Tag Archive: Article

Chef Handover

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Chef Editor
Handover

So we had this bright idea that to wrap up each issue we’d include a fun cultural style handover from the current chef editor to the incoming chef editor. The thought was that Dave (current) would demonstrate a traditional cooking method to Duncan (incoming) that represents his heritage.

Given that Dave is a Kiwi, we thought a Hangi would be fun. A Hangi is a traditional Maori method of cooking using heated rocks buried in a pit oven. Turns out Duncan knows more about Hangis than Dave – or maybe he just likes to talk more. Here’s what happened.

Two Under Ten

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All eyes on Ides for the Two Under 10 challenge as the boys in black whip up a couple of tasty treats for less than a tenner. We’re not sure Gary got the memo about not using a prime cut – so we’ve made an alternate suggestion for you. We blame you Peter Gunn.

1.

Glazed Lamb Ribs & Herb Salad

Henry Salt
Sous Chef
Ides

 

@henry.salt

 

Henry takes us on a juicy journey to Morocco with these ludicrously good lamb ribs. Really, there is nothing quite like the sticky satisfaction you get from getting messy with a fall-off-the-bone-tender lamb rib – or six. Bar snack? Check. Share plate? If you’re willing to share, sure. Plated entrée or main? Ribsolutely. Yeah, we went there.
 
 
 

Ingredients

 

Lamb ribs
Wild thyme honey
Paprika
Cumin
Coriander seeds
Garlic powder
Olive oil
White sesame seeds
Black sesame seeds

 

Total cost — $9.72

2.

Herb Crusted Lamb & Pea Puree

 

Gary Kim
Junior Sous Chef
Ides

 

@gary__jh

 

Why mess with a good thing?! Gary takes it back to old school with a classic crusted roast lamb dish giving it a colourful Spring twist with fresh herbs and a vibrant pea puree. While he has used loin rack, you could keep costs down by trying the shoulder rack instead. Just lower the temp and cook for longer, or sous vide first to soften before crumbing and finishing in a hot oven.
 
 
 

Ingredients

 

Lamb loin
Dijon mustard
Panko
Parsley
Basil
Lemon
Olive oil
Frozen peas
Milk

 

Total cost — $9.72

Wagyu Katsu Sando: Three Ways

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If there was a sandwich Olympics – and we think there should be – surely the Wagyu Katsu Sando would take pride and place on the podium. Of Japanese origin, the Wagyu Katsu Sando was created by chef Kentaro Nakahara and first appeared as a dessert at his renowned yakiniku restaurant Sumibiyakiniku Nakahara in Tokyo.


 
Since then, iterations of this salacious sandwich have found their way onto menus around the world – as daily specials, secret menu items and as a dedicated course of a $200 tasting menu. From fine dining to fast food, customers have queued up around the block for a taste of this decadent treat and with prices ranging anywhere from $30 – $200 – it’s obviously adaptable to a range of outlets.
 
We recruited three Sydney chefs to create their own version for us – at three vastly different venues – to show there’s a wagyu katsu sando for everyone. Humble white bread meets premium wagyu beef. The rest is really up to you.

1.

THE SOKYO SANDO


 
Chef Chase Kojima
Sokyo

The Sokyo Wagyu Katsu Sando

Sokyo is Sydney’s premium Japanese dining experience – and that’s what executive chef Chase Kojima wanted to reflect in his version of the wagyu katsu sando. Chase and his team experimented with different methods before settling on sous vide the beef before frying to get the best texture for their sando.
 
Chase uses AACo’s Westholme Sirloin MS9. The Westholme cattle came to Australia from Japan more than two decades ago with strong lineage that traces back to champion wagyu bulls and cows. Westholme cattle are born on AACo’s pristine outback stations, raised on grass and finished on a specialised grain blend to achieve rich marbling throughout the cut.

