hobart hospo hot spot Tom McHugos champions local producers with a menu driven by seasonality and waste minimisation. For this dish, beef tongue is brined for about a week, poached until soft then peeled and cut into portions. For service it is grilled and glazed with a gastrique made from kunzea – a Tasmanian shrub similar to rosemary with aromatics of citrus and eucalypt and a honey-like sweetness. Served simply with onion cream and a salad of miner’s lettuce and radicchio dressed in a pickled walnut vinegarette.

Botanical Beef Tongue

 

Africola – Adelaide SA
Duncan Welgemoed

 
A man not known to ever be tongue tied, Duncan might talk the talk but he also convincingly walks the walk – adding a little Africola magic to everything he touches and this tasty tongue dish is no exception. Driven by sustainability and influenced by African food culture – where every scrap of the carcase is revered – Duncan makes a concerted effort to utilise a range of cuts on his menu whilst innovating where possible and using by-products from other production systems.
 
Tongue is first brined overnight then braised until tender in a basic mirepoix then removed and rolled in gin must – repurposing spent botanicals leftover from gin production and lending floral notes and flavours to contrast the minerality of the tongue. It is then cold smoked for 12.5 hours, chilled and sliced.
 
For service, the tongue is grilled over the Africola fire grill and basted with fermented chilli, soy, kecap manis and fermented turnip juice. The result is delicate slabs of smoky tender tongue – sticky, hot and sour from the baste with a hint of botanicals – all balanced out on a bed of creamy garlic thoum.

Beef Cheek Saffron Risotto with Bone Marrow Vinaigrette

 

The Dolphin – Surry Hills NSW
Monty Koludrovic

 
Tender chunks of beef cheek and oozes of bone marrow top a vibrant saffron risotto for a dish of pure Dolphin decadence. Saffron stock is made in house and used to cook the rice, bringing a punch of lively colour to the risotto which is then mixed with butter, parmesan and lemon juice. Beef cheek is marinated in red wine, star anise and orange zest for 24 hours then pan fried with a classic mirepoix.
 
The pan is deglazed with the wine then beef stock is added and the cheek is cooked around 50 degrees for 2.5 – 3 hours until tender. The cheeks are then cooled in the liquid, allowing the fibres to relax and reabsorb some of the moisture. The braising liquid is then reduced to make the sauce with cherry vinegar and little pieces of bone marrow mixed though. For service, risotto is topped with bite sized chunks of tender cheek and finished with lashings of bone marrow vinaigrette and watercress.
 
 

Beef Neck Bo Ko

 

Annam – Melbourne VIC
Jerry Mai

 
This traditional Vietnamese beef stew gets an upgrade at Annam where chef Jerry Mai uses unctuous, tender chunks of Wagyu beef neck for a decadent and morish bowl of beef. The neck is marinated overnight in tomato paste, fish sauce and Vietnamese spices – fragrant with lemongrass, star anise and cinnamon. It is then seared well on all sides to caramelise and bring out the favour of the beef and braised in stock with a range of root vegetables for an hour and a half until meltingly tender. Finished with a bouquet of fresh herbs and served with crusty bread for sopping and mopping – it is a flavour bomb of beefy goodness and a perfect execution of how to bring value to an under utilised cut.
 
 

Hot Smoked Forequarter Sausage

 

Tom McHugos – Hobart TAS
Tom Westcott

 
With some forward thinking and planning, the team at Tom McHugo’s are a great example of how a whole primal can be utilised across the menu while respecting the animal, minimising waste and offering a chance for some culinary creativity.
 
A whole dry aged forequarter was sourced locally from Broadchurch Farm and utilised for a variety of elevated pub fare dishes for which the pub is known. Some was brined for corned beef that was served in a broth with chickpeas and fermented sugarloaf cabbage while the skin was braised and served with bone marrow and saffron rice – nothing going to waste.
 
This hot smoked beef sausage is based on a high acid North American style fermented sausage and is made using the trimmings of the forequarter with additional pieces of diced lard and aromats of native pepper and kunzea mixed through. The sausage is then piped, fermented for 14 hours and hot smoked. Served with cucumbers that have been fermented in eggplant brine it’s a delicious example of why doing things in-house benefits more than just the diner.
 
 

Oyster Blade with Strawberry Gum & Sunrise Lime Satay

 

Sunda Dining – Melbourne VIC
Khanh Nguyen

 
Khanh sources premium highly marbled whole oyster blades that are then prepared into flat irons by the removal of the interconnective sinew between the two muscles. The blade is then portioned and marinated with a wattleseed, native pepperberry and lemongrass curry paste and sous vide at 58c for 60 minutes – resulting in consistently tender yet textural beef.
 
For service, the beef is charred over coals to impart a subtle smoke flavour that delicately contrasts the unique berry driven notes of native strawberry gum. Served with sunrise lime satay – a classic satay heightened by the tangy fresh and floral flavours of a citrus hybrid of finger lime and calamondin – this dish is a prime example of how a non-loin cut can be elevated to an unforgettable dining experience whilst not breaking the budget.
 
 

Short Rib with Stinging Nettle & Black Pudding

 

Matilda – South Yarra VIC
Tim Young

 
The menu at Matilda is driven by quality seasonal produce cooked over coals, fire or smoke and accented by native ingredients. Tim takes short ribs to the next level and shows us that sometimes the good things take time. The ribs are brined for three days in stout then dried out and smoked over cherry wood for two hours before braising in ginger wine for about 10 hours.
 
For service, ribs are warmed in the braising liquid then glazed in a braise reduction. They are then rolled in puffed black rice and buckwheat mixed with citric acid, salt, dry shio koji and vadouvon – a French derivative of a masala with aromatics of onion, garlic, cumin seeds, mustard seeds and fenugreek. Served with daikon that has been slow cooked in oil made from burnt ginger, black pudding emulsion and stinging nettle puree – a take on gremolata with cooked nettle, garlic and lemon juice and zest. These ribs may take a long time but they sure are a good time.
 
 

Charred Intercostals with Green Chilli, Garlic Stems & Coriander

 

Chuuka – Sydney NSW
Chase Kojima & Victor Liong

 
At Sydney’s latest harbourside hotspot, fusion is far from a dirty word as two top chefs collaborate across their respective cuisines to offer a menu of Chinese dishes using Japanese ingredients and techniques. This dish uses one of Japan’s most renowned ingredients – Wagyu beef – stir fried in preparation but without the continuous tossing of traditional wok cooking.
 
Intercostals, fingers of meat derived from between the ribs, are marinated for 24 hours to take on the flavours. They are then charred in a piping hot wok – but instead of tossing, the meat is left to take on a heavy char before being tossed once and charred on the other side. Layered with garlic shoots, shallots and coriander, everything is then tossed together and served with sesame seeds.
 
The smoky charred rib meat is rich and flavoursome with the renowned tenderness of highly marbled wagyu meat but maintains its textural integrity – thus each bite brings forward more flavour than the one before.
 
 

 

Smoked Brisket

 

Atlas Dining – South Yarra VIC
Charlie Carrington

 
Menu magician Charlie Carrington takes on the challenge of not just changing his menu but the whole Atlas Dining cuisine and concept every four months – currently he’s taken on USA Soul Food. After much research and experimentation, including a trip to Texas, Charlie finally perfected his smoked brisket – and he certainly has a knack for it.
 
He uses locally sourced and highly marbled brisket seasoned simply with salt and pepper then smoked for 4.5 hours. It is then wrapped and placed in a holding oven overnight – precisely at 70 degrees. The resulting brisket is perfectly tender but still holds its structural integrity with juicy flavour ribbons of unctuous fat and accented with just the right amount of smoke. Served with red cabbage slaw, potato salad and Hoppin’ John – a Southern salad of black eye peas and rice – skip the trip to the USA and hit up South Yarra instead for brisket brilliance.
 
 


 
 

 

Veal Shin Braised in Yoghurt

 

Rumi – East Brunswick VIC
Joseph Abboud

 
This Middle Eastern Melbourne mainstay has been dishing out the goods for 15 years under the guidance of executive chef and owner Joseph Abboud. Based on a traditional Lebanese dish, Rumi’s veal shin is nothing short of perfection and demonstrates why tradition still plays a key role in preparation and service of red meat meals – as they say, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! Boneless veal shin is poached for 2-3 hours until tender then finished in a hot yoghurt sauce and served with toasted almonds, green peas, caramelised butter and dried mint. Simple, stunning and versatile – you could substitute veal shin for beef shin to beef up the subtle flavours and keep it seasonal throughout the year by supplementing new season vegetables.
 
 

Skirt Steak Tataki

 

Kitchen By Mike – Sydney NSW
Mike McEnearney

 
Known for his produce driven ethos and commitment to sustainability, Mike uses a variety of cuts across his menus, working with suppliers to utilise a range of cuts and in the process educating his diners about the diversity of the beef carcase. This dish takes a textural twist – combining charred beef flavours with the delicateness of raw beef. Skirt steak is marinated in a yakitori glaze of balanced salt and sweetness to assist in tendersing the beef while still allowing it to maintain some texture. It is then grilled over the bincho until well charred on the outside and still raw inside, well rested, then sliced super thin against the coarse grain this cut is known for. Served with yakitori glaze, grilled mushrooms, soy beans, miso, baby herbs, szechuan peppercorns and finished with freshly grated horseradish – it is a dish alive with unexpected flavours and textures and a prime example of how secondary cuts can shine with a little love.
 
 

Hanger Steak, Ox Tongue, Bone Marrow

 

Hartsyard – Newtown NSW
Jarrod Walsh

 
This dish represents the ultimate in considered carcase usage from the talented young team at Hartsyard. Hanger steak is marinated in koji and slow cooked for two hours then grilled over the hibachi for a super charred finish. Tongue is brined for 48 hours then cooked slowly in a water bath for 18 hours – it is then peeled and shaved warm onto the top of the hanger. The sauce is a fortified beef jus derived from beef bones that have been roasted for 24 hours for stock. Beef shin is then added and cooked for another 24 hours to release all its gelatinous goodness, then reduced with red wine and peppercorns.
 
For service, the jus is warmed and mixed through with eschallots, chives and bone marrow and topped over the hanger and shaved tongue and dressed with leftover beef fat from the roasting process that has been smoked. With thoughtful young chefs like this thinking differently about cuts and how to use them – we’re well on the way to a new generation of innovative menus that hero produce, don’t skimp on process and pack a punch of flavour for diners.
 
 

Flank with King Brown Mushroom, Ginger & Burnt Hazelnut

 

Lesa – Melbourne VIC
Dave Verheul

 
Like all things Lesa, this beef dish is a thing of refined beauty that doesn’t compromise on flavour. Dave chooses locally sourced grass-fed beef from Gippsland – its robust flavour masterfully brought to the fore as it is cooked over the open fires of the Lesa kitchen. Served with king brown mushroom cooked in hazelnut vinegar, a quenelle of burnt hazelnut and a woody mushroom juice – the dish is an earthy, savoury sensation balanced harmoniously with the addition of mustard leaf dressed in ginger oil.
 
 

Rump Cap with Purple Sprouting Broccoli & XO

 

Supernormal – Melbourne VIC
Perry Schagen

 
Approaching its eighth year of service, Supernormal remains as popular as ever, serving up Asian-inspired dishes to hundreds of hungry diners every day. The success of this large scale restaurant from Andrew McConnell Group relies on it turning out consistently good food influenced by dishes, spices and flavors from across the Asian region – and the sharing style nature dining – allowing guests to journey around Asia one bite at a time.
 
This dish uses whole Wagyu rump caps heavily charred on all sides then roasted until perfectly pink – the intramuscular fat melting throughout the meat resulting in juicy, tender beef. Rested then sliced and served for sharing at the table with charred purple sprouting broccoli, house made XO and a base of Butterfly Factory yoghurt.
 
 

Vindaloo Tri Tip Tartare

 

Tonka – Melbourne VIC
Adam D’Sylva

 
Tonka is not your average Indian joint and chef Adam D’Sylva is not your average chef – mastering his own fine dining approach to Indian cuisine with nods to the time honoured techniques of classic French and Italian dishes.
 
This Vindaloo Steak Tartare is one such dish where a traditional French classic is given new life with the addition of Indian flavours. Tri tip is hard seared in a hot pan to create a caramelised crust but left raw inside – resulting in a contrast of flavour and texture. It is then left to cool in the fridge then diced small and mixed with housemade vindaloo paste.
 
Finished with delicate buds of pickled daikon and pipings of a raita made with fenugreek powder and yoghurt, fried saltbush, sweet paprika and served with crunchy mathri crisps – the dish is an intricate balance of spice, flavour and texture. Choosing tri tip for the tartare brings a bit more bite than the traditional tartare choice of fillet – but ensures less of a bite on the bottom line.
 
 

Veal Topside Schnitzel

 

Totti’s – Bondi NSW
Mike Eggert

 
A classic veal schnitzel never goes out of style, particularly when it gets the Totti’s treatment – an instant elevation to legend status. Veal topside is tenderised then breaded using crumbs from Totti’s coveted woodfired bread, parmesan and parsley then fried to pink perfection. Rested then sliced for easy sharing, the veal is thick, juicy and flavoursome – and not beaten to a thin unrecognisable strip like some schnitzels can be. Served with salty sprinkles of fried capers and punchy curls of grated parmesan – it’s the kind of schnitzel that all schnitzels should aspire to be. Balance out its decadent schnity richness with a big squeeze of zesty lemon and fresh seasonal greens for a satisfying and seasonally adaptable dish that diners will come back for time and time again.
 
 

Corned Silverside Hash

 

Brewtown Newtown – Newtown NSW
Alun Evans

 
Café food gets a facelift at this sprawling two story brick warehouse just off Newtown’s King Street –serving up original takes on classic dishes and with beef the hero it always should be. Choose from a half-pound burger, a sweet and sour brisket dish, a pastrami sandwich or one of the team’s all-time favourite dishes – the corned beef hash. Café owner manager Pete Raad says various versions of the dish have been on the menu since opening in 2013 – modernised and revamped each time to keep the dish interesting for regulars and appealing to newcomers.
 
Silverside comes prepared from the butcher and is then slow cooked for six hours with various ingredients including vinegar and bay leaf then shredded and mixed together with onion, potato and cabbage – ready for service. On order, the hash mix is warmed through in a pan then wrapped in a cabbage leaf and served with a poached egg dusted with pea powder and a parmesan crisp. Certainly not your average hash and a prime example that if you’ve got the basics right, you can simply tweak the details for a fresh take on a crowd favourite that keeps them coming back.
 
 

 

Knuckle Sandwich

 

Berthas – Bowral, NSW
James Viles

 
Bertha’s brings the beef and it’s the one time we’re more than happy to go asking for a knuckle sandwich. Far more enjoyable than a smack in the chops – this sandwich smacks you in all the right places, primarily your taste buds, which all get a good going over.
 
Whole knuckle is hot smoked on the bone overnight – as it smokes, the bone heats up and gently cooks the meat from the inside out, releasing the gelatins within the meat and keeping the whole joint juicy. The meat is then shredded from the bone and tossed in a house made vinegar sauce – pairing back the smoky richness of the beef with some acidity. The beef is then layered onto a soft white bun and finished with Betha’s Alabama white sauce – a traditional barbeque sauce made with mayonnaise, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, spices and hot sauce.

Roasted Bone Marrow & Seasonal Greens

 

The Old Fitzroy – Woolloomooloo NSW
Nick Hill

 
Things are a little different at the Old Fitz and Nick Hill’s menu takes a leap towards championing offal and secondary cuts wherever possible while keeping things grounded in the guise of Brittish pub fare.
 
The specials board changes for every service, giving Hill the chance to flex some creativity and take customers on a bit of an adventure with things like pig tails, veal sweetbreads, duck livers, chicken feet and bone marrow. You’ll find plenty of beef options from raw beef on dripping toast to steaks and Sunday roasts – and creative classics like the Yorkie – chopped leftover beef roast and dripping served on a Yorkshire pudding – and the chip butty which is occasionally adorned with bone marrow.
 
Nick takes a fresh and somewhat lighter approach to bone marrow with this dish – simply roasted bone marrow served with barbequed peas tossed in lemon and butter and garnished with broad bean leaves and snow pea sprouts.

Whiskey Washed Bone Marrow with Malted Barley Bread

 

New Sydney Hotel – Hobart TAS
Klee Clemens

 
Opened in 1835, the New Sydney Hotel claims to ‘have always done things a little differently’ and that sentiment certainly rings true when it comes to their creative food menu. The craft beer pub gets more adventurous than most with dishes from hearts and ears to goat croquettes and apple cider beignets – these are dishes that go beyond your average counter meal. And they certainly bring the beef – from a range of steaks, burgers and roasts to scorched slices of Wagyu served with bread and dripping and this bone marrow beauty.
 
Bone marrow is simply seasoned and roasted whole in the bone then served with a housemade whiskey jam and toast for a juicy, sweet good time. But what’s a pub meal without a whiskey chaser? Scoop out all the marrow, slather it on the bread then wash down any remnants with a shot of whiskey down the bone. Bottoms up.
 
 

Woodfired Brassica with Grated Tallow

 

The Agrarian Kitchen – New Norfolk TAS
Rodney Dunn

 
Savvy venues are finding creative ways to use fat trimmings, ensuring every part of the carcase is utilised while developing bold new creations for diners to explore. Chef Alanna Sapwell from Arc Dining uses lamb fat for caramels while Jock Zonfrillo’s whipped lamb fat and potato damper remains a firm favourite and mainstay on the Orana menu. The Grand Hyatt Singapore smokes beef fat for a range of dishes and also uses it as a seal for their dry ageing program and Rodney Dunn at Agrarian Kitchen uses beef tallow, a rendered form of beef fat, to grate over fire grilled seasonal greens. At the New Sydney Hotel, Wagyu fat is whipped and served with savoury doughnuts and a native pepperberry sauce – a bar snack well worth a crack.
 
 

 

Plum Glazed Oxtail With Oxtail Broth

 

Ides – Collingwood VIC
Peter Gunn

 
Our Issue 7 Spring Lamb chef editor also happens to know his way around the beef carcase with three beef dishes on his Full Ides menu including a beef cheek main, a cured tenderloin snack and this delicate oxtail delight.
 
The Ides menu is based on a traditional French degustation menu with this dish Gunn’s take on the soup course. The daisy flowers are Japanese pumpkin which has been blanched in saffron stock and topped with pumpkin seeds braised in oxtail broth and vanilla and finished with white garlic petals.
 
The broth is made from oxtails covered with water and braised for an hour and a half with fennel, carrot and onion. It is then seasoned with salt, black pepper and smoked soy sauce and passed through a filter for a clear, fine and balanced broth. The remaining oxtail is then braised in a Chinese masterstock for 1.5-2 hours until tender before the meat is picked from the bones, deep fried, glazed with a plum reduction and finished with finely sliced green chilli. Finished with sheep sorrel, garlic flowers and pumpkin flowers – it might be pretty but it’s also pretty damn delicious.
 
 

 

Two Under Ten

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What’s your beef? It’s Automata vs A1 for this issue’s Two Under 10 challenge and let’s just say that the boys have done very Wells indeed. In keeping with our focus on whole carcase utilisation, James at Automata has whipped up a tasty tripe pasta while Scott has gone full A1 style with a salted beef bagel.

1.

Buttered Beef Tripe Pasta

James Tai
Sous Chef
Automata

 

James channels his Cantonese heritage and gives it an Automata edge – taking a brown butter pasta to offally-good new heights.

 

Tripe is the edible lining of a cow’s stomach and can be prepared in a variety of ways – it can have a chewy texture and like other offals, be heavy in minerality which should be considered in its preparation.

 

To reduce minerality, James blanches the tripe in ginger and water and then braises with browned butter and a marinade of spices, salt and sweetness. Tossed together with fresh made pasta, seasoned with lemon juice and finished with shaved macadamia – it’s tripe done right.

 
 
 

Ingredients

 

Beef tripe
Ginger
Tamari
Soy
Five spice
Cloves
Coriander seed
Apple juice
Onion
Garlic
Butter
Pasta
Salt
Lemon juice
Macadamia

 

Total cost — $4.65

James serving his braised and marinated tripe and beef pasta.

2.

Salted Beef Bagel

Scott Eddington
Former Head Chef
A1 Canteen

 

If A1 is known for anything, it’s for their tasty AF sandwiches – and this one is definitely a crowd favourite.
 
Inspired by the 24-hour mayhem of Brick Lane’s Beigel Bake in London, a toasted seeded bagel is loaded with warm slices of silverside that has been brined then slowly poached, tangy pickles for a contrasting crunch and lashings of violet mustard – mustard cooked down with red grapes.
 
Can we all please just take a moment to appreciate the humble sandwich – and let’s not forget the salty satisfaction of silverside – it’s simply one of the best things you can put between sliced bread.

 
 
 

Ingredients

 

Beef silverside
Seeded bagel
Butter
Salt
Onions
Celery
Bay leaf
Peppercorns
Parsley
Kosher dill pickles
Red grape mustard

 

Total cost — $5.70

Slices of satisfyingly salty silverside stacked with kosher dill pickles on a seeded bagel.

Fast Facts

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Fast Facts

Widespread drought conditions persist with severe feed and water shortages. The national beef herd has declined 7.3% to 26 million with many producers having either destocked or significantly depleted their breeding herds.

The grain feeding sector has been a critical link in the supply chain during the prolonged drought and continues to support national beef production. The number of cattle in feedlots reached a new record above 1.1 million head for the fourth consecutive quarter.

The latest reports from the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) reconfirm that for significant drought recovery to occur, prolonged rainfall over months or seasons will be needed, which is unlikely in the latest 3-month outlook.

Between 2005 and 2016 the Australian red meat industry reduced GHG emissions an impressive 57.6% as calculated by CSIRO using the Australian Government’s National Greenhouse Gas Accounts.

Our proportion of Australian GHG emissions also reduced by more than half from 21.4% in 2005 to 10.4% in 2016 while emissions from the Mining; Electricity, Gas and Water; Residential; and Services, Construction and Transport sectors have all continued to increase.

Next Issue

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For our next issue we shine a light on the next generation of foodservice leaders.

The Autumn issue will see us hanging out with 2019 Appetite For Excellence winners .