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Roadies

Geelong to Sydney

With Mike Eggert

Aussies love their lamb and we also love a road trip – we kind of have to, we inhabit the largest island in the world – accounting for 5% of its total land area.

So, we thought we’d combine the two and go on an epic lamb road trip from Geelong to Sydney through some of Australia’s lamb producing heartland.

Mike was in Geelong for a pop up at The Hot C****** Project (editor note – no chicken allowed) and so our journey began there and ended three days later in Sydney.

We travelled 1,346km and sampled eleven lamb dishes at nine different venues – all decidedly different and all delectably delicious.

Winding our way across the countryside, we had the “tough job” of sampling some of the country’s finest at local restaurants, bakeries, bars, pubs and cafes along the way.

It was one epic adventure jam-packed with lamb and lots of laughs – and what road trip is complete without some cheesy tourist stops?!

We hope you enjoy the Roadies journey as much as we did.

Moroccan Lamb Sausage Roll

That Place Patisserie, Geelong VIC

Lamb Shawarma

Sam’s Cafe, Geelong VIC

Braised Lamb Shanks & Mash

The Farmers Arms Hotel, Daylesford VIC

Lamb & Shiraz Pie

Tooborac Pies, Tooborac VIC

Lamb Tasting Plate – Chipolatas, Rissoles, Cutlet & Backstrap

Kinross Woolshed, Albury NSW

Lamb & Mint Pie

Jack’s Store, Corryong VIC

Lamb & Haloumi Burger with Jalapeno Pickle

Lake Crackenback Resort, Crackenback NSW

Lamb Shoulder, Risoni & Barley Stew

Lake Crackenback Resort, Crackenback NSW

Lamb Omelette

Cooma Cafe and Turkish Kebab & Pizza, Cooma NSW

Grilled Sweet & Sour Lamb Ribs with Puffed Buckwheat

Kokomos, Canberra ACT

Wood Roasted Lamb Shoulder with Pineapple Mustard & White Soy

Kokomos, Canberra ACT

Editors’ Letters

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Editors’
Letters

Mary-Jane
Morse

Welcome to the second issue of Rare Medium’s seasonal emagazine and a very special welcome to the wonderful world of beef. I am writing this note on International Women’s Day and what a perfect opportunity to acknowledge the exceptional female talent across both the foodservice and beef industries.

Inadvertently, this issue features several extraordinary women – not because we sat down and said ‘let’s make a female focussed issue’ but because naturally, they are leaders, they are inspiring and they have fearlessly paved their way in two industries traditionally dominated by men.

This issue also highlights the importance of more intricately understanding the logistics and challenges on both sides of the supply chain. Travelling with Duncan to experience grass-fed Australian Wagyu production on a 170,000-acre cattle station and to facilitate this essential knowledge exchange between chef and producer was a pivotal moment for me.

As the days get shorter and the nights get colder, we look at Australian beef in all its glory – from the dusty droves of western Queensland Wagyu to the street food of Singapore; the burgeoning underbelly of Adelaide’s food scene and its original party palace Africola; and a whole lip-smacking, taste-tingling, rump-shaking lot more.

Enjoy the party.

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

Duncan
Welgemoed

I have always been an avid believer in knowing your produce and making a concerted effort to understand how it has been produced. To me there is no compromising on this – it’s an essential part of our ethos at Africola. Not everyone gets the chance to visit a remote outback cattle station but for me, getting out to Tumbar was an exceptional experience that was at once humbling and inspiring. Seeing the passion and dedication that producers like Fred and Sarah are putting into Australian beef production, to consistently deliver a better quality product, to be more efficient and more productive in the most natural way possible, was a real eye opener for me.

Australian beef is the best in the world and as chefs and consumers we are incredibly lucky – its versatility is unparalleled and the potential to innovate is endless. It is the centrepiece of any menu and something to be revered from paddock to plate.

As chefs we are always learning, so take the time to explore this issue; peppered throughout the pages are some incredible ideas and information to inspire and educate you.

Duncan Welgemoed
Chef Owner
Africola
@afropunkoz

Editors’ Letters

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Editor’s
Letter

Welcome to the first issue of Rare Medium’s new seasonal emagazine – Autumn Lamb 2018.

Designed to inform and inspire the foodservice industry about Australian beef and lamb from paddock to plate, each issue will focus on a specific protein and be co-edited with a different chef.

Stepping out of the kitchen and up to the plate for our debut issue we are honoured to have Dave Verheul from Embla and The Town Mouse in Melbourne.

When asked why I chose Dave as my first co-chef-editor; it is obvious to say because he is an exceptionally talented chef. His acutely measured, yet seemingly simple approach to food articulates our proteins beautifully and his wood fire cooking is a match made in culinary heaven. And that’s all perfectly pertinent. But in truth, a big part of bringing Dave on board was because of his steadfast sense of self; a unique authenticity that doesn’t waver.

Driven by a respect for produce and a keen desire to understand where that produce comes from – Dave has helped me to shape an honest, insightful and hopefully inspiring expose of Australian lamb in the pages that follow.

Really though, I just wanted him to admit Australian lamb has got it all over his NZ mates across the ditch.

As an industry, Australian red meat is continuing to innovate and evolve with a dedicated commitment to quality, integrity and ethically and environmentally sustainable production systems – we look forward to sharing these stories with you in this and future issues.

I hope you enjoy the debut issue and find something within its pages that inspires you, enlightens you or at the very least, challenges the way you think about Australian lamb.

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

Chef
Editor’s
Letter

When MJ asked me to co-edit the first issue of the new Rare Medium emagazine with her back in August, I didn’t know what I was getting myself in to – and at that point I really don’t think she did either. But now here we are and I’m quietly stoked that she asked me to be a part of it.

It’s been both an experience and a lot of fun but what I’ve enjoyed most about the whole process is getting to see a side of the industry that I most likely otherwise wouldn’t. Our trip to Black Springs was an eye opener for a lot of reasons – that don’t include MJ’s ‘questionable’ singing on a six-hour car trip. Seeing the science and innovation going in to Australian lamb and how that’s enhancing eating quality and welfare gave me an even greater respect for the intricacies of what’s happening on farm and how that affects what we put on the plate. Seeing firsthand how some farmers are addressing the sustainability and welfare concerns of myself and our customers gave me confidence that we are getting on the right track in this regard in Australia.

The chance to feature some epic lamb dishes being served up by some of my favourite chefs in the On the Menu section and also to throw the spotlight on my team to highlight the great work they do day in day out is something I really appreciate.

Hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed helping put it together.

Dave Verheul
Chef-Owner
Embla and The Town Mouse
@daveverheul

Cut Two Ways

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VEAL TWO WAYS

Words: Mary-Jane Morse. Photography: Jason Loucas

In Australia, veal is classified as a bovine with no evidence of adult front teeth. Cattle generally start to grow their adult teeth from about 12 months – so veal is usually from cattle up to 12 months of age.

The veal carcase weight starts at 70kg and must not exceed 150kg. Because it is derived from young cattle, veal is very lean and tender with less fat cover and connective tissue than beef.

Veal has a sweet and delicate flavour and is a versatile protein in the kitchen. Here, two chefs take on the Veal Two Ways challenge – the classic veal schnitzel gets a glow up and an epic veal-chetta ups the roast game.

Keeping with our pub theme – our chefs hail from two Sydney stalwarts – Totti’s at The Royal Hotel in Bondi and the newly refurbished Norfolk House & Hotel in Redfern.

CHEF ONE

Mike Eggert

Totti’s at The Royal

Veal Katsu with shiso and blood orange

Mike is no stranger to an excellent veal schnitzel. The Totti’s executive chef says it is one of their most popular menu items – which is a big deal if you’ve ever eaten at Totti’s.

“Veal is such a cool product, it’s got a really clean flavour and is super tender. The veal industry in Australia has come a long way and they’re doing a really good job.”

For this dish, Mike puts a spin on an Italian classic – taking veal schnitzel to the next level with a thick cut sirloin in a flavourful crumb and served with simple seasonal accompaniments.

Flour, egg wash, flavoured panko crumbs.

Cooking katsu in a cast iron pan for maximum caramelisation.

Rest then slice.

Acid and herbs to contrast with the rich katsu.

The sirloin is crumbed with traditional Japanese panko which give a crispier crust than standard breadcrumbs. The panko crumbs are flavoured with sesame and nigella seeds for an added depth of flavour. Mike says you can also add hard green herbs such as rosemary, thyme or oregano to give it some fragrance.

The sirloin is cooked with a little bit of oil in a heavy based skillet on a medium heat. Just like cooking a steak, it is important to ensure the breadcrumbs are nicely caramelised to maximise flavour.

To contrast the rich deliciousness of the katsu, Mike recommends an accompaniment of herb and acid based flavours. Here he serves it with blood orange and Japanese shiso.

“Shiso is basically the basil of Japan and goes perfectly with this dish while the in season blood oranges give a balanced sweet and acidic finish.”

CHEF TWO

Sam Bull

The Norfolk House & Hotel

Veal-chetta with parsnip puree and jus

Group Chef of hospitality group The People – Sam Bull knows his way around a pub kitchen or two. Popular inner suburban pub, The Norfolk, has been eagerly waiting on Covid restrictions to lift to blow the lid off its brand new refurb. With a new name, The Norfolk House & Hotel, that nods to its boutique accommodation, and a brand new $25,000 16-spit roast barbecue in the outdoor courtyard, Redfern has a brand new backyard playground just in time for summer.

Bull’s menu takes inspiration from family backyard barbecues with quality meat, seafood and veggies all getting a lick of the flame. The Sunday Spit Roast is a key menu feature with classics like lamb leg and rump cap and specials like this rolled veal roast – a riff on porchetta and aptly named veal-chetta.

“Veal is a really nice lean, clean flavoured product that just melts in your mouth. It provides a lighter option of meat which I think a lot of people are looking for these days. One of my favourite dishes is veal liver, caramelised onion and fennel compote – it’s so simple but so good.”

Scoring the skin of the veal short loin.

Sautéing stuffing of breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, celery, sage, guanciale, currants, butter.

Stuffing spread across the inside of the veal.

The veal is rolled and tied.

Veal-chetta in all its glory.

Steamy slices.

Veal-chetta, parsnip puree and jus. That's how we do.

Sam wanted a cut that could ‘cut it’ on his Sunday Spit Roast menu and so worked with NCMC’s David Carew to create this veal-chetta masterpiece using the veal short cut loin with the belly attached.

“Pork is just too rich for me and lots of people can’t eat it for a variety of reasons. The idea for a veal-chetta stemmed from this and the fact that veal has similar characteristics of a lean, light meat that still gives you that crispy crackle.”

Sam made a stuffing of breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, celery, sage, pancetta and currants sauteed in butter then spread across the inner side of the veal. The skin was scored porchetta style then it was stuffed, rolled, tied, rubbed with lemon and salt for extra crispiness, roasted to perfection and served simply with parsnip puree and jus.

The veal-chetta passed the vibe check and will be joining the Sunday Spit Roast lineup where it will be cooked on the rotisserie over lava rocks for about two hours. Here, it was done in the oven at 140 for two hours then finished for an hour at 220 to crisp up and get the crackle effect.

What’s Good in the Hood

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Each issue we explore a new neighbourhood with Myffy Rigby for the best eats and treats in the local community.

CHATSWOOD NSW

Whilst overseas travel may currently seem like a long lost luxury – and even interstate travel can be thrown off kilter at a moment’s notice – the good news is that there are plenty of suburbs bursting with flavours from around the world right here in our own backyard.

15 minutes north of Sydney’s CBD is Chatswood – a bustling retail district built around the train station and main thoroughfare of Victoria Avenue. With multiple shopping centres – including a mammoth Westfield; commercial developments, high rise business and residential towers – the food options in Chatswood are multiple and diverse.

Myffy hits the streets of Chatswood to find What’s Good in the Hood.

A suburb greatly influenced by an influx of Chinese immigration during the 1980-1990s, the most common ancestry in Chatswood is Chinese while 73 percent of the population had both parents born overseas.

When it comes to food in the area you can expect a bountiful range of authentic options including Cantonese, Taiwanese, Northern and Western Chinese and Hong Kong alongside Korean, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Malaysian and more. And you’ll find it in all manner of executions – from high end diners to mall markets, food courts, street stalls and back alley hole in the walls.

Chatswood is brimming with an incredible array of cuisines.

We took an adventure through a maze of punchy aromas, hand pulled noodles, wok fried wonders and high end haute to sample but a handful of Chatswood’s culinary offerings.

Here’s What’s Good in the Chatswood Hood.

1919 LANZHOU BEEF NOODLE

In a tiny unassuming food court under the train station you’ll find a hole in the wall noodle shop churning out up to 800 bowls of noodles a day – and it’s no surprise with handmade noodles stretched to order and a secret soup recipe devised over 100 years ago. Excellent chewy noodles, aromatic soup, tender beef and house-made chilli oil – what’s not to love?!

Lanzhou Beef Noodle’s secret soup recipe originated in 1919.

Lanzhou noodles come in seven varieties from thinnest to prisim and are all handmade to order.

Lanzhou Signature Handmade Beef Noodle Soup.

Myffy navigating her way around a bowl of Lanzhou's Handmade Beef Noodle Soup.

BANH AND BOBA

Dedicated to creating the best modern banh mi and boba tea while maintaining a traditional touch – Banh and Boba cleverly infuses cuisines and flavours with a focus on natural ingredients and making from scratch. House baked bread is the crunchy vessel for a range of banh mi options like Bulgogi Beef – marinated in-house using grandma’s secret recipe and cooked fresh to order.

Myffy chats with Banh and Boba owner Isabella.

The Bulgogi Beef Banh Mi at Banh and Boba.

The special mix for the Bulgogi Beef Banh Mi.

HAIDILAO HOT POT

If robot servers, complimentary manicures and noodle dancers aren’t enough – fortunately Haidilao Hot Pot can back up the theatrics with a quality hot pot experience. Start by choosing up to four hot pot soup bases then go wild with an array of meats from premium marbled wagyu to tongue, tripes and marinated lamb – and don’t forget the Laopai dancing noodle live performance – at Haidilao Hot Pot it’s all about playing with your food.

An epic hot pot selection with beef tongue, wagyu, lamb breast, mixed mushrooms and greens.

Delicate curls of lamb shoulder at Haidilao Hot Pot.

Haidilao Hot Pot offers a selction of premium meats, DIY sauces and plenty of entertainment.

Premium Australian Wagyu perfect for dipping in the hot pot.

AMAH

Meaning ‘grandmother’ in Teochew and Hokkien, Amah is the latest offering from the Ho Jiak group with head chef Hun Loong and executive chef Junda Khoo bringing a sophisticated take on Malaysian cooking to Chatswood. A huge space located in the District Dining precinct above Chatswood train station, Amah is centred around an exposed central kitchen serving dishes inspired by the recipes of Loong’s late grandmother.

A firey slow braised wagyu rendang.

Junda Khoo at his new venue Amah in Chatswood.

Chargrilled wagyu satay skewers with peanut sauce.

Decadent red braised beef short ribs.

CHINA CHILLI

Just across the way from Amah, you’ll find China Chilli – a fiery journey for your tastebuds straight to the unique flavours of China’s Sichuan province. Here you’re hit with bold and spicy flavours from a liberal use of garlic, chilli and sichuan pepper – play it safe with crowd favourites like the spicy lamb ribs or push yourself and find new favourites like the beef tripe and tongue in chilli sauce.

Beef tripe and tongue in chilli sauce.

Chef prepares the spicy lamb ribs.

Myffy fishing out the honeycomb tripe.

Spicy lamb ribs - a popular dish at China Chilli.

KURO SAKURA

Just out of the hustle and bustle of the main drag you’ll find Kuro Sakura – a side street haven serving up authentic Japanese BBQ – yakiniku. With premium wagyu specifically sourced and prepared for yakiniku – at Kuro Sakura you get the real deal nose-to-tail experience from skirt steak and oyster blade to wagyu tongue and intestines and everything in between.

A selection of yakiniku beef cuts.

Carefully prepared premium Australian wagyu cuts.

Myffy getting the low down on how and when to turn the tongue.

Outside skirt prepared for yakiniku.

What’s Good in the Hood

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Each issue we explore a new neighbourhood with Myffy Rigby for the best eats and treats in the local community.

NSW SOUTH COAST

Record rainfall events and flooding across NSW couldn’t dampen our spirits as we set off to explore the best eats on the NSW South Coast.

Our adventure started in Merimbula, about six hours drive south of Sydney, and meandered back up the coast to our final destination in Wollongong with warm hospitality, welcoming people and exceptionally good food greeting us the whole way.

Myffy discovered ‘arguably one of the best hamburgers in Australia’ coming out of a cute little caravan kitchen in Merimbula, the ‘beautiful Valentina with its excellent steak and brilliant oysters’, ‘an incredible pasta pop-up’, ‘the holy grail of snails’ and much more.

Here’s what’s good on the NSW South Coast.

Myffy acting natural on a stretch of NSW’s beautiful South Coast.

DULCIE’S COTTAGE

A weatherboard watering hole with an open fire-place, cocktails, craft beers and Dan Pepperell designed burgers flying off the grill from a 1950s caravan turned tiny kitchen. The kind of place you won’t want to leave in a hurry.

The tiny caravan kitchen at Dulcie's Cottage churns out up to 600 burgers a day.

Brisket, chuck and rump make up the juicy Dulcie's Burger pattie.

Building what Myffy says is arguably one of the best hamburgers in Australia.

The Dan Pepperell designed Dulcie's Burger in all its glory.

Myffy with Dulcie's owners Diane and Kirsty.

VALENTINA

Lose yourself in the romance of draped linen, neutral tones, natural wines and exquisite dishes at the whimsical waterside wonder that is Valentina. Be seduced by the scene as you fall a little bit in love with everything – this is coastal hospitality at its absolute finest.

Valentina brings a little something special to the Merimbula dining scene.

Head chef Janina Allende on the pass at Valentina.

Flank steak with anchovy butter on the menu at Valentina.

The ultimate surf and turf.

HONORBREAD

Tim and Honor Northam’s passion project, now a purpose built space baking delicious sourdough goods for locals and tourists alike from their charming storefront – and spreading the artisan love with wholesale across the region.

Myffy with Honor Northam outside Honorbread in Bermagui.

Honor learnt to bake bread at her restaurant on Lord Howe Island.

Tim Northam in the bakery.

Delicious baked goods including the holy grail of snails.

HAYDEN’S PIES

A discarded, half-eaten pie on the fence outside the Marlin Hotel in Ulladulla was the inspiration for Hayden and his Dad to open a local pie shop. With lines down the street and around the corner, they now sell up to 3,000 pies a day – and not a half-eaten pie in sight.

Hayden's favourite pie - beef, lamb's fry and bacon.

From 50 pies a day, Hayden's now sells up to 3,000 pies a day with lines around the block.

Myffy and Hayden enjoying a pie - the quintessential road trip snack.

The menu at Hayden's is always changing with daily specials alongside crowd favourites.

PONTE BAR & DINING

Under the bridge on the Southern bank of the Shoalhaven river at Nowra, you’ll find a light, bright, waterside setting offering delicious modern Australian dining. Settle in for a long lunch or sunset drinks and dinner – you won’t be disappointed.

Head chef Thiago Menezes' Brazilian heritage shows on the menu.

Beef rump cap cooking over the Brazilian barbecue flame.

Rump cap with mushroom, polenta chips and chimichurri.

Chargrilled lamb rump with caponata and roasted vegetables.

BANGALAY DINING

Relax in coastal tranquility with technique driven plates of food focused on local and native ingredients and inspired by the coast. With the sound of the ocean washing over you, Bangalay is a feast for all your senses.

Ronnie Gorman formerly of Saint Peter now managing Bangalay Dining.

Tri tip from Martin Ridge Farm cooks over fire.

Bangalay head chef Simon Evans.

Tri Tip with Warrigal Greens and Native Pepperberry sauce.

THE BLUE SWIMMER

On a gentle sloping hillside in Gerroa you’ll find a bustling beachside venue packed with diners from daylight though dinnertime. Chef Lauren Brown turns out beautiful plates of fresh local and seasonal produce for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Harissa glazed lamb rib with cumin yoghurt and macadamia.

Chef Lauren Brown likes to showcase the abundance of local produce.

Lamb ribs are braised for 2.5 hours in masterstock then fried and tossed in harissa glaze.

A local favourite right by the water in Gerroa.

THE HILL BAR & KITCHEN

The vibes are pumping and the view is achingly stunning at this ‘something for everyone’ beauty in Gerringong. Offering lunch, dinner and bar menus featuring honest, local and sustainable food and booze, it’s everything you love about a local and a whole lot more.

Lamb backstrap with dumpling pumpkin, goats cheese and pepitas.

Myffy with The Hill owner Melissa Matters.

Lamb backstrap being prepared by head chef Kryzsztof Swiecinski.

The stunning view from the Hill Kitchen and Bar - watching the weather roll in.

AIN’T NONNA’S

Young husband and wife team Matthew and Cassandra Bugeja are inspired by your Nonna but they ain’t trying to compete with her. This is their take on homestyle Italian cooking and it ain’t bad, in fact it’s very good! Tasty plates of antipasto and pasta washed down with natural wines and craft beers – popping up at The Throsby while they look for a place to call their own.

Chef Matthew Bugeja in the tiny kitchen at Ain't Nonna's.

Myffy with Cassandra Bugeja at the Ain't Nonna's pop up.

Red Angus beef polpette with sugo and Vanella burrata.

Here for a good time not a long time.

What’s Good in the Hood

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THE MORNINGTON PENINSULA

From an outsider’s perspective, the Mornington Peninsula is a bit of a study in extremes.

From stretches of calm ocean bay (on our visit, filled with giant migrating spider crabs!) to gum-lined roads, fields of lavender, and incredible wineries equipped with enviable kitchen gardens. A place where beach shacks and motor inns neighbour towns where properties are so huge and spectacular many aren’t even listed with a price tag when they hit the market. And yet, an honest, salty coastal vibe prevails.

Here’s What’s Good in the Mornington Hood.

Myffy takes in the view at the Portsea Hotel

AUDREY’S – THE CONTINENTAL SORRENTO

1 Ocean Beach Road, Sorrento
thecontinentalsorrento.com.au/audreys

Well-known Melbourne chef Scott Pickett named his latest restaurant after his grandmother, Audrey, who inspired him to start cooking. There’s a portrait of her hanging in the main dining room, which is all decked out in muted coastal colours, with ocean views and sea breezes to match. The menu, while focused on seafood, also features a buttery, musky 9+ David Blackmore wagyu rump cap with Bordelaise sauce and pressed Hawke’s Farm potatoes.

Blackmore Wagyu rump cap at Audrey’s

Age Young Chef of the Year winner Nicholas Deligiannis is behind the menu, where you’ll also see Mornington Peninsula squid ink noodles dressed with house-made XO sauce, Shark Bay scallops with seaweed hot sauce and, as a sweet ode to Audrey herself, a vacherin of apple, Calvados and Geraldton wax.

Young Chef of the Year Nicholas Deligiannis at Audrey’s

LE CAPUCIN

Shop 1/3770 Point Nepean Road, Portsea
lecapucin.com.au

Ever wondered what sort of crazy people are up at dawn and swimming across the bay? It’s the same people, all rugged up, eating croissants and drinking cappuccinos, seated around colourful outdoor tables at this French-style Portsea cafe. A labour of love from Loïc and Kirsty Duchet, who decided on a sea change a few years ago and never looked back, they stock everything from French olive oil to terrines, pates, and take-home meals. There’s even Orangina.

Come for the coffee, stay for the pastries

But check out the pastries, warming at the counter. Their beef bourguignon pie is made in house, with layers of flaky pastry and big hunks of red-wine gravy-soaked beef, it is perfectly seasoned, and perfectly comforting. Especially after a Portsea dawn swim.

Le Capucin breakfast of champions

MONTALTO ESTATE

33 Shoreham Road, Red Hill South
montalto.com.au

Top chef Matt Wilkinson is behind the menu here at this bucolic, art-driven winery-restaurant. Much of the fresh produce is grown onsite and whatever is not grown, is sourced locally. The majority of the menu is cooked on the kitchen’s central wood-fired grill.

Montalto chef Matt Wilkinson

Maybe that’ll be the wood-fired rump cap with artichoke and salsa verde, maybe it’ll be the slow-cooked lamb leg with house-made XO sauce, made with last season’s locally foraged pine mushrooms. Order another bottle of wine, sit at one of the rustic outdoor benches and breathe in the sweet, clean air.

Wood fired lamb leg with house made XO sauce

PORTSEA HOTEL

3746 Point Nepean Road, Portsea
portseahotel.com.au

A more Tudor-style hotel on the coast of Australia, you’re unlikely to see. The views of Port Phillip Bay out of the sun-drenched, open-plan dining room are unparalleled. Established in 1876, it’s here at this beautiful old pub that you’ll find the Portsea burger.

The Portsea Burger hits the spot

A soft bun holds a juicy Cape Grim beef patty, American cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomatoes and, of course, a side of chips. There’s a whole menu of pizza, too, if that’s what blows your hair back, not to mention a very attractive-looking crab cocktail. We’ll be back for the meatballs with house-made passata.

TEDESCA

1175 Mornington-Flinders Road, Red Hill
www.tedesca.com.au/osteria-tedesca

Brigitte Hafner gives Myffy a tour of the Tedesca gardens

A labour of love from one of Victoria’s great chefs, Brigitte Hafner. Stroll through row upon row of carefully planted, sown and raised vegetables, or just take a seat next to the fire and watch Hafner and her team of chefs work the Alan Scott wood-fired oven serving up the likes of juicy, salty lamb cutlets, licked by fire and served with a polenta cake made from local corn and beans picked fresh from the garden.

Gundagai Lamb cutlets with local polenta and beans from the garden

The walls are lined with incredible art, and there’s a warmth and depth of light in the room, further adding to that sense of conviviality. The argument for staying on in one of the guesthouses is strong. Not least for the view out to the property which now includes a vineyard, and the inside-outside deck festooned with grapevines that has long, leisurely Sunday afternoon written all over it. Sink in and never leave.

Slow roasted lamb shoulders in the Alan Scott oven at Tedesca

FOXEYS HANGOUT

795 White Hill Road, Red Hill
www.foxeys-hangout.com.au

Team building at Foxeys – the morning meatball rolling

The staff at this modest winery are so close as a team, that if you arrive at the right time of day, you’ll see them rolling meatballs together at the long, communal table before service. And if you’re lucky enough to try those spicy little bites served along with a yoghurt dipping sauce, make sure to enjoy them while sitting on the deck looking out at the winery and sipping on a juicy pinot.

Spicy, juicy meatballs with yoghurt dipping sauce (and wine, of course)

JOHNNY RIPE

284 Main Creek Road, Main Ridge
johnnyripe.au

Small batch, big vibes. Johnny Ripe pies, a mainstay on the regional Victorian pastry circuit, offers a picnic bench experience where the air is sweetly perfumed thanks to the neighbouring lavender farm. The go-to? A chunky beef pie with lots of pepper finished with a generous amount of tomato relish and an apple pie for dessert. And if a multiple pie lunch isn’t enough, you can always grab a few more to take on the road.

Grab your Johnny Ripe beef pie to go and enjoy it amongst the lavender fields

MANTONS CREEK ESTATE

240 Tucks Road, Shoreham
mantonscreekestate.com.au

Chef Vincenzo Ursini (ex-Cutler & Co) combines his fine-dining chops with the best produce in the area, whether that’s leaves, tomatoes and greens from neighbour Mary Loucas’s garden or the daily handmade pasta.

Handmade lamb agnolotti – chef’s filled pasta of the week

He’s also doing his version of pepper steak, using beef short rib, cooked down to a tender rich confection. Don’t let the That’s Amore burrata with 15-year-old balsamic vinegar pass you by.

Wagyu beef short rib with pepper sauce and onion cream

What’s Good in the Hood

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GOLD COAST

For generations, the Gold Coast has represented a very particular slice of Australia – blonde, tanned and spotted mainly in swimwear.

But the Goldie, particularly that south of Surfers Paradise – think Mermaid Beach, Palm Beach, Currumbin and Coolangatta – has seen new life injected into it over the past few years. Now, it’s a matter of being spoiled for choice, not starved.

Here’s What’s Good in the Gold Coast Hood.

Myffy explores the Gold Coast to discover What’s Good in the Hood

SCOTT’S LUNCHEONETTE & BAR

Shop 1/1114 Gold Coast Highway, Palm Beach
scottspalmbeach.com.au

You had us at sandwiches and natural wine. Perry Scott’s micro-bar and luncheonette delivers big vibes.

It’s all about the sandwiches here, from the cult Philly Cheese Steak Melt (Scott’s take on an Aussie steak sandwich amped up with all the cheesy, pickley flavours of a Philly cheese steak) with a side of skin-on chips; to the Scott’s Reuben made with house-cured corned beef.

Scott’s Reuben with house-cured corned beef

Perry Scott at Scott’s Luncheonette & Bar

Perennially packed, Scott’s merges from sandwich shop to wine bar as the sun goes down. Scott’s by day, Scott’s by night, deliciousness all the time.

RESTAURANT LABART

8 West Street, Burleigh Heads
restaurantlabart.com

If there’s one restaurant that truly captures the rejuvenation of the Gold Coast as a legitimate food destination, it’s Restaurant Labart, from chef Alex Munoz.

You might know him from Sydney heavy hitter Monopole. Here, he’s taken all his Inner East, moody wine bar/fine dining sensibilities and applied them to this contemporary bistro.

Check that beef tongue, inspired by his Chilean roots. Thirsty? Munoz and Co have opened up a wine bar, Paloma, just a two-minute walk from the restaurant.

Alex and Karla Munoz at Restaurant Labart

Beef tongue with pastrami spices at Restaurant Labart

PIATTO AND CANTINA

2460 Gold Coast Highway, Mermaid Beach
piatto.restaurant

It’s all about la famiglia here where Piatto (a neighbourhood Italian restaurant run by Brad and Thea Pearce) and Cantina (a rollicking bar and small plates fun diner run by their son Harry and his partner Missy) sit side-saddle.

Brad and Harry Pearce

Start with a tiny beer and slow cooked lamb shoulder with cucumber, ajo blanco and mint at Cantina then mosey over to Piatto for the beef short rib rotolo, then waddle back over to Cantina for a nightcap.

Cantina’s lamb shoulder and Piatto’s beef short rib rotolo

CLAY CANTINA

2/16 Griffith Street, Coolangatta
claycantina.com

One of the few places in Australia serving traditional Mexican-style barbacoa. Here, lamb is slow cooked in banana leaves and served with a lamb consomme on the side for sipping or dipping, and tortillas for mopping.

The restaurant is more like one big open kitchen with communal tables – somewhere to sit and keep the chef company with a mezcal margarita rather than a ‘traditional’ restaurant setting. Eat from beautiful handmade ceramics and consider going back for a cooking class with chef/owner Kristal Smith.

Clay Cantina’s lamb barbacoa

BAR EVELYN

Shop 20/58 Marine Parade, Coolangatta
@barevelyn_ on Instagram

First there was Leonard’s House of Love and Leonardo’s Pizza Palace in Melbourne. Then there was Ciao Mate in Bangalow, and here is Nick Stanton representing once again with his latest project, Bar Evelyn.

Nick Stanton brings his pizza pizzazz to Coolangatta

Lamb and honey sausage on a chilli and garlic base

With a brand new pizza oven and a very exciting wine list, it’s good times ahoy in Coolangatta. Highlights include locally made lamb and honey sausage on a chilli and garlic oil base; those bold flavours softened with a blob of macadamia cream. Don’t miss the Margherita, either. Bonus points for shakers of ‘ghetto parmesan’ and extra spicy chilli oil.

TOMMY’S ITALIAN

818 Pacific Parade, Currumbin
tommysitalian.com.au

Once upon a time, the most remarkable thing about Currumbin was the bird sanctuary. Which, by the way, still slaps. But there’s also the Riverina rib eye on the bone with a trio of condiments at Tommy’s Italian to contend with.

Steak by the sea – yes please

Can’t commit to the full bone-in situation? Consider the sirloin tartare with plenty of capers for bite, topped with a squiggle of anchovy mayonnaise. Make sure to book an upstairs table for extremely heavenly beach views and sweet sea breeze.

Sirloin tartare at Tommy’s

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AUBURN

No area in Sydney quite vibrates the way Auburn does.

It’s an incredibly diverse suburb with flavours and cuisine styles flipping from street to street, and country to country from Afghanistan to Lebanon, East Africa and Northwest China.

Myffy in Auburn for What’s Good in the Hood

There’s a rich tapestry of snacking to discover here to be sure, and the best way to tackle it is one restaurant at a time to do each of these places justice. Or damn it all, jump right in and make a weekend of it. It’s less than 10 clicks from the CBD and a world away in terms of deliciousness.

Dig in.

JASMIN 1

22 Civic Road
jasminauburn.com.au

Lebanese breakfast: the only way to fly for long-brunch enthusiasts. And when it comes to excellent bang for buck, look no further than this Auburn institution.

Camera worthy Lebanese breakfast at Jasmin 1

Strap in for scrambled eggs, the bottom fried till crisp, the top all fluffy and golden. Pinkie-sized lamb sausages are spiced and coated in pomegranate molasses. Crunchy falafels (some of the best in the area) are perfect fodder for dipping into smooth, creamy hummus and garlicky yoghurt. Shanklish (a middle eastern cheese made from yoghurt whey) is rubbed in tomato and perfect to be sandwich inside pieces of soft Lebanese flat bread. Or use that bread as a vessel for fatteh – crisp bread strips, yoghurt sauce and chickpeas.

Hot tip: whatever you don’t get through at breakfast makes an excellent dinner, or supplementary next-day-breakfast.

Spiced lamb sausages coated in pomegranate molasses

SALAM CAFÉ AND RESTAURANT

4/6-10 Harrow Road
salam-cafe-restaurant-authentic-east-african.business.site

Traditional Somali, Ethiopian and Sudanese dishes and Arabanian cuisine meet here at this modest cafe on a quiet side street of Auburn.

Try bariis mansaf – slow roasted lamb that sighs off the bone served with a sort of pilaf, gently spiced, and accompanied by chilli relish. Many of the dishes are served with their own style of flatbread, to be used instead of cutlery.

Excellent East African eats can be found at Salam Cafe & Restaurant

Suqaar sees tender cubes of lamb, slow-cooked with onion and capsicum, scooped up with japati (charred flatbread) and then there’s the enjera – a giant, mauve fermented crepe made from teff (the flour is made from a particular type of Ethiopian grass – great news for the gluten free gang) covered in pickles, ferments and pulses with a deeply rich lamb curry taking centre stage.

Work your way through by breaking off pieces of the crepe and dipping with abandon.

Ethiopian enjera – fermented crepe with pickles, ferments and lamb curry

KHAYBAR

64 Auburn Road
khaybarrestaurant.com.au

Fifth generation Afghani recipes, passed down from family member to family member are just one of the reasons this is such a special place.

Another is the fact your mantu (Afghan dumplings, soft and yielding and filled with beef and onions, topped with yoghurt, beef mince and crisped up split peas) may just be served by some of the lethal hands in hospitality. Chef-restaurateur Mujtaba Ashrafi is also a black belt in Shinkyokushin – full contact karate – and has his own martial arts school in Silverwater.

Back to the snacks, qaboli pallaw sees lamb fall off the bone and served alongside a huge mound of spiced, jewelled basmati rice bedazzled with strands of candied carrot, pistachios, almond slivers and raisins.

Mujtaba Ashrafi at his restaurant Khaybar & Myffy enjoying tastes of Afghanistan in down-town Auburn

PERANAKAN PLACE

139 Parramatta Road
peranakanplace.com.au

Nonya, or Peranakan cuisine, a mix of indo-Chinese and Malaysian dishes, is what’s for lunch here.

Blending the techniques and ingredients of Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and China, you’ll find nonya-style laksa, the spicy coconut soup laden with vermicelli and hokkein noodles, and that Singaporean street food classic, char kway teow – the flat, silken noodles fragrant with the breath of the wok.

Owner Sam is an expert on Peranakan cuisine

Beef rendang curry is cooked down to mere shreds, the coconut-based sauce deeply savoury and fragrant with cinnamon, cloves and star anise. Scoop it up with light, tissue-y roti. In fact, order two serves of that bread and apply the same tactic to a gentle lamb curry packed with waxy potato pieces.

For a fairly unromantic strip of Parramatta Road, there are some incredible flavours on display here, hidden in plain sight.

Beef Rendang – made for scooping with roti

TARIM UYGHUR RESTAURANT

105 Rawson Street
facebook.com/TarimUyghurRestaurant

In a suburb that’s spoiled for choice when it comes to seriously excellent eats, Tarim stands out. And not just for the fact there are very few Uyghur restaurants in Sydney.

Always delicious, the food of this Turkic-Chinese minority group from the far northwestern province of Xinjiang is pure comfort.

Kuruh Lagman – long noodles dry fried with diced lamb, chives, capsicums and Sichuan pepper

Hand-pulled noodles combine the toastiness of dry chilli and the cooling fizz of Sichuan peppercorns with tender little pieces of lamb. And then there’s the goshnan – the Uyghur equivalent of a meat pie, the flaky, golden pastry holding sliced lamb and onion. One to share with mates.

Goshan – Uyghur style meat pie with minced lamb and onion filling seasoned with cumin and a variety of peppers

NEW STAR KEBAB

15 Auburn Road
@newstarkebabrestaurant

You’ll smell it before you see it. And if you go for dinner on a Friday night you’ll see the queue before you see the shopfront. But make a day trip and be rewarded with a shorter queue and the entire menu at your disposal.

Here at this Turkish stalwart, it’s all about the mixed plate, the meats cooked over charcoal, leaving everything wonderfully charred and perfumed with smoke.

Make a date with a mixed plate

Beef mince is spiced, shaped and flattened onto skewers ready to be licked by flames. Hunks of lamb are given the same treatment, with everything laid over buttered rice with a side of charred vegetables.

Dip those grilled meats into house-made chilli sauce and hummus, and scoop it all up with toasted slices of Turkish bread.

Meat cooked over coals at New Star Kebab

GAZIANTEP SWEETS

Shop 1/3-5 Station Road
gaziantepsweets.com.au

No trip to Auburn is complete without a visit to Gaziantep Sweets for their Turkish delight, sticky baklava, pistachio rolls and Turkish ice-cream.

Turkish sweets and treats.

There’s knafeh – that sweet cheese dessert of buttery spun pastry (kataifi) soaked in sugar syrup and layered with cheese. And, my personal favourite, havuc dilimi – a sort of giant baklava slice that’s split and filled with ice-cream and topped with crushed pistachio. A huge treat.

Baklava filled with Turkish ice-cream and topped with crushed pistachio

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DARWIN

Low hanging sky, perfect warm days during the dry season, crocs for miles. Welcome to the Top End, where the dirt is red, the beers are ice cold and the fans undulate slowly overhead.

Specifically, welcome to Darwin, where the cuisine is electric, eclectic and built for the heat.

Here’s what’s good in the Darwin hood.

Take a walk through Darwin with Myffy to see What’s Good in the Hood.

HANUMAN

93 Mitchell Street
hanuman.com.au

Born in Sri Lanka to Chinese parents, chef Jimmy Shu is arguably the city’s best known food personality. He’s been delivering deliciousness to the Top End since 1992.

Named for the Hindu monkey god of wisdom, strength, courage, devotion and self-discipline, the Darwin arm of Hanuman restaurant (the other is in Alice Springs) offers a refined menu of Thai, Nonya and Tamil dishes within breezy comfortable surroundings. It’s all about punched up flavours executed with care, here.

Ashok Kharat – Chef de Cuisine for Indian food at Hanuman – plates up a South Indian Goat Curry.

Check out Masala lamb cutlets marinated overnight in cumin-fragrant hung yoghurt, and cooked till pink and smoky in the restaurant’s tandoor oven. A deeply savoury south Indian goat curry combines spice-warmth and sweet, dry heat thanks to the likes of cinnamon, star anise, fennel and cumin, and the lightness of fresh tomato and coriander.

Masala lamb cutlets cooking in the tandoor oven.

SNAPPER ROCKS

B2/7 Kitchener Drive
snapper.rocks

Come for the vibe and the cool breezes, stay for a beer and consider sharing the lamb shoulder with spiced cauliflower couscous with charred cos lettuce, feta and a squeeze of lemon.

Lamb shoulder enjoyed with a sea breeze on the Darwin Waterfront.

Old-school Aussie charm is the appeal here, with its sunny beach house layout and focus on local produce. Located smack bang on the Darwin Waterfront (the Territory’s answer to Brissie’s Southbank or Sydney’s Darling Harbour), it delivers an ideal position to while away an afternoon, and possibly an evening.

While you’re in the area, check out sister venue, Northern Distilling – a micro-distillery specialising in spirits flavoured with ingredients from the Top End.

Darwin Waterfront.

PHAT MANGO

56 Smith Street, corner of Knuckey & Austin Lane
phatmango.com.au

Chef Martin Bouchier is the man with the pans behind one of Darwin’s newer restaurant additions. 35 years of working in predominantly euro-centric kitchens now sees him turn his hand to contemporary Australian cuisine, with a strong focus on Top End ingredients.

NT Brahman Hump Silverside served on damper toasts.

See crisp damper toastlets with a lick of pickled bush tomato, the sweetness of date vinaigrette, finished with a thin slice of Brahaman hump silverside. Gunbalanya skirt steak, charred and rosy and finished with chimichurri, is served with a buttery potato galette.

And if it’s been a spell between baked bananas, consider this your lucky day – here, served with Roaring 40s blue cheese and cream. Yowza.

Myffy tucking in to some Northern Territory beef produced in Arnhem Land and expertly prepared at Phat Mango.

MINDIL BEACH SUNSET MARKETS

Maria Liveris Drive
mindil.com.au

A vital experience when eating your way across town, you’ll need to time this one semi-carefully. Join the hordes of Darwin families and tourists alike enjoying this twice-weekly (Thursday and Sunday evenings) happening.

Myffy soaking up the sunset at Mindil Beach in Darwin.

Food trucks park up serving everything from roast lamb rolls from the Roast Shack (chips and gravy optional but obviously essential) to Loukas Souvlaki’s juicy lamb wraps – here, the lamb is marinated for three days in lemon and oregano and then cooked over the spit perfuming the air with the rich and juicy smell of well-seasoned barbecued meat.

Market must try – the spit roasted lamb souvla from Loukas Souvlaki.

The beautiful thing about the Mindil markets (apart from the utterly breath-taking sunset that slowly morphs from deep burning orange to a sort of musky Kakadu plum) is the combination of cultures, from Greek, Anglo (the Roadkill Cafe’s catchphrase “you kill it, we grill it” might just be the most Darwin Thing Ever) and Thai to Malaysian and Indonesian.

Check out Sari Rasa for lamb and beef skewers cooked over charcoal and napped in peanut sauce, all served over soft little rice cakes. Finish with a rainbow snow cone for full festival vibes.

Sunset snacks on sticks – Sari Rasa’s lamb and beef skewers cooked over charcoal and dredged in addictive peanut sauce.

CHOW

D1 & D2/19 Kitchener Drive
chowdarwin.com.au

Punchy, bright, fun and fast – that’s Chow. Modern Vietnamese food in a breezy outdoor setting. Start with a sweet, Vietnamese iced coffee and for the full southeast Asian experience, chase it with a bowl of beef pho and treat yourself to a soup facial. Just staying for snacks?

You can’t go past a coconut crushie (spike it with a shot of rum for extra points) and a round of bo la lot – little beef mince flavour bombs destined to be wrapped in rice noodle cakes and plenty of herbs. There’s always the tried and true banh mi if you want to keep lunch lo fi.

Bo La Lot – marinated beef wrapped in betel leaf and washed down with a coconut crushie.

CHAR STEAKHOUSE

70 Esplanade
admiraltyhouse.com.au

Darwin’s most bomb-proof venue has withstood more than most weatherboard cottages deserve to be put through. Admiralty House, occupied for 20 years by postal official and botanist Florenz August Karl Bleeser, has seen out the Darwin bombings during World War II, stood strong post-Cyclone Tracy and now houses the city’s most established steak restaurant.

Myffy chats with executive chef Richard Brown about historic Admiralty House.

It’s here that you can order a soft, silky fillet of Rangers Valley Black Onyx with chestnut puree and potato fondant. Or a t-bone to share with all the trimmings you’ve come to know and love from a classic steak restaurant.

There’s a wedge of iceberg with bacon bits and blue cheese dressing. Crisp onion rings with barbecue sauce. Chunks of potato fried in wagyu fat and finished with confit garlic. Textbook green beans. There’s even a side listed as ‘two fried eggs with salt and pepper.’ If that’s not the perfect example of classic steak cooking, I don’t know what is.

Eye fillet with chestnut puree and potato fondant at Char Steakhouse.

ELLA BY MINOLI

20 West Lane
ellabyminoli.au

Probably the most exciting thing to happen to the Darwin dining scene since the legalisation of fireworks. And not just because it’s the only place in the city where you can order a bottle of pet nat with a side of roti.

Open only for the blink of an eye, this is the handiwork of Minoli de Silva (ex-Masterchef) who cashed in her chips and moved from Melbourne to Darwin to open a Sri Lankan restaurant in an area better known for its all-day parking.

Ex Masterchef contestant Minoli de Silva is bringing the tastes of Sri Lanka to Darwin – and possibly its first Pet Nat.

It’s early days yet, but expect maximum concentration of flavour in slow-cooked dishes such as eggplant, gently roasted until gooey and silky, dressed with coconut and date sauce. Or swift and hot with the likes of tamarind and tomato-rich meatballs flash-fried till crunchy. Nevermind the stir-fried roti.

We’ll be back, and we want more.

Cutlis Balls – a Sri Lankan street food specialty of ground beef, carrot and leeks with a tomato and tamarind sauce – just try and stop at one.

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Each issue we explore a new neighbourhood with Myffy Rigby for the best eats and treats in the local community.

PARRAMATTA

Welcome to the geographical centre of Sydney and a dining destination well and truly worth exploring. We merely scratched the surface of this mouthwatering melting pot where the old guard meets the new school to offer a wealth of vibrant food options.

Here’s What’s Good in the Parramatta Hood.

Myffy maneuvers through a manoushe on the first stop of What’s Good in the Hood Parramatta.

KHODER’S PIZZA CAFE & BAKERY

Lahme Bi Ajeen

This little shop churns out some of the tastiest manoushe in town – including an epic lahme bi ajeen – a traditional Lebanese lamb flatbread. Manoushe is a Lebanese street food, a type of flatbread with a pliable dough, crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside – designed to be rolled up and eaten on the go.

A true family affair, Khoder’s is run by Khoder with the help of his mum and sister. Something of a manoushe master, his mum worked for 25 years at the competition down the road until her son and daughter opened their own shop.

Khoder’s lahme bi ajeen – the perfect snack any time of the day.

The manoush master - clocking up 30+ years making some of the city’s best manoushe.

The manoushe master – clocking up 30+ years making some of the city’s best manoushe.

Not only is the manoushe magnificent, you’ll get change from a fiver and be blessed with beautiful, warm and welcoming service.

SAHRA BY THE RIVER

Kibbe Nayya

Talal Alamein has been serving up Lebanese food at his restaurant by the Parramatta River for more than 40 years. A man with more than a few stories to tell, Talal took us through the tale of kibbe nayya – a raw lamb dish said to have aphrodisiac effects! Lamb leg is pounded by hand and mixed with a selection of herbs and spices then served with a selection of raw vegetables and Lebanese bread.

Talal says that in Lebanon, kibbe nayya is the sound of celebration – whenever you hear the sound of the lamb being pounded in the stone mortar and pestle, you know that something is being celebrated. Talal’s kibbe nayya was Myffy’s ‘dish of the day’ – which sounds like a cause for celebration.

Lamb kibbe nayya – rumoured to be an aphrodisiac and perfect washed down with a glass of Arak.

HYDERABAD HOUSE

Goat Dum Biryani

At Hyderabad House they are passionate about their biryanis – considering them their most important menu item while also claiming to be the best biryani in Sydney.

Biryani is derived from the Persian words Birian which means ‘fried before cooking’ and Birinj, the Persian word for rice.

Owner Rehan Ali tells us that the perfect biryani requires meticulously measured ingredients and careful technique. At Hyderabad House they follow the traditional method of making biryani – loading all ingredients into the pot and slow cooking over charcoal with coals also on the top. The steam retained inside the pot allows the meat to tenderise in its own juices while flavouring the rice.

Spices are another crucial element of a good biryani and the goat dum biryani at Hyderabad House contains more than 15 spices, three types of onion, diced goat meat, rose water and more.

Traditional doesn’t alway mean beautiful – Hyderabad House’s goat dum biryani is the definition of ugly delicious.

25+ ingredients including diced goat meat are cooked together using the traditional biryani method.

FISHBOWL

Brisket Bowl

Launched in 2016 and now with 25 stores on the go – the young team behind Fishbowl have found a sweet niche in the healthy-but-fun-fast-food-market and we’re pleased to see brisket muscling its way into the pesco party. Made to order salads built with maximum care from minimal intervention produce are what’s on offer and people are lining up for a taste.

We popped by the new store at Parramatta Square for 12 hour braised brisket piled high with brown rice, kale, carrots, radish, shallots and edamame with a lemon-shoyu dressing, wasabi mayo and wasabi peas – plus a scoop of avocado of course. It’s tasty, it’s nourishing and it’s the perfect lunch option for the thousands of workers in and around Parramatta Square.

Fishbowl’s brisket bowl – a nutritious and delicious option at the new Parramatta Square.

HARVEY’S HOT SANDWICHES

Signature Pastrami Sandwich

Topside wagyu is the catalyst for the Signature Pastrami Sandwich – one of the best sandwiches we have chowed in a while!

It’s American diner meets $3.2 billion Parramatta Square makeover and we aren’t mad about it. John Vissartis’ family has been in the sandwich game for 40+ years and their latest offering is all about stuffing soft subs and hitting them with some heat for a hefty hot sandwich you’re guaranteed to find room for.

Pull up on a stool under the neon lights while you wait for your choice of sandwich style – simple (mustard and cheese) or sloppy (russian dressing, slaw and cheese). There’s chopped brisket, Philly cheesesteak, meatball and the infamous beef dip (made famous in LA and localised by Continental CBD).

For us it was the Signature Pastrami that stole the show – sloppy of course. 2GR wagyu MS9 topside is brined for seven days with spices, salt and sugar then cold smoked and finished in a peppered rub. Generous slices are layered onto one half of a soft white sub – while the other side gets topped with provolone cheese – then it’s through the salamander for that touch of hot, melty magic.

Next it’s loaded with slaw, topped with Russian dressing then wrapped and in your hot little hand on its way to your hungry little mouth. Harvey’s is the hottest spot for a sanga in the hood.

That’s a wrap. Harvey’s Hot Sandwiches – where sandwich dreams come true.

CICCIABELLA

Rigatoni Osso Bucco Ragu

Rigatoni Osso Bucco Ragu – a dish worth devouring any day of the week, even when it’s 40 degrees outside.

When the don of eastern suburbs Italian dining heads west – you know it must be the hot new spot to be. Maurice Terzini’s Cicciabella, located in Bondi, has opened its second post at Parramatta Square under the guidance of group culinary director Nic Wong.

With an open kitchen and signature woodfired oven at its centre, Cicciabella takes its cues from classic Italian food that lets the produce do the talking.

From wagyu minute steak to a 1kg bistecca alla fiorentina, cured meats and antipasti to pizza and pasta – the menu has been designed to cater for the one-hour-lunch crowd – the square is at the base of Australia’s largest office tower – or for those looking to settle in for a the afternoon or evening.

We couldn’t pass up on a pasta and Nic took us through the paces of the rigatoni osso bucco ragu – handmade rigatoni tossed with braised osso bucco, tomatoes and a touch of maple syrup. Simplistic perfection at its finest.

Nic Wong – toss like a boss.

LILY MU

Build A Bao: Char Sui Style Short Rib

Take a short rib, slow cook it overnight, finish over coals, plate with pickles, tamarind hoisin and bao buns – then sit back and let your guests delve into the deliciousness.

Brendan Fong shows us exactly how to short rib.

Lily Mu is the new hot offering from the team behind Nour and Henrietta with ex Mr Wong head chef Brendan Fong running the kitchen. Fong says that Lily Mu is a combination of Chinese and Thai cuisines with dishes designed to share.

Lily Mu is a good time if ever we have seen one. For us it was a brand new dish – in fact we were the first to try it – and it was nothing short of spectacular. Short rib is slow cooked overnight then finished over charcoal, glazing with honey for a sticky, charred finish. The bone is removed and the tender, unctuous rib is sliced and served like peking duck pancakes with tamarind hoisin, pickles and bao buns.

Decadent, packed full of flavour and perfectly balanced – this is a dish we could go back for time and time again.

What’s Good in the Hood

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Each issue we explore a new neighbourhood with Myffy Rigby for the best eats and treats in the local community.

ORANGE NSW

What an absolute treat for our second episode of What’s Good in the Hood with the mythical Myffy Rigby who dubbed our trip to Orange ‘the greatest week of 2020’ – and she wasn’t wrong.

Regional NSW has had its fair share of challenges of late – through drought and fire to a global pandemic – and Orange, in the NSW Central West, has not been immune. However, its proximity to Sydney, abundant local produce and community spirit has seen Orange emerge as one of the hottest destinations on the 2020 travel list.

With a new wave of hot young foodservice talent heading west of the mountains for a tree change and a community revived by the opportunity to not only evolve but genuinely thrive out of the COVID crisis – Orange really is the new black.

Here’s What’s Good in the Orange Hood.

Myffy having ‘the greatest week of 2020’ in and around Orange NSW.

ELLWOOD EATERY – SMOKING BROTHERS CATERING

American cheeseburger

Twin brothers Ben and David Allcock have injected the concept of takeaway with their technical chef expertise to bring Orange an American style diner where the attention-to-detail menu would hold its own anywhere from Texas to Tennessee.

For us, it was a crash course in how to make (and then eat) their American Cheeseburger – and we were not disappointed. An epic 200g oak smoked beef patty with American cheddar, pickles, onions, mustard aioli and smoky chipotle ketchup. The patty is made from twice minced 100% brisket then hand rolled and pressed with house made bbq spice rub. It is then smoked low and slow over oak wood before finishing on the grill with signature burger glaze.

A burger full of flavour to savour at every bite.

Ellwood Eatery’s American Cheeseburger.

CHARRED KITCHEN & BAR

Lamb rump, mint jelly & peas

Charred is, as the name suggests, a restaurant where everything is cooked in the custom built wood fire oven, aptly named Lucifer. Headed up by chef Liam O’Brien, who worked for several years under David Thompson along with stints at Bistro Moncur and Bentley, the menu is inspired by thai cuisine’s balance of salt, sweet, sour and spice – applied to local produce cooked in various ways over coals and fire.

The set menu showcases the best of local produce including this dish of lamb rump briefly cooked ‘dirty’ direct on the coals for an incredibly crisp and smoky charred finish on the succulent, tender lamb.

Lamb rump cooked ‘dirty’ on the coals in Lucifer – Charred’s custom built wood fire oven.

THE OLD MILL CAFE

Lemon curd & passionfruit Belgian cake

A wonderful thing about Orange is the lovely little villages surrounding it – perfect for a leisurely countryside drive. One such village is Milthorpe and it should be on everybody’s list. We stopped for coffee and cake with the beautiful Bronwyn Spasic – who had owned the business just seven weeks when we dropped in.

Bronwyn’s grandmother taught her how to make Belgian cake and Bronwyn now does the world a favour, baking up fresh batches of the decadent cake for everyone to experience. Made from a buttery dough as opposed to a batter, Bronwyn uses the best of seasonal produce to adorn it – for us, it was home made lemon curd and passionfruit and we were far from disappointed.

Homemade lemon curd and passionfruit Belgian cake.

ANTICA AUSTRALIS

Agnello alla Romana – Lamb cooked Roman style

Enter the tiny village called Carcoar and you may not want to leave. Dubbed ‘the town that time forgot’ its heritage building lined main street is like going back in time. On the corner you’ll find Antica Australis – step inside and you’ll be instantly transported to the Italian countryside.

In the kitchen you’ll find Paolo, a former welder, at the helm of what Myffy calls ‘one of the most interesting regional Italian restaurants in the state let alone the country’. Out front is Kelly, with a background in corporate comms, she’s telling the stories. And everything here has a story – from the hand crafted plates from the local potter, to the wine vessels based on traditional terracotta drinking cups – and then, there is the food. Only open on the weekend and currently offering a monthly set-menu designed to showcase the best of regional and seasonal produce – Antica Australis is everything we love about hospitality.

Agnello alla Romana at Antica Australis.

Blue cheese gelato – a cheese plate and ice cream rolled into one.

For us, Paolo cooked up Agnello alla Romana – a traditional dish from Paolo’s mountain top village in Ciociaria. Succulent lamb loin chops cooked with an anchovy sauce – a harmonic pairing punching in the umami stakes. Add the thrice cooked potatoes, seasonal broccolini and a splash of local wine – and be whisked away to Italy without boarding a plane.

Special shout out to our dessert – an incredible blue cheese gelato made by local ice creamery Split Milk Bar using cheese from The Second Mouse – served with yellow box honey and walnuts. Strong finish.

SISTER’S ROCK RESTAURANT – BORRODELL ESTATE

Lamb rump with miso caramel & artichoke heart

For the best views in Orange – only Borrodell Estate will do. Perched on the slopes of Mount Canobolas, kick back and enjoy panoramic views across the valley and some of the region’s best cool climate wines paired with a seasonal menu prepared by Pilu at Freshwater alumni Charles Woodward.

With sloping hills covered in vines, cherry and apple trees and one of the largest plantings of truffle trees on the mainland – it’s a picturesque setting for the restaurant. Making the most of locally produced meat and seasonal vegetables along with produce from their own kitchen garden, Charles offers diners an elevated interpretation of the local region.

For our visit, locally produced lamb was cooked over coals and served with miso caramel made from locally produced miso, pickled and grilled artichoke heart and flowers from the Borrodell garden.

Keep an eye out for the new Borrodell Wine Bar which was nearing completion on our visit – with floor to ceiling glass overlooking the entire valley and a hanging fireplace – the stunning space will be pouring wines alongside a separate bar menu.

Local lamb lighting up the menu at Sister’s Rock Restaurant.

THE SCHOOLHOUSE RESTAURANT AT UNION BANK

Beef tataki, mushroom broth, pickled onion & parmesan crisps

The allure of country air and a vibrant locavore culture played a part in the pilgrimage of ex Rockpool chef Dom Aboud to Orange to head up the kitchen at The Schoolhouse Restaurant at the Union Bank.

Working directly with a range of local producers, the Schoolhouse offers an upscale dining experience across a set menu that reflects the changing tastes of local and visiting diners. Dom says bringing people on a journey to try things they haven’t before in the regional setting is all part of the experience and front of house is essential in the conversion.

With menu items like tartare proving at first challenging – Dom says diners are now more adventurous and the beef tataki was born of a desire to encourage diners to experiment while presenting them with something familiar at the same time – as well as using the best local produce for the dish – in this case local beef.

Beef sirloin is charred briefly on all sides then sliced and plated with pickled onions and parmesan crisps. Mushroom broth made from local slippery jack mushrooms is then poured to finish the dish. An umami adventure proving to be a winner on the menu in Orange.

Beef tataki letting local beef sing in place of tuna.

RACINE BAKERY

Beef & Burgundy pie

One of the originals of the Orange dining scene, Racine closed its doors permanently in May after serving the community for 12 years. Owners Shaun and Willa Arantz started Racine Bakery in April 2012 baking a small selection of organic bread for local businesses out of the restaurant. Shaun, who fronted the kitchen at Racine and now oversees the bakery operations is a self taught chef and now baker – with an incredibly impressive selection of cook books to guide him.

Now with its own shop, Racine Bakery is the hot ticket in town for all things bakery – with everything from organic sourdoughs to an assortment of pastries that would rival the best city bakeries. They have also just acquired the lease on the adjoining shop and are in the process of renovating to open a wine bar – which will serve bakery snacks alongside wines and provide a much needed late night wining and dining option for the community.

We chowed down on an incredible beef and Burgundy pie made using, of course, local beef encased in a buttery pastry. Chunks of decadently tender beef slow cooked and simmered in Burgundy – sometimes the simplest things in life are really the best.

Buttery pastry, tender beef, rich Burgundy – pies for peace.

THE AGRESTIC GROCER

Lamb buddha bowl

After a couple of days wining and dining all around Orange and surrounds – we’d suggest hitting up the Agrestic Grocer for breakfast or lunch and to stock up on local produce before heading home. Housed in a semi-industrial brick building on the edge of town, the Agrestic Grocer partners with various local products to offer a comprehensive taste of the Orange region with Badlands Beers and Second Mouse Cheese onsite and an abundant grocery of fresh local produce and their own range of pickles and preserves amongst nuts, oils, flours, eggs, wines, ciders and more.

In the restaurant, Agrestic has joined forces with some of the absolute best producers in the region with a keen focus on collaboration across waste management, sustainability, localism and nose to tail. Tuck into a tasty menu including the Lamb buddha bowl which is packed with lamb meatball flavour bombs, pickled cabbage and onion, cucumber, cherry tomato, mixed herbs, tahini and honey dressing.

Lamb Buddha Bowl – a colourful final taste of the Orange region.

What’s Good in the Hood

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CANBERRA

Is it even a visit to our nation’s capital if you don’t hear someone talking about the state of the union, or the fresh waist measurements of a newly trimmed down Anthony Albanese?

A city with the industry of politics at its heart, few other capitals can boast quite the same level of purpose. It’s also a city with as much devotion to preserving the establishment (where the Bordeaux flows, the big swinging heads of state gather) as it is a major supporter of the up-and-coming. Perhaps it’s the vibrant university culture that keeps the fresh blood flowing here, where new music venues and listening bars are creating big noise nation-wide. The newer crop of restaurants are certainly cooking to the beat of their own drum. At cafe level – ground zero for micro-trends – there’s a sharpness that belies the smooth outer surface of a town that vibrates just a little differently.

Here’s what’s good in the Canberran hood.

Myffy takes it to the Nation’s Capital to discover what’s good.

INTRA

Provan Street, Campbell
intracbr.com.au

The toasted sandwich game in the inner north is strong, thanks to chef Steven Hahnen. Here at this sleek Campbell cafe, owners Nick Wood and Sean Baker employ sustainable practices where they can, they use leftover milk to make cheese, give food scraps to local farms and use secondary cuts of meat in a bid to honour a nose to tail ethos.

But back to those jaffles. Hahnen got a taste for them during his time in Berlin, and has taken his love to new heights with the likes of a spicy, silky and hella stretchy Sichuan beef and mapo tofu jaffle. The coffee here white/black/batch is as straight-shooting as the food offering – simple and delicious.

Intra’s Sichuan beef and mapo tofu jaffle and it’s creator Steven Hahnen.

ITALIAN AND SONS

Lonsdale Street, Braddon
italianandsons.com.au

Italian restaurants in Canberra may come and go, but Italian and Sons is for life. Started by the Trimboli family (they also have Mezzalira in the city) back in 2009 and occupying prime position on Lonsdale Street, it’s here you might decide to bookend your evening with a barrel-aged Negroni.

Pasquale Trimboli at Italian & Sons.

Order one either side of a crowd pleasing Italian menu stuffed with the likes of house-made focaccia, savoury sourdough doughnut fingers draped in anchovies and bitter greens and beef carpaccio studded with tiny capers. Wood-roast Cowra lamb rack with a warm zucchini salad gives generously on the flavour front, as does squid ink tagliolini with Hawkesbury river calamari – deliciously ruinous to white shirts everywhere.

Wood-roast Cowra lamb rack with warm zucchini salad.

ONZIEME

Kennedy Street, Kingston
onzieme.com.au

Named for chef Louis Couttoupes’ favourite arrondissement in Paris, Onzieme (French for Eleven) is an Aussie ode to the nouveau French bistro where the wine flows free and the corner restaurant is bathed in evening sun. It’s all about small plates and big flavours here (or big plates and big flavours when it comes to the whole lamb legs cooked over the woodfire).

Bone marrow roasts in the Onzieme wood oven.

Pressed-and-golden-fried potato cakes are topped with a blob of whipped sour cream. Beef tartare is amped up with fresh wasabi. Pan-fried haloumi is cooked till a deep bronze with white nectarines and murray cod is bathed in koji butter. Louis opts for lesser known cuts like the lamb knuckle, a muscle derived from the lamb leg, cooked gently over the coals and served with a salsa verde tricked up with bone marrow.

Lamb knuckle sliced and served with bone marrow salsa verde.

AUBERGINE

Barker Street, Griffith
aubergine.com.au

The classics remain that way for a reason, friends, and there’s no better example in Canberra than Ben Willis’ plush fine diner where thick carpet and heavy linens rule.

Aubergine chef Ben Willis.

A perfectly pink Frenched lamb cutlet with a verdant herb oil and poached greens accompanied by a lamb stuffed dumpling is a neat reflection of the restaurant’s elegant approach. Dishes are lean on flourishes, executed with quiet confidence. It’s a restaurant, too, where you can dive deep on the wine list, only to reemerge post petit fours.

Frenched lamb cutlet with herb oil, poached greens and a side of lamb dumplings.

CORELLA

Lonsdale Street, Braddon
corellabar.com.au

It’s a fun snack party here in downtown Braddon, and everyone’s invited. The menu has a strong indigenous hook, laced with 80s Australiana. See bread, ‘buttermite’ and native saltbush. Or fries with bush tomato thousand island sauce.

Hanger steak cooking over coals at Corella.

Ranger’s Valley hanger steak comes smothered in a native green compound butter, while spaghetti is tossed with surf herbs and pine nuts. Embrace the fun diner vibes with a sunrise margarita – all the usual fixings of everyone’s favourite good times cocktail, only made with sunrise limes with a saltbush rim. Spicy times ahead.

Hanger steak with native butter.

PILOT

Wakefield Gardens, Ainslie
pilotrestaurant.com

The star in Ainslie’s crown and one of Canberra’s most important young venues, care of owners Ross McQuinn and Dash Rumble. Chef Malcolm Hanslow has a firm grip on a menu that’s freeform but tightly wound. Over a regularly changing seven courses, the menu flits from bonito with sesame and agedashi tofu to a perfect green salad (a tiny aside, and yet possibly one of the most fresh, delightful versions you’re likely to encounter).

Pilot chef Malcolm Hanslow.

They’ve even been known to whip out a massaman curry, should the mood arise. On this visit we tuck into thinly sliced sirloin lightly grilled on one side only and served with pickled kohlrabi and fermented daikon. In an ode to the classic pub steak favourite – pepper sauce gets an upgrade with aleppo pepper in a mushroom stock base. A perfectly balanced dish, so good. Their all-Australian wine list plays on similar lines to the menu – young, fun and ultimately refreshing.

Pilot’s take on a pub classic – sirloin steak with pepper sauce.

REBEL REBEL

Marcus Clarke Street, Acton
rebelrebeldining.com.au

Chef Sean McConnell’s latest venture might just be his best. A menu in three parts, there might be breakfast shawarmas, ‘cacao pops’ (his play on the queen of breakfast cereal) or salmon belly with poached eggs. Lunch might lead you to an individual parmesan cannolo, or pumpkin with smoked yoghurt.

Afternoon light at Rebel Rebel.

Burn your fingers on a fried quail with harissa for dinner, or dig into half a kilo of grass-fed rib-eye with wakame butter (order a side of broccolini and bagna cauda to really amp that steak.) Or do as we did and snack on a chargrilled wagyu beef tongue dressed in Pedro Ximenez sherry – it’s unctuous, flavourful and unlike any other cut of meat. Also, we’d like to meet the person that can resist a macadamia ice cream sandwich for dessert.

Wagyu beef tongue chargrilled and dressed in Pedro Ximenez sherry.

AGOSTINI’S

East Hotel, Canberra Avenue, Griffith
agostinis.com.au

It’s pretty much impossible not to fall immediately in love with head chef Francesco Balestrieri – the guy just wants you to have a good time in his restaurant. As with Balestrieri’s attitude to cooking, his restaurant is all about sharing the love. Visit with a generous attitude and be rewarded.

Head chef Francesco Balestrieri.

Go for the pizzas baked in the hulking woodfired oven, imported from Italy, and stay for the house specialty – a pink, juicy 1kg bistecca fiorentina crusted in salt and served with a side of parmesan fries and a green salad.

Agostini’s house specialty – the 1kg bistecca fiorentina.

Spotlight On

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THE PRICE OF THE PANDEMIC

For the debut of Spotlight On, Mark talks to various participants through the supply chain about the effects of COVID-19.

With the impact of COVID-19 continuing to unfold; the emergence from prolonged drought and a devastating bushfire season; and the near-complete shutdown of the Tourism industry – 2020 will go down as one of the most challenging the foodservice sector has ever faced.

The foodservice shutdown across the country and around the world meant that Australian red meat exports – representing 70% of Australian red meat production – were restricted or stopped altogether. Such an abrupt halt to such a significant channel for Australian red meat sent a shockwave through the industry. It was a unique scenario in how quickly it occurred and the fact that it more or less impacted all markets at once.

The canary in the coal mine was Stockyard Beef Managing Director Lachie Hart.

Stockyard Beef Managing Director Lachie Hart.

“We first heard about Coronavirus from one of our distributors in China towards the end of January. We watched it very closely as it developed into a pandemic during February. But I remember the week, it was about the second week of March, very clearly; and that’s when governments around the world just went into complete lockdown,” he said.

Mustering at Gulf Coast Agricultural Co – a one million hectare property in QLD producing purebred Brahman cattle.

While Stockyard Beef, with its premium lot fed product, felt the effect of COVID-19 early, other producers had a different perspective. Gulf Coast Agricultural Co. is a one million hectare, privately owned pastoral station in the Gulf of Carpentaria in Queensland, raising pure Brahman cattle. As livestock producers, Karina O’Neil acknowledges that they didn’t really see the worst effects of COVID-19 like many other industries did.

“While it was tragic to see the effects of COVID-19 on the restaurant, hospitality and tourism industries, sales of red meat through supermarkets and butcher shops more than covered this gap in the market and demand for cattle has remained consistent,” she said.

Tim Burvill, Managing Director of South Australian Cattle Co, felt a significant impact on his operation – a paddock to plate business producing its own Hereford cattle for its steakhouse restaurants.

“It was massive for us, and not in a good way. Both our A Hereford Beefstouw steakhouses in Adelaide and Melbourne were shut down as were our ten sister restaurants in Denmark.”

“We also supply dry-aged beef to all of the restaurants in our group and all of these sales came to a complete stop. On top of our own internal sales of beef, in Australia, we also supply many foodservice operators with dry-aged beef. So, pretty much overnight, our entire business was decimated. It was a horrific thing to go through.”

As the industry begins the process of recovery, one component is paradoxical – that despite a dramatic drop in exports – red meat prices have remained at a premium.

Tim Burvill outside his A Hereford Beefstouw restaurant.

“Coming into 2020 many producers were looking to rebuild their herd and from late January a number of widespread rainfall events swept across northern and eastern Australia driving reprieve from the dry conditions and reinvigorating producers demand and desire for livestock,” Meat and Livestock Australia’s Scott Tolmie explains.

“This has led to a significant immediate tightening of available livestock for slaughter and, as is typically the case, a drop in supply has led to higher prices.”

Widespread rainfall has driven up the price of livestock as producers look to restock their herds after prolonged drought conditions.

Karina O’Neil of Gulf Coast has felt the effects of the prolonged dry spell saying that while there has been late summer rain throughout many drought-affected areas, it has not necessarily been enough to fully recover.

“Throughout most of the North of Australia and a lot of areas of Queensland and NSW, the rain has not really been substantial enough and some areas in central Queensland that had good feed from late summer rain, then received early winter rain, decimating the feed and are now having to destock. For others, the prolonged drought has knocked pastures around to such an extent that even with significant rain they will take years to recover.”

“There may have been a drop in exports but demand has remained strong on the domestic market and we are looking at shorter availability of cattle for processors as producers look to restock,” she said.

Lachie Hart says that drought has had an enormous impact on the Australian red meat industry and significantly reduced supply.

“Along with the cost of restocking, that is certainly pushing up prices. While global demand has been pegged back, particularly in foodservice, in retail the demand is actually very strong and has remained strong,” he said.

Another contributing factor driving price is the significant drop in high-value loin sales to the domestic and export foodservice sectors with the beef industry facing a significant challenge in moving the entire carcase while minimising impact on overall value.

The foodservice shut down saw a significant drop in demand for high-value loin cuts.

Meat & Livestock Australia’s Scott Tolmie says that an operational foodservice channel is critical to the Australian beef industry as it encompasses a diverse range of occasions.

“The rapid change in consumer behaviour meant a big shift in the typical balance of demand for Australian red meat. Our industry supplies a diverse range of occasions from international hawker markets to premium restaurants and the products they require from offal to manufacturing meat to high-end wagyu.”

“Typically, higher value loin cuts make their way into foodservice which balances out the overall value of the carcase for processors. Profit margins on manufacturing meat and secondary cuts are much smaller and the sale of high-value cuts are necessary to maintain profitability. With all markets facing similar shifts in foodservice demand at once, carcase balance became a major challenge, even for a diversified exporter like Australia,” he said.

The financial impact of COVID-19 has been enormous to all sectors and while the restaurant sector has used takeaway to generate income, one of the mitigating factors for producers has been the rapid uplift in online and retail sales.

Lachie Hart says Stockyard has been buoyed by consumer demand for beef at the retail level – especially through speciality butchers where there is an ability to educate.

“There’s a chain of butcher shops in Brisbane that we have been selling to for some time where we offer our premium Kiwami brand, something we would normally sell for over $100 per kilogram. I took some samples in and it walked out the door. They increased their orders the following week and they just kept increasing.”

“It’s opened my eyes to the fact that there are consumers here in Australia that are quite happy to make that investment, to buy something that is going to give them enormous enjoyment. So I think there are enormous opportunities for high-quality beef in the domestic market,” he said.

Stockyard Beef’s Kerwee Feedlot in QLD’s Darling Downs.

Meat supplier Vic’s Meat’s foodservice business is extensive including a significant dry ageing program and when COVID-19 hit, they were left holding the baby.

“In March I was looking at $4.5 million dollars of high-end product wondering what we were going to do. By the end of June, it was all sold through our online retailing and weekend market days. We put it online and it was gone. I couldn’t believe it,” said Vic’s purchasing officer Jack Churchill.

While changes to consumer behaviour and perception can be difficult to predict, thinking differently about how foodservice venues source, prepare and sell their beef to the diner can alleviate some of the uncertainty.

For chef Neil Perry of Rockpool Group, this has come in the form of a whole carcase program which he has had in place for 14 years. Currently, he takes three whole carcases every month and says not only do his customers see real value in all parts of the beast but also doing it this way makes the premium cuts great value.

“We have taken whole carcases for a long time, particularly in Melbourne where the weather allows for things like corned beef, braised briskets and burgers. With the shoulder cuts, we break them down to pretty much a lot of grilling cuts now – the Denver and blade and so forth, just breaking it down into individual muscles,” he said.

Neil Perry says Rockpool’s whole carcase program makes premium cuts great value.

With 20 years’ experience as a beef producer raising English Longhorns and other breeds in South Australia and Tasmania and a retailer and supplier to foodservice, Richard Gunner knows a thing or two about high-quality beef.

“It is much easier to manage price changes if there is more interconnectivity of cut use. Operators who do intelligent things like promoting ‘the butchers cut of the day’ as well as presenting cuts in a way that differentiates them from the look of the original primal, makes a big difference. Minimising the price differential between cuts would be very beneficial to the ability of market participants to move beef prices more easily in line with cattle prices,” he said.

Tenderness has long been the prime quality indicator for beef – thus driving the pricing of loin cuts which consist of the muscles that do the least work. With loin cuts representing only around eight percent of the carcase – can customer perception be influenced to raise the value of the remaining 92 percent and bring the carcase back into balance?

Loin cuts represent just 8 percent of the beef carcase.

Tim Burvill isn’t sure it is achievable – citing that western cultures love tenderness in red meat above all else.

“We’ve been eating red meat for hundreds of years, so society has some very established beliefs in what constitutes an elite eating experience, it’s what the customer wants. I think a better approach is to educate diners and consumers on alternative cooking methods for secondary cuts and demonstrate they can achieve a very good eating experience by preparing and cooking the meat in a different way,” he said

However, Neil Perry feels that as long as there is an explanation behind it, his customers are ready to take on something new.

“When the customer feels comfortable that the venue has got control of what’s going on, they feel very at home and willing to try whatever we are pushing – it is not difficult for us to say we have a nine-year-old shorthorn that we’d love you to try or a cut that they may not have heard of.”

Neil Perry says customers will try new things as long as there is an explanation.

As a producer, Karina O’Neil agrees and suggests that education and marketing is key – particularly when it is linked to sustainability.

“We cannot afford to waste any of the beast and nor should we have to. Every part of the carcase has value nutritionally and its own attributes or characteristics. The less-tender cuts of meat often have a far superior depth of flavour but require a different preparation and cooking style – whether that is through dry ageing or cooking low and slow. This requires more time but is so worth the reward and is part of the reason for the increased popularity in American BBQ with smoked brisket, hump and ribs,” she said.

Richard Gunner agrees that things are changing and that customers and diners want stories along with authenticity and experience.

When we first started all we could sell was fillet and scotch – now we can sell almost any cut and even retired dairy cow. Education is key and chefs are naturally innovative – we just need to amplify their message and the rest will follow.”

Karina O’Neil and Gulf Coast Co has had a long association with leading chefs and sees them as the key link to driving red meat consumption through the COVID-19 crisis and into the future.

“With better education of chefs and increased access to the full food supply chain, chefs are in a position to set the trends that then flow down through the foodservice sector and ultimately through to consumer trends.”

Chefs are in a position to set the trends that flow down through foodservice and into retail and consumer trends.

Richard Gunner agrees that supply chain relationships are key and sees resilience in the Australian foodservice sector through the support of the red meat industry.

“The Australian restaurant scene was ever-growing in importance for overall plate share of meals eaten by Australians. It has been belted as few other sectors have ever been belted. What I know is that when you are belted you really appreciate the people that are there for you and support you at these times. You remember them for a long time. If the red meat industry supports restaurants, I think that investment will be returned many times over in the ensuing years,” he said.

COVID-19 has been a time of financial and emotional pain for many but also one of change, and in many cases, personal growth. It has also been an opportunity to reassess old business models and the way the supply chain works together. Producers and the foodservice sector are now looking at how they can work together more closely, to innovate for mutual benefit.

Up Front

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Up
Front

Kylie Javier Ashton

General Manager
– Momofuku Seiobo

Kylie has always loved taking care of people and that’s a key reason why she ended up in hospitality. Growing up, food was always at the centre of everything for her family and when she first started working in hospitality, everything just made sense and fell in to place.

She says when she’s taking care of other people, that’s when she feels the most comfortable – to her hospitality is not a job, it’s just who she is. We chat to her about her career and her little Momo family.

Tell us about your hospitality career – where did it start and how did you get to where you are today?

I started working in bars as a second job when I was studying. When I saw an ad to work in the reservations team at Tetsuya’s, I applied but ended up with a job in the restaurant. I didn’t even know how to carry three plates and had never worked in a restaurant. But it was an amazing place to learn, and I worked my way up to be a food runner, then a section waiter, a host and even did a week work experience in the kitchen.

I’ve been really lucky to work with amazing people throughout my career – including Brent Savage and Nick Hildebrandt at Bentley, and went on to open Duke Bistro with Mitch Orr and Thomas Lim. There is a great community of people you meet in hospitality that essentially landed me where I am today. Ben Greeno and Su Wong would come to Duke and have late night snacks when they were setting up Momofuku Seiobo. I remember thinking how awesome it would be to work there, and when I left Duke the opportunity came up to join the team.

It’s been a six-year journey so far. In that time, I took over as the General Manager and Paul Carmichael took over as Executive Chef, and I’ve seen the restaurant through a lot of change. It’s honestly my dream job and I love what we’ve created.

What does a day in the life look like for the general manager of Momofuku Seiobo?

It really depends on the day! I think that is what I love most about my job – it’s pretty dynamic and no two days are the same. For the first part of my day, I focus on admin. Whilst that might sound mundane, there’s always a pretty broad scope of things I’m working on. This could range from managing the finances to menu design, event planning, reservations, press requests and the list goes on.

Then, of course, service is the fun part. It’s great to work in a job where you get to see the results of your work immediately – and the fast-paced environment of a restaurant keeps me on my toes and thinking quick.

Tell us about your Momofuku family – how do you keep all the kids happy and humming along?

Our Momo family is exactly like any family – we’re a little bit dysfunctional and a little bit crazy – but we have a lot of fun doing what we do, and we have each other’s backs. It’s a really diverse team with people from so many different backgrounds which keeps things interesting and adds extra layers to our team. Most of the FOH team have been with me for a long time, and I’m grateful to have such a solid crew to work with and learn from.

We have tonnes of systems in place because I’m a little OCD – but it means you never walk into a shit-show and we can focus on putting on a seamless service. We try to have a strong focus on training. At the end of the day, we want to produce the best industry leaders and people who can think about the bigger picture – not just teach people how to get through service.

You’re a judge of this year’s Appetite for Excellence Young Waiter award – what advice do you have for young people keen to pursue a FOH career?

On-the-job training is one of the most valuable tools to have. Nothing beats experience and the best way to learn and develop is to pay attention to what is going on around you – not just to what is in front of you. This industry has a lot to give, but only if you take it for yourself. And, like other industries, education is so valuable. Study wine, business, management, or anything hospitality related. It will give you extra tools to develop your skills and knowledge.

So, you’re a vegetarian being interviewed for a red meat-focused emagazine which probably isn’t PC but it’s a reality for our industry. Tell us about your red meat journey.

Being a vegetarian is a new thing for me, and I do eat meat on very special occasions. I still love meat, but I guess the main reason for being a vegetarian is about being more conscious about my consumption and my choices. I don’t want to be disengaged from what I consume. I feel there is a social responsibility to understand and respect the animals, farmers and land that our food comes from.

We are incredibly privileged to have unlimited access to what is essentially a luxury item for most people around the world. So, I try to be mindful of what and when I eat meat. To enjoy and savour it, and not be wasteful or complacent when I do choose to treat myself.

Cut Showcase

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Lamb Chump

HAM 4790

Derived from the lower back area at the top of the leg, there are two chumps per animal, accounting for around 3% of the carcase. Lamb chump is the equivalent of a beef rump and comprised of the same muscles. Offering tender, flavoursome and textural roasts, steaks and chops, this versatile primal has application potential across venue and cuisine types.

Paddock Story

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Big
Beef

When it comes to business, be that a beef business or any other sizeable corporate entity, as a society, we tend to think that big somehow means bad.

Large-scale operations from all industries tend to get a bad rap with assumptions that they are not as passionate as small operators, that they don’t adhere to certain standards, that they cut corners just to make a profit and that the end product is not as good.

But we are not here to discuss the scruples of big business in general, we are here to talk beef. In this case, broad-scale intensive beef production.

How does it stack up? We went to find out.

For this story, we went big all right. We covered 8,000kms on a supply chain journey with a company managing 17.3 million acres of land (roughly 1% of Australia’s land mass) and a herd of 500,000 cattle.

This is big, and it’s beautiful.

Wagyu grazing on an AACo station near Springsure in QLD

Australian Agricultural Company (AACo)

Established in 1824, the Australian Agricultural Company (AACo) is Australia’s largest cattle and beef producer and the oldest continually operating company in Australia.

AACo owns and operates a strategic balance of stations throughout Queensland and the Northern Territory – employing up to 600 people across its integrated supply chain model to produce luxury product at scale.

We visited four AACo properties experiencing an intricate insight into the company and witnessing firsthand the depth of passion, the pinpoint precision and the incredible people behind this big business.

Trying to surmise succinctly in words what we saw and learnt is almost as daunting as the vastness of the Barkly Tablelands itself. However, what resonated most was the overwhelming scale that never compromises on quality, consistency or care; the emphasis on animal nutrition; and the people.

In the Business of People

A business is only as good as its people and in the business of intensive beef production, perhaps this is even more apparent. AACo’s people and their pastoral expertise is one of its most important assets and each of the properties is stewarded by families who dedicate their lives to the land and cattle. It is their expertise and commitment that underpins everything the company sets out to achieve.

At each stop along the way, the passion and knowledge was remarkable. Subject matter experts without a doubt but all acutely aware of their role within the broader operation.

There is a proud Australian history and a sense of cultural belonging that resonates so explicitly – an authenticity you don’t find anywhere else. Days are long and stifling hot, the work is physically demanding and there is not much in the way of life’s little luxuries. Yet at the end of a hard day, the teams always find the time to share a story and a laugh, and enjoy a meal together.

Brunette Downs, as pictured during wet season in the article’s opening image, is an epic 3-million-acre station located 2,500km west of Brisbane on the Northern Territory’s Barkly Tablelands. In this incredibly isolated location, the logistics of looking after staff are dramatically amplified.

They don’t come into work each day, clock in, knock off and head home. There’s no supermarket, no local store and certainly no Uber Eats. The nearest service town is Mt Isa, 660km away.

Jordan and Michael Johnson at Brunette Downs

There is a proud Australian history and a sense of cultural belonging that resonates so explicitly – an authenticity you don’t find anywhere else.

Kitchen rules at Brunette Downs

Looking after employees in this working environment extends far beyond the usual employer duty of care. “We have a community of 45-50 full-time employees living here at the station so the community environment is really important. They work very hard and very long hours so it is vital that they are well looked after and have a place to rest and socialise.”

“We host the annual Brunette Downs Races, Campdraft & Rodeo, a key social event on the calendar for our staff and also the wider Barkly region with visitors from all over the country. It’s a great four days of competition and comradery and we have a bit of fun while we’re at it,” said Michael Johnson, Brunette Downs Station Manager.

Groceries and supplies come in once a week from Mt Isa and fortunately, there is a good supply of premium protein on hand. The station employs a full time butcher who selects two animals a week for camp consumption. There is a full-time cook, and a kitchen and dining area with strict rules around meal times and manners – breakfast is served between 5-6am, lunch 12-1pm and dinner from 7pm.

There is a small school serviced via School of the Air for children living on the property, a medical clinic with a doctor flying in for consults once a week. Then there is the cherished social club – a bar, a pool table and a place to kick back with a drink and relax – all proceeds go back into the club for events and activities throughout the year.

Everything is run by generators, there is no electricity here. There is no mobile service and communication across the 3 million acres is only via two-way radios. You don’t want to get lost out here. However, there is WIFI at the homestead and lodgings providing much-needed connectivity to reach friends and family.

We had but a taste of station life and for many, it may seem an impossible notion – but the comradery, the laughter, the hospitality and the community spirit was very much alive. Beef doesn’t come from the packet. It comes from places like this – from hard-working people who take pride in what they do to ensure quality in your kitchens and on the plate.

Returning home after a long day at Brunette Downs

The Rising Plane of Nutrition

It may seem obvious that animal nutrition is important. Everyone knows diet is a key driver in quality and consistency of the end product. What many may not know is the breadth of scientifically informed decisions that determine animal nutrition through the entire supply chain.

From tracking and recording genetic performance data to the development of fat cells in utero; from the inoculation of silage to the scientific balance of grain-fed rations; from stringent land and grass management to broad acre cropping – it all comes down to one key term.

A rising plane of nutrition (RPN) refers to the animal’s nutrition over time and ensuring it never goes backwards – regardless of seasonal conditions such as drought. With significant impact on productivity, RPN was a key point of discussion throughout the supply chain and a key contributor to business decisions.

Inquisitive Wagyu at one of AACo’s stations in QLD

"Through continued investment in innovation and cutting-edge genetic technologies, our herd gene pool is continually improving."

Whilst the availability of good feed is key to RPN, an animal’s genetic capacity to convert food to energy and contribute to Average Daily Gain (ADG) is also a critical element. The importance of genetics and performance is therefore crucial to business productivity, as is the ability to record and analyse that data.

Performance recording at AACo is on a scale that has the company leading global genetic gain and significantly influences breeding decisions. Cattle are tracked and recorded against 20 different traits at various times over their lifespan, from weight, marbling, eye muscle area, fat depth, calving ease, gestation and more – all can be traced back to parentage and lineage.

“Through continued investment in innovation and cutting-edge genetic technologies, our herd gene pool is continually improving, further driving quality yields and reliability of supply. This ensures we can consistently produce a product that meets the highest standards of eating quality. It is this capability that ultimately uniquely positions AACo to deliver luxury product consistently around the world,” said AACo Chairman Donald McGauchie AO.

AACo’s Westholme beef

Market ready 700kg steers at Goonoo Feedlot

A key AACo advantage is the geographical spread of its properties with the ability to move stock to more plentiful pasture or to bring them on to feed at one of the company’s two feedlots.

“Fundamentally, we are grass managers first and cattle managers second. Grass is our air and our blood for the cattle and without it, we don’t have much. We do grass audits monthly to check levels and quality which informs our decisions and ensures our cattle are always on that rising plane of nutrition, never going backwards and just steadily growing,” said Greg Gibbons, General Manager South East QLD Wagyu & Feedlots.

Finally, animal nutrition in the feedlot is the final piece of the RPN puzzle. Goonoo consists of a feedlot, station and farm and is a major component of the business.

“Essentially, the cattle come here to be finished. During their lifetime, we want them on a constant rising plane of nutrition and when they arrive to Goonoo, nutrition is the key to providing the marbling in the end product. Our cattle receive only the best – we have full-time nutritionists who ensure they have the best possible opportunity to marble. Coming through the feedlot process guarantees the consistency and quality of our product to the customer,” said Jamie Raven, Goonoo Feedlot Manager.

The farm component at Goonoo runs an extensive program of dryland cropping and irrigation to provide year-round high-quality feed for the feedlot. The farming operation aims to provide all the fodder and silage for the feedlot and 20% of the grain requirements.

Jordan assesses the barley crop at Goonoo

Big – It Isn’t Bad

An operation of this size is difficult to comprehend – AACo ensures 1 million people around the world every single day, can enjoy the best quality Australian Wagyu. To achieve this takes not only size and scale, it takes responsibility; it takes leadership; and it takes the utmost care and respect for the land, the environment and the animals.

Quality production relies on a healthy environment and AACo aims to manage operations to have minimal impact on air, water, land, flora, fauna, and on cultural heritage and values. Environmentally and socially sustainable practices are a crucial part to not only AACo, but also the broader Australian beef industry’s ability to deliver outstanding-quality beef.

AACo also has a strong commitment to animal welfare that was abundantly clear throughout our trip. The care and respect for the cattle is paramount and the company has clear policies in place to ensure best practice in animal husbandry and handling through the supply chain.

Carefully selected nutrition ensures the best possible opportunity to marble.

"Our cattle are everything and training our people to understand and respect them is paramount. You need to be able to understand their natural behaviours and at every interaction and every stage of their life, aim to minimise their stress. Respecting and caring for our cattle is not optional, it’s essential.”

AACo is an exemplary model of big business done well. Through best practice, innovation, unwavering commitment to people, land, environment and animals – it is certainly something we should all be proud to have in our own backyard.

Paddock Story

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Better With Age

With increasing demand for artisan, handcrafted premium food, the popularity of dry aged beef in foodservice venues continues to rise. Yet despite its similar physical properties, dry aged lamb has been largely unexplored.

Recent research funded by Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) showed that the dry ageing process significantly positively affects the eating quality of sheepmeat and that dry aged sheepmeat of all classes (lamb, hogget and mutton) was preferred over wet aged lamb.

MLA General Manager Research, Development and Innovation Sean Starling said dry aged sheepmeat offered foodservice opportunities beyond typical cuts and with lesser-used products like hogget and mutton.

“We found that dry ageing sheepmeat products had the same result as beef with positive flavour effects and increased tenderness. Dry aged lamb, hogget and mutton were all higher in positive attributes and lower in negative attributes than wet aged lamb.”

“Mutton and hogget typically attract a lower price than lamb due to age, fat content, flavour and eating quality. Applying the dry ageing process resulted in a product with increased tenderness and flavour; and consumer testing revealed a willingness to pay a 30 per cent premium over wet aged lamb,” he said.

Haddon Rig is a 62,000-acre property near Warren in Central West NSW, privately owned by the Falkiner family for over 100 years. Traditionally a stud Merino ram and wool producing operation, the business is now looking to take advantage of the sheepmeat market, and value-adding including dry-aged lamb.

General Manager Charlie Blomfield said they started dry ageing lamb as a point of difference – working directly with chefs and foodservice to develop a product that they wanted.

“Customer-driven demand is key and so we’ve been working with chefs directly to try and create something they want. We were already producing a delicious product but found dry ageing improved the flavour profile and tenderness, especially with hogget and mutton,” Charlie said.

“Initially, we dry aged some lamb for five weeks with Victor Churchill then hosted an event at Porteno with 50 chefs to try it. We put it up against some of our fresh lamb and they all preferred the dry aged. That’s when we thought we were on to something and we’ve been learning ever since.”

The Haddon Rig lambs are processed locally at Fletchers International then sent to Dubbo Meat & Seafood Centre where they are dry aged, cut, boxed and delivered. Owner and head butcher Mark Knaggs says that he has learnt a lot in the process – particularly the specifics of dry ageing in such a dry region.

“It has been an interesting learning curve and it really isn’t as simple as you think. Most dry ageing in Australia occurs in coastal regions where it’s a lot more humid – they’re constantly trying to get moisture out of the air but here we are constantly trying to get it in.”

“There are three main factors with dry ageing – temperature, humidity and wind speed – getting those exactly right has certainly been a challenge but we’ve got it figured out now and are ready to punch forward. We age for three to five weeks and it’s just an amazing product,” Mark said.

Charlie discussing his dry aged lamb product with chef Alanna Sapwell.

Haddon Rig lamb in the dry ageing facility at Dubbo Meat & Seafood Centre.

Given the extra time and process required to dry age, the product usually carries a hefty price premium – something that the team are trying to address to make the product more accessible.

“We’re trying to be cost effective as well and that’s why we’re doing the six-way cut. This reduces labour costs on our end and gives the restaurant a chance to get creative with what they’ve got in front of them and create dishes no one else has,” Mark said.

Producing a high-quality product isn’t just about what happens in the dry ageing room – it starts well before on-farm with genetics, technology and innovation, farm management and passionate people.

Haddon Rig Livestock Operations Manager Andy Maclean has worked on the property for almost 25 years managing day-to-day operations to ensure what leaves Haddon Rig has every potential to deliver an outstanding product.

“Merinos have changed a lot over the last 20 years – traditionally they were small with a massive amount of wool and hard to finish and grow out for meat production. The style of animal we breed today is dual purpose for both meat and wool – earlier maturing, quicker growing and bigger so you get a really good fat lamb with very good eating quality.”

Charlie trimming some freshly cut Haddon Rig dry aged lamb.

“We’ve also adopted a lot of new technologies like eye muscle and fat depth testing to identify those really good animals that end up with a great carcase. We use those genetics to really push our flock along so that our lambs provide a lot of good quality meat and good fat cover,” Andy said.

In the midst of one of the worst droughts in 135 years of Australian history, the ability to consistently supply product despite seasonal conditions is a key part of the Haddon Rig supply chain.

“We developed some centre pivot irrigation at Haddon Rig in recent years to drought-proof our livestock business. Traditionally we’ve relied on pasture but during the dry years, the irrigation allows us to grow crop fodder to feed the sheep and keep our production system going no matter what.”

“For chefs, this means they are going to get a consistent product that, even in a dry year like this, we can continue to supply at scale with good fat cover and intramuscular fat,” Charlie said.

As factors like provenance, sustainability and welfare continue to grow in customer importance and awareness, today a high-quality product is only as good as the story that comes with it.

With more than 100 years of history in the Macquarie Valley, Charlie and the Haddon Rig team are exceptionally proud of the lamb that they are producing and the heritage behind it.

“The Falkiner family has been breeding Merinos at Haddon Rig for over a century and we take very special care of our animals and put a lot of work into their genetic improvement. Establishing a market for our dry aged product makes Merino sheep production more sustainable by providing more value across the animal’s lifespan.”

Charlie and Alanna on the centre pivot irrigation.

“We are really proud to have our supply chain 100% located in Central West NSW. The sheep are born and raised at Haddon Rig, processed by Fletcher’s International in Dubbo then sent to Dubbo Meat & Seafood Centre where the expert butchers dry age and cut our lambs to order and ship directly to the customer,” Charlie said.

Freshly cut dry aged lamb at Haddon Rig

Haddon Rig owner George Falkiner is excited about the move into high-value sheepmeat and believes the Macquarie Valley region to be the best for producing lamb in NSW.

“We are fortunate to be based on the beautiful Macquarie River. It is a very special region with Mitchell grass plains, beautiful gum and eucalyptus trees and a temperate climate. It’s this combination of factors coupled with careful management that produces this exceptional product.”

“Much like some areas are better for growing wine than others – this is probably the premier place in NSW for producing very succulent, tender lamb. We hope that one day Haddon Rig lamb will be recognised as the premier lamb product in Australia – just like Grange in the Coonawarra,” George said.

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LUCAS LAMB

Lucas Restaurants, founded by restaurateur Chris Lucas, is home to some of Australia’s most acclaimed restaurants encompassing a range of cuisines and dining experiences.

Lucas Restaurants chefs Benjamin Cooper and Andrea Kok

From high end fine diner Society and contemporary Japanese restaurants Yakimono and Kisumé; to the lavish wood fired Grill Americano and south-east Asian favourite Chin Chin; along with the lively Hawker Hall and Italian neighbourhood eatery Baby – Lucas Restaurants offer something for everyone.

This Summer, Lucas Restaurants partnered with Australian Lamb to develop and promote special lamb dishes over the January period at Chin Chin, Hawker Hall and Grill Americano – featured here are the dishes of chefs Benjamin Cooper of Chin Chin and Andrea Kok of Hawker Hall.

CHEF ONE

Benjamin Cooper – Executive Chef

Chin Chin

The inspiration for Benjamin’s dish came from an old family favourite recipe for Burmese butter beans. Not overly spicy but really fragrant and delicious, it works beautifully with lamb.

A Melbourne institution for 12 years, Chin Chin has been Benjamin’s culinary playground since it first opened.

“I’ve been at Chin Chin since the beginning and it’s been an absolutely crazy ride, we’ve had the most incredible time and it’s been crazy busy since day one. I’m really fortunate to have an amazing front of house and back of house team – the crew is amazing. For a restaurant as busy as it is, it’s probably the calmest kitchen I’ve ever worked in.”

Chin Chin executive chef Benjamin Cooper

“We work really hard at ensuring that guests get an amazing experience whenever they come to dine with us - consistency is king. To be able to run an incredibly busy restaurant in one of the best food cities in the world is certainly very humbling and keeps me really energised and driven to continue making tasty food,” Benjamin said.

Grilled Lamb Backstrap with Turmeric Spiced Butter Beans and Fennel Salad

Serves 4 (Main) or 6-8 (Banquet)

Spice Paste

80g turmeric
20g dried red chilli
20g coriander root
40g garlic
45g ginger
5g salt

Blend all ingredients or pound in a mortar and pestle to a textural paste.

Marinated Lamb Backstrap

2 lamb backstraps
1 ½ tbs cumin powder
1 ½ tbs fennel seed
Salt
Pepper
40ml olive oil

Mix the marinade ingredients in a bowl then cover the backstraps, wrap and allow to marinate overnight.

Turmeric Spiced Butter Beans

400g tin butter beans or dried beans soaked overnight
50-60g spice paste
300ml coconut cream
70ml chicken stock
15g sugar
Salt and pepper to season
100ml olive oil

In a heavy based pan, heat oil and fry the spice paste till fragrant, add butter beans and toss to coat. Add the chicken stock, half the coconut cream and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until beans are tender and creamy, stir frequently and add more coconut cream as required. Remove from the heat and set aside ready for the lamb.

Fennel Salad

½ head fennel finely sliced
½ bunch garlic chives cut into 4cm batons
1-2 spring onions finely sliced
Small knob ginger julienned
¼ bunch coriander picked
¼ bunch mint picked
1 red chilli sliced

Tamarind Dressing

40ml tamarind water
40ml lime juice
70ml lemon juice
10-15g scud chilli sliced
40ml fish sauce
40ml oyster sauce

Combine all dressing ingredients in a bowl then check seasoning – should be tart, spicy and fresh.

To Serve

Grill lamb to desired doneness then allow to rest for four minutes. While lamb is cooking, heat the beans and prepare the salad. Spread butter beans on the plate, slice the lamb and place on top. Dress the salad and place on the lamb. Drizzle plate with coconut cream and chilli oil.

CHEF TWO

Andrea Kok – Head Chef

Hawker Hall

Andrea was born in Malaysia and grew up in Kuala Lumpur. Her cooking career has seen her travel the world including seven years in Singapore and 18 months in America before returning home to Malaysia. She moved to Melbourne where she worked to open Yakimono before moving into her head chef role at Hawker Hall.

“Hawker Hall’s flavour influence is mostly Malaysian and Singaporean with a little bit of Indian as well and we try to keep our flavours as authentic as possible to the roots of these cuisines.”

Hawker Hall head chef Andrea Kok

“The inspiration for this dish was mostly from when my dad used to take me to Indian restaurants in Malaysia where the star dish was usually lamb. Here I have used lamb shank to make this Indian inspired braised lamb.”

Lamb Shank Curry with Pilaf and Garlic Butter Naan

Serves 4 (Main)

Curry Paste

30g long red chilli
30g shallot
20g garlic
20g red onion
10g ginger
1 tbs Baba’s brand meat curry powder
1 tbs turmeric powder
½ tsp chilli powder
3 tbs vegetable oil
2 tbs lime juice
1 tbs sugar
1 tsp salt

For the curry paste – add all ingredients to a blender and blend into a puree paste.

Lamb Shank Curry

500g lamb shank
1 tbs curry paste
5 tbs yoghurt
1 tbs Baba’s brand meat curry powder
1 tsp chicken powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tbs vegetable oil

Pierce the lamb shank and marinate it in a vac bag with the other ingredients overnight. Cook in a steam oven or sous vide at a controlled temperature of 75 degrees for four hours.

2 stalks whole lemongrass
1 red onion sliced
2 cloves
2 star anise
2 tbs vegetable oil
200ml coconut milk

In a hot wok, heat up some vegetable oil and add the onion, lemongrass, cloves and star anise. Sweat the onion, add in the remaining curry paste and cook until fragrant. The paste will brown slightly, that’s when to add the coconut milk and cook the curry on low heat. Add in the lamb shank and let it simmer for five minutes.

If the curry gets too thick, add some chicken stock or water to loosen it a little. Taste and season as needed before serving. Place lamb shank into a serving dish and pour the curry over it. Serve with naan, roti or rice.

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GOAT TWO WAYS

Goatmeat is a highly nutritious source of protein and with no associated religious or cultural restrictions, is consumed by around 63 percent of the world’s population.

In Australia, it is a niche protein with only about nine percent of goat production consumed domestically – while the remaining 90 percent is exported to destinations around the world.

Australians generally lack familiarity with goatmeat and how to prepare it – however our rich tapestry of cultures and cuisines offer a wealth of inspiration and delicious ways to give goat a go.

Boneless goat leg, shin and marrow

We teamed up with chefs Ibrahim Kasif, formerly of Turkish favourite Stanbuli and now head chef at Beau; and restaurateur and former Masterchef star Minoli De Silva of Ella in Darwin – to show us the way to go with goat.

Beautiful goat shin, boneless leg and marrow from the Gourmet Goat Lady were sourced via Emilio’s Butchery in Rozelle NSW for this shoot.

CHEF ONE

Minoli De Silva

Ella By Minoli

Jaggery Goat Curry

Sri Lankan born and Melbourne raised, Minoli confesses to being obsessed with food – and it shows.

The Masterchef alumni (two times over) trained and worked as an Engineer but has finally realised her dream, opening her first restaurant Ella in Darwin. Focused on seasonal produce, modern cooking techniques and the deep, rich flavours of Minoli’s Sri Lankan heritage – Ella is a journey of flavour, fun and finesse.

Right off the bat, Minoli was up for the Goat Two Ways