The Sokyo Wagyu Katsu Sando


 

Net food cost — $19.00
Sale price — $65.00

 
 
 

Ingredients

 
 
 

Umami Chutney

 

5g karashi mustard powder
10g water
65g diced shallot
160g diced red onion
100g sugar
10g soy
12g citrus vinegar
4g kombu
10g bbq sauce
2g salt

 
 
 

Truffle Mayo

 

30g fresh black truffle
200g Kewpie mayo
50g truffle oil

 
 
 

Wagyu Sirloin Katsu
 

Westholme Wagyu Sirloin MS9+
2 whole eggs
50ml cream
2g salt
Japanese white bread

Sous vide steak seasoned with shio kombu before crumbing

Method – Condiments

 
To prepare the chutney, mix mustard powder with water and set aside. Cook shallot, onion and sugar until caramelised. Once it becomes soft and caramelised mix in the other ingredients. Mix chutney with karashi mustard.
 
For the mayo, grate the fresh black truffle with a microplane and mix with truffle oil and mayonnaise.

Method – Katsu

 
Portion sirloin into 130g slices removing the cap for an even size. Season with salt and pepper and place into a vacuum bag. Sous vide at 54 degrees for 45 minutes then chill in ice water.
 
Mix together eggs, cream and salt.
 
Remove crusts from a whole loaf of Japanese white bread then grate bread with a cheese grater. Toast crumbs in an oven at 120 degrees ensuring not to colour.
 
Season the sous vide sirloin with shio kombu then coat with tempura flour. Dip into the egg mixture then coat with panko. Deep fry at 150 degrees for 3 minutes.

Sokyo chef Chase Kojima building his wagyu katsu sando

To Serve

 
Lightly toast two thick slices of white bread, spread with truffle mayonnaise then place the wagyu katsu onto the bread. Spread umami chutney onto the katsu. Top with the other slice of bread and cut into four pieces. Place onto a plate grated with fresh horseradish.

2.

THE SANDWICH SHOP SANDO


 
Chef Faheem Noor
Mrs Palmer Sandwich

Mrs Palmer’s Wagyu Katsu Sando

The hot new sandwich shop on the block, Mrs Palmer Sandwich in Darlinghurst, takes sandwich basics seriously with their own custom baked bread – the perfect vessel to transport premium produce to your lips. Their version of the wagyu katsu sando, created by chef Faheem Noor, hits the Mrs Palmer special board with gusto using Tajima MBS7+ cube roll.
 
The Tajima brand is from Andrew’s Meats and uses specially sourced F1 crossbred wagyu. An F1 is a “first cross” – meaning a 100% full-blood wagyu bull is crossed with another breed of cow. In the Tajima case, wagyu bulls are bred with Angus cows resulting in beef that is extremely tender, yet still firm to the palate with juicy, silky and enduring flavour.

Mrs Palmer’s Wagyu Katsu Sando


 

Net food cost — $12.80
Sale price — $35.00

 
 
 

Ingredients

 

200g Tajima cube roll MS7+
Flour
Egg wash
Panko crumb
Parsley
Pepper
Fried onion
Butter
Wasabi cream
Beef jus
Homestyle white loaf

Mrs Palmer Sandwich’s custom baked bread

Crumb the steak then deep fry for 2.5 minutes. Rest for two minutes. Butter and lightly toast two slices of thick-cut loaf.
 
Butter bread with wasabi cream then place the rested steak onto bread. Add fried onion and drizzle with jus. Slice and serve with fried lotus chips.

Sliced wagyu katsu layering onto thick white bread

3.

THE STADIUM SANDO


 
Chef Martin Dulke
Venues Live – ANZ & BankWest Stadiums

Stadium Sher Wagyu Sando with furikake dusted chips and whisky pickle

Venues Live chef Martin Dulke thinks it’s time to kick the hot dog to the curb with the ultimate in game-day satisfaction – whether your team is on top or not. This hot-in-the-hand stadium showstopper is set to hit the menu at ANZ Stadium in Sydney – with a whopping 90,000 capacity – and is adaptable across both the corporate suites and general retail menus.

 

Martin prefers Sher Wagyu for his sando – an award-winning brand of wagyu based at Ballan in central Victoria. Since 1991 the Sher family have been producing full-blood and crossbred wagyu and managing all stages of the production process. Their cattle are pasture-fed until 18 months of age and then grain-fed for 400+ days.

Stadium Sher Wagyu Katsu Sando


 

Net food cost — $10.65
Sale price — $25.00

 
 
 

Ingredients

 

150g Sher Wagyu Rib Eye Roll MS8
2 slices white bread
½ cup tare sauce
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1-2 tbs water
1 cup fresh panko breadcrumbs
Sea salt

Your steak should be about the same size as your bread

Trim the ribeye roll into a 2cm thick, 12x12cm square portion – or roughly the size of the bread.
 
Whisk together eggs and water in a mixing bowl. Prepare bowls of flour and panko ready for breading.
 
Season steak with sea salt then dip in flour, egg and then breadcrumbs.
 
Preheat a fryer to 180°c then fry the steak for 2 minutes and 20 seconds. Remove and test using a digital thermometer – ideally, the internal temperature should be 52°c.
 
Rest the steak for 6 minutes on a rack in a warm place while you prepare your other ingredients.

Crumbing the steak for the Stadium Sando

Pan fry bread slices on one side until golden brown then brush the tare sauce on the untoasted side of the bread. Place the rested steak on the sauced bread and close the sando.
 
Using a serrated knife, cut the sando into halves or four squares and serve with furikake-dusted, hand-cut fries, a Yamazaki Whisky-infused dill pickle and pickled daikon.

At ANZ Stadium, the sando will be served in wooden boxes for corporates and a similar shaped cardboard box at retail

 
 

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.

Next Issue

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Next Issue

 
 

Issue 21 drops January 2023 – new year, new you?

 
Rest assured we’ll still be here bringing you all the best red meat goodness from paddock to plate.
 
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Issue 20 drops October 2022 – just in time for silly season and packed with all things festive and fun.

 
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Issue 19 will be making its way to a device near you in July 2022.

 
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Issue 18 will be making its way to a device near you in April 2022.

 
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Issue 17 drops January and will share the love of LAMB from paddock to plate.

 
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Issue 16 drops October and will focus on one of our all time favourite pastimes – the pub.

 
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Issue 15 is in the works and will be ready for your viewing pleasure July 2021!

 
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Issue 14 will hit your screens in April 2021.

 
What will we think of next?!

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Issue 13 will hit your screens in January 2021; celebrating women through the Australian red meat supply chain from farmers to front of house, chefs to butchers and more.

Guest Chef Profile

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Duncan Welgemoed is a rambunctious character with a reputation that not only precedes him; it practically rolls out its own carpet to herald his arrival. His larger than life attitude, penchant for expletives and insatiable appetite to party may be his MO – but there is more, much more, to the man himself.

Duncan finishing a beef dish on the pass

He is an individual, an artist and a curator of his own culinary narrative. He doesn’t follow the rules, he pushes boundaries until they break while meticulously paving his own way and sharing the journey through his food. This is Duncan Welgemoed’s world; we are just living in it.

His venue Africola is a contemporary African restaurant in Adelaide – and an exceptional one at that. But to Duncan, Africola is his living room, a reflection of himself and that is how he likes to treat it.

“Africola is a personification of my childhood and where my head is at – so basically it’s just a wild party restaurant, there aren’t really any rules apart from sticking to an African storyline and having a bunch of fun.”

Duncan started his career in Johannesburg. His father was a chef and restauranteur and Duncan drew a lot of his passion for food from him – but also from his ‘second mother’ who gave him a broader sense of belonging in the African food that she cooked and what she taught him about African cuisine.

He left South Africa at 17 to hone his craft, working at a number of London’s Michelin starred establishments and essentially discovering that it was not what he wanted as a career.

“Working at this particular level in London under Michelin stars, violent chefs and old school culinary tradition mainly showed me it was not what I wanted to do. I wanted to create a place to showcase what I thought about food and ingredients in an environment that personified what I was about. So, that’s what I did and that’s what Africola is – loud and gregarious, with strong flavours and a party atmosphere. We just want to show people a really, really good time.”

So Africola is the party and Duncan is the rock star. What about the food?

“We put red meat on a pedestal, sourcing the best of the best and building relationships with our producers.”

Sirloin & Salt

“At Africola we explore certain regions of the African continent for a menu that changes every single day. We started four years ago with Southern African, which was very protein based and used a lot of open fire cookery. Where we are now is more North African where we concentrate smoke within our proteins and feature a lot more grains and vegetables.”

“We put red meat on a pedestal sourcing the best of the best and building relationships with our producers so we really understand where it comes from and how it is produced. This is important for us because we respect that story in our preparation of the product and the customer can connect with that story in the quality dining experience they have. It’s actual paddock to plate.”

When it comes to beef specifically, Duncan is a chef who is not afraid to explore using the whole carcase.

“In African culture every scrap of meat is revered – you’re feeding large communities, meat is expensive and therefore every inch, every bone, every cartilage and sinew is highly praised and regarded, we try to do the same at Africola.”

“We used to and sometimes still do serve a whole cow’s head which is actually incredibly difficult to acquire. The head is smothered with embers, buried and then cooked very slowly overnight. The cheeks and palette are removed and seasoned and the dish is served with maize, chilli and tomato.”

“Then at Rootstock we did a whole bloody cow – it took us almost 48 hours to cook. We put a whole carcase in a massive cage with a rotating forklift over fire barrels. Then we used various levels of heat from the different fire pits, moving them around and rotating the carcase until every piece was cooked to perfection.”

Roast sirloin with greens & anchovy sauce, finished with grated dried skipjack tuna

“In South Australia, there is an undercurrent and underbelly of real creatives in art, music, food and winemaking.”

Head chef Imogen Czulowski

Back at Africola, when it comes to menu planning for winter, there is a little less theatre but no less thought and precision going in to the beef dishes and it’s all about the customer experience.

“Half our restaurant is outside so it is completely dictated by the seasons. We use more braising cuts in winter – like short rib and brisket. Whether in a broth format or slow cooked in the wood oven, that’s what people expect in winter, something warming more satisfying and slightly richer cuts that they can tuck in to.”

Outside of the restaurant, Duncan’s fingers are jammed in many proverbial pies with a swathe of projects and activities, festivals and events, pop up dinners and collaborations and he is currently writing a book. Somehow, he still manages to find time to give back to the industry in which he has found success and the state in which he has found his place.

“In South Australia, there is an undercurrent and underbelly of real creatives in art, music, food and winemaking that I have always tried to showcase and put on a platform against the Eastern states because I think the culture that we have here is a lot stronger and more deep-rooted. We’re not doing things to jump on any trends; we’re doing it to cultivate our own South Australian style.”

“I’m also involved in a program called Appetite for Excellence which is the mentoring of young hospitality professionals. We try to encourage young people into the industry and then the ones that really shine we try and mentor, to give them opportunities and exposure they wouldn’t usually have access to; to nurture their success and ensure our industry continues to prosper in the future.”

Paddock Story

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Wagyu
Our
Way

Duncan with Sarah, Fred & Harry Hughes at Tumbar Station

We took Duncan out of the kitchen, on two planes and a three-hour drive, to the centre of Queensland to meet the Hughes family and learn more about their journey into organic Wagyu production.

Big skies and wide open spaces at Tumbar Station in central QLD

Fred enjoying a well deserved beer at sunset

Size Matters

 

Fred and Sarah Hughes are fifth generation beef producers and part of Australian family owned and operated sister companies Hughes Pastoral and Georgina Pastoral – managing approximately 130,000 head of cattle across 6.5 million acres of land.

Currently, Fred and Sarah are located at Tumbar, a 170,000-acre station three hours west of Emerald in Central Queensland. The vast, beautiful landscape consists of highly productive soils on which their focus is primarily backgrounding Wagyu steers. Essentially, backgrounding is a growing program preparing cattle for entry into a feedlot.

Prior to taking up post at Tumbar in August 2017, the couple managed Lake Nash Station in the Northern Territory for five years. Another property in the family’s portfolio, Lake Nash weighs in at 4.2 million acres, more than double the area of the greater Sydney basin, and is the largest cattle station in Australia.

Across their stable of cattle properties, the Hughes family is in the process of transitioning to a purebred Wagyu heard as well as converting land to organic production.

 

 

 

 

Why Wagyu?

 

The Hughes family have had an interest in Wagyu since 1992 and now have one of the largest herds of purebred Wagyu in the world.

Wagyu is a Japanese breed of cattle renowned for its highly marbled meat and whilst any breed of cattle will produce marbled meat if grain-fed for a long enough period – genetically the Wagyu carcase has a higher potential to marble, including through the secondary cuts.

To produce the characteristically high and consistent levels of marbling, traditionally Wagyu cattle are fed a grain-based diet for 300+ days. However, Fred and Sarah believe that Wagyu can also produce spectacular marbling when raised purely in a grass-fed environment.

“We think it is a more accessible style of Wagyu and there is no one currently producing organic grass-fed Wagyu at scale.”

Mustering at Tumbar – cattle are herded together initially using a helicopter then guided into the yards with horses

“Every day here at home we eat this beautiful organic grass-fed Wagyu with exceptional marbling and it’s just this amazing melt in your mouth beef with this incredible earthy grass-fed flavour,” Fred said.

Their vision is to be a leading producer of sought after, superior quality Wagyu and organic Wagyu with the capacity to satisfy premium niche markets both nationally and internationally.

“We think it is a more accessible style of Wagyu and there is no one currently producing organic grass-fed Wagyu at scale – but it’s not without its challenges. Specifically, the ability to consistently generate the same level of marbling as the grain-fed product,” Fred said.

Sarah, who recently completed a research paper on grass-fed Wagyu production, believes that advancements in agri-technology are a key part to ensuring a consistently excellent grass-fed product.

“There’s so many exciting innovations in technology that are helping us to drive productivity while delivering a consistently excellent grass-fed Wagyu product. We are currently developing a custom genomic test that predicts carcase traits and identifies the animals with the best genetic potential to marble specific to our environmental conditions,” she said.

“We are also running supplementary feeding trials which utilise walk over weighing technology to auto-draft steers from the same paddock onto different feed regimes. This allows us to compare the cost versus benefit of different supplementary feed regimes within a set pasture condition,” Fred added.

 

The Taste Test

 

Not only are Fred and Sarah producing outstanding Australian beef, but Fred is also a bit of a gun in the kitchen. On our first night at Tumbar, Fred fired up the pans and we had the privilege of trying some Tumbar grass-fed Wagyu for ourselves.

Now if Duncan’s opinion is anything to go by, and we think that it is, then Fred and Sarah are well and truly on to something special.

“For me, this is the best of both worlds – it has the flavour of a grass-fed product but the texture and mouth feel of highly marbled Wagyu. To be fair, it’s probably the best bloody steak I’ve ever eaten, hands down,” he said.

Tumbar Grassfed Wagyu Scotch Fillet

Waygu steers at Tumbar

Sarah Hughes
– Flying High

 

 

Diligently paving her way in the Australian beef industry with a killer smile on the outside and a steely determination on the inside – Sarah Hughes may be a reluctant star but she is most certainly a bright one.

Growing up on her family’s 50,000-acre cattle property north of Cloncurry in northwest Queensland, Sarah was literally born into beef. Her childhood was an adventure, from school lessons via radio to free time spent on the back of a horse mustering cattle. She spent time away to attend boarding school and university as well as extensively travelling abroad – but the allure of the wide-open plains never dimmed.

Sarah met fifth generation cattle producer Fred Hughes in 2009 at the industry’s national beef expo, Beef Australia in Rockhampton – which also happens to be the beef capital of Australia. The couple married and went on to manage Australia’s largest cattle station, Lake Nash. So yes, it is fair to say that Sarah Hughes has beef well and truly in her blood.

In 2014, Sarah completed her pilot’s licence and in 2016, she was awarded a prestigious Nuffield Scholarship while she and Fred also celebrated the arrival of their son Harry.

Nuffield is an agricultural program that allows Australian farmers to study and increase practical farming knowledge and management techniques. Sarah’s research focused on the opportunities for unconventional Wagyu in luxury beef niches – exploring overseas production, breed traits and genetics in New Zealand, Japan and the USA.

“My Nuffield study has helped me to gain a much deeper insight into beef production and marketing around the world; knowledge is power and I have gained greater confidence throughout the process,” she said.

Her study and the practical experience of being a part of managing one of the world’s largest purebred Wagyu herds is helping to inform business decisions that ultimately improve productivity and generate a more consistent product.

Despite her impressive achievements across aviation, business, study and family – Sarah maintains that she is not unique in this regard and that it is simply indicative of life on the land.

“Women on the land have always juggled different roles and responsibilities. I am lucky because I get to work from home doing what I know and love. Life is about having a crack while we’re young and making the most of the wonderful opportunities that come our way.”

Up Front

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Up
Front

Nikki Friedli

Chief of Hepi Time
— Africola

The Africola FOH team seamlessly work the bar and the floor in one of the busiest restaurants in the country – they also seem to be having a great time doing it. What makes your team tick?

 

When it comes to service the emphasis has always been more on engaging with people and less on the fineries of service. The vibe of Africola is a fun one that isn’t glued to the rules of the old school, so service for us tends to be an incredibly fun (albeit highly pressurised) six hours where we get to be the best versions of ourselves and make someone else’s night special. Sometimes it can be chaotic and stressful, but I’m glad that from the outside it looks seamless and like we’re all enjoying ourselves!

The passion for produce is evident at Africola – how important are your supplier relationships and how do you foster them?

 

Supplier relationships are vital. You can have as many certifications and standards and awards to keep things is check as you like, but what makes all the difference between great and poor produce is supporting your producers. With support comes trust and with trust comes very no-bullshit information on how they’re actually treating their product be it meats or vegetables. We’ve visited loads of our producers around SA; we find the best way to engage staff is for them to actually see the products they’re using and meet the people behind it.

I think producers get forgotten about a lot. There’s a lot of talk about sommeliers and chefs and restaurants but little chatter about grape growers or beef farmers. We make sure that when they get the rare opportunity to visit the restaurant that they’re given the extra love and attention they deserve.

What advice would you give to young waiters or waitresses pursuing a FOH career?

 

Be prepared to be invisible, smash glass ceilings and work harder than the rest. The attitude in Australia still is mostly that being a waiter is something you do to get through uni until you go onto your “real job”. I’m now a partner in the restaurant and I get asked almost daily what I’m studying or what my next career move is. Don’t let that push you away or throw you off. What you’re doing is an art. Kick arse, take names, make more money than the kids who studied engineering or law, and hold your head high.

My other piece of advice would be to challenge yourself on your own time. If you want to be different and make a mark, you can’t expect your employer or this industry to spoon feed you. Go outside and grab whatever information takes your fancy. It’s your responsibility to hone your craft and make the restaurant your at better than it is. Remember that it’s always about the restaurant and never about the individual.

The Africola menu is a moving, changing beast – how do FOH and BOH work together on menu development and training?

 

It’s a pretty haphazard process at times. Everything at Africola is a pretty organic process and sometimes organics are messy. We make sure that staff are briefed before each service about any new changes and encourage everyone to taste everything all the time. We take on board what everyone in the team has to say about a dish and always consider it. FOH have to know exactly what the ethos and flavour profiles are of a dish or they’re going to have a hard time recommending anyone a wine. It’s a symbiotic process.

How has beef evolved as a menu item at Africola and do you think customer attitudes towards beef have changed?

 

Africola was considerably more meat oriented when it started. The emphasis was on whole roasted animals with an emphasis on provenance. The emphasis on provenance hasn’t changed, but the quantity of meat has. There’s a spartan romanticism to having a whole animal on a spit but the reality is there’s a lot of wastage, too. So now it’s about being even more selective about the beef that we use. It’s now treated as almost the luxury item of the menu. An accessible luxury, but it’s still the most expensive item on the menu.

The resources that go into cattle farming are huge and that’s reflected in the prices of our beef. Sustainability, both environmentally and economically for farmers, means that we as consumers have to acknowledge that there is going to be a little price bump. Moreover, animals deserve respect; especially when they’re being slaughtered to feed you. I think more and more people are becoming aware of these concepts and would prefer to try and be as responsible as possible.

Ok, it’s your last meal – what are you eating, what are you drinking and who are you with?

 

My grandfather makes the most amazing tartare, so that would definitely be on the table, it’s still one of my favourite ever meals. I’d probably be drinking some kind of salty, weirdo savignin and I’d be on the QI panel having the time of my life. For dessert, I’d like Stephen Fry to shot-gun a tinny of NT Bitter with me (which you can’t get anymore; absolute travesty!).

Cut Showcase

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Rump

 

HAM 2090

A boneless five-muscled primal derived from the hindquarter; the rump is located between the sirloin and the topside and accounts for around 3.8% of the beef carcase. Rump steak has long been a mainstay on Australian menus – renowned for its versatility and flavour – however savvy chefs know that when broken down into its individual muscles, the rump party is just getting started

Two Under Ten

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With Imogen Czulowski
and Dioni Flanagan

It’s time to turn up the heat and shake out some sass with the lady legends at Africola as they show us how to party on the plate with the rump cap for less than a tenner. Perfectly cooked, juicy beef served with a minimum of fuss but a face-full of flavour, what more could you want? Ok, a perfectly matched beverage wouldn’t go astray, so we’ve thrown a couple of those in too.

1.

Rump Cap with
harissa, charred
peppers & zhuk

 

Imogen Czulowski
Head Chef – Africola
@rag_and_bone

2017 Gentle Folk Village Pinot Noir, Scary Gully, South Australia

This pinot has a deceptive amount of guts and will stand up to a good cut of beef. Gareth and Rainbo Belton are making some of the best wines coming out of the Adelaide Hills. This is a weirdo wine that will still appease any difficult guests you might have. Have it a little chilled and it should make the beef sing.

“The rump cap is a beautiful and tender cut of beef with a generous covering of fat. I like to slice it into steaks to ensure it cooks evenly and then carve across the grain before service. It has a robust beefy flavour and the fat is quite sweet so it pairs well with some heat. I glazed the beef with harissa while on the grill then served simply with charred peppers and zhuk – a traditional Yemen paste made with green chillies, garlic, coriander and parsley.”

Ingredients

Rump cap
Harissa paste
Banana peppers
Lemon
Parsley
Coriander
Garlic
Green chillies
Salt
Olive oil

Total cost — $8.90

2.

Rump Cap with
radicchio, daikon
and spring onion

 

Dioni Flanagan
Sous Chef – Africola
@dioniflanagan

Starward Solera Cask
Single Malt Whiskey
—
On the rocks, neat, or with
a little dash of water

Starward are making some stellar whiskeys in Melbourne and deserve to be on your spirit shelf if they aren’t already. It’s got a gentle nudge of sweetness from the solera cask which mixes nicely with the smokiness of this dish. Not being heavily peated, the gutsiness of the flavours on the plate step in and flesh it out. It’s a brilliant eating whiskey.

“The rump cap is such a versatile cut; fast to prepare with a good price point from kitchen to customer. It’s really tender at various degrees of doneness – however I prefer it on the rare side of medium rare. For this dish, I used a mushroom, miso and soy marinade for a salty sweetness that compliments the full beef flavour. On the grill, the marinade caramelises and that char goes well with the accompanying flavours of bitter radicchio, pickled daikon and charred spring onion.”

Ingredients

 

Rump cap
Radicchio
Spring onions
Chardonnay vinegar
Daikon
Birdseye chilli
Star anise
Cardamom pods
Thyme
Soy sauce
Mushroom
Miso

Total — $ 9.75

On The Menu

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Beef, we all know that it is the most versatile protein and arguably the greatest meat on earth. But did you know that there are more than 70 potential cuts that can be derived from the carcase? It’s your one-stop protein party shop. Chefs are getting better at exploring life outside the loin; and whilst you really can’t go wrong with a buttertender fillet or the glory that is a rib-eye on the bone; there’s a beef cut to suit every budget, every kitchen and every occasion. Well, unless it’s a vegan’s birthday party. Here are six examples from chefs around the country – from an elite sensory experience to the comfort of classic steak frites and everything in between – beef has got you covered.

Smoked Brisket Doughnuts

 

Smoke — Barangaroo House
Cory Campbell

A traditional dish in Denmark, æbleskivers are pancake balls stuffed with apple, dusted with icing sugar and served with berry jam. When Cory worked at Noma, the æbleskivers featured a little Noma twist – playing on the savoury side instead of sweet. At Smoke, the concept has evolved again. Brisket is braised in light chicken stock with aromatic vegetables until meltingly tender then strained and the liquid reduced to a glaze. Shallots are sweated off in butter then the brisket is caramelised slightly then the glaze mixed through. The brisket is then cold smoked before a final seasoning with apple vinegar, lemon and salt – the result is rich, juicy and fresh with a hint of smoke. The beef is portioned for service then stuffed into doughnuts and freshly fried to order. Served with a green tomato jam and washed down with a Diplomatico old fashioned.

Spider Steak Frites

 

Hey Jupiter
Carlos Astudillo

This juicy little steak can be difficult to come by because there are only two per carcase. Located inside the hip on the aitchbone, it is a small semi-circular shaped muscle that is rippled with prominent marbling that resembles a cobweb – hence the name. Also known as the Pope’s Eye, it is a delicately tender cut with a full beef flavour. Hey Jupiter allows this flavoursome steak to do the talking, keeping it simple and serving it up classic French bistro style with crispy frites and a sauce béarnaise. Break out the Beaujolais and enjoy the rich satisfaction of the simple things done well.

Whole Hanger Steak

 

Bert’s Bar and Brasserie
Jordan Toft

Also known as onglet or thick skirt, this cut hangs from the last rib, attached to the diaphragm, hence the name hanger. The hanger has a long membrane that runs through the centre, which is usually removed, resulting in two long narrow strips of meat. At Bert’s, the hanger is roasted whole over iron bark coals and bay leave stalks with the membrane left intact until beautifully medium rare, then rested on a bed of bay leaves. For service, meat is sliced from either side and arranged around the membrane in a similar fashion to a T Bone and finished simply with a light veal jus, olive oil and lemon. Designed for sharing, the dish is served in a cast iron pan with a small bunch of smoking bay leaves – the perfect combination of theatre, thought, technique – and deliciously tender, full flavoured beef.

Wagyu Rump Cap

 

McGill Estate
Scott Huggins

 

For Duncan, the beef and wine paring at McGill Estate is a sensory experience of the highest level. “Wine for chefs is always kind of out of the peripheral but it’s actually a really interesting seasoning to beef and I don’t think there is a chef in Australia that is doing this as well as Scott. When you have a wine like the 2010 Penfold’s Grange matched with a piece of Mayura Station Wagyu beef, in my mind it makes one dish. It has all the characteristics of the acid, the richness, it cuts though the fat and together it makes a complete dish. These are two South Australian products at the very, very highest level and it’s so serendipitous that they work together so perfectly.

Wagyu Tongue Sandwich

 

Monster Kitchen and Bar
Sean McConnell

Being situated within a hotel, Sean says the motivation for this dish comes from the concept of the classic club sandwich. He has always liked to play on the idea without actually ever putting one on – instead pushing his diners a little out of their comfort zone with something familiar but at the same time a bit challenging. The tongue is poached for three hours in a classic stock with heavy spices and aromatics, then peeled and cooled overnight in the poaching liquid. Sliced and grilled to order, the tongue is sandwiched between two lightly grilled discs of house-made milk bun loaf with a sauce gribiche and house-made mustard. Voted by Gourmet Traveller as one of Australia’s top 20 sandwiches, this tasty little sandwich has tongues wagging, and for good reason.

Soy Marinated Intercostals

 

Restaurant Shik
Peter Jo

Shik is the first permanent home for Peter Jo (Kimchi Pete) where the self-taught chef is having some fun with traditional flavours and techniques and serving up his take on contemporary Korean cuisine. Pete says Korean food is super simple – contrasting fresh quality produce with traditional Korean flavours and ferments; where dishes are designed to share and it’s just about getting in and having a good time. He favours non-loin cuts for their flavour and texture and their ability to hold up to fermented flavours. For this dish, intercostals are steeped in a traditional soy marinade then sous vide for 12 hours to break down the sinews, and then finished on the grill. Texturally crisp outside and delicately tender inside, the beef is served with leaves and a range of house-made condiments including kimchi, pickles and ssamjang. Wrap, smash, repeat – and wash down with some artisan soju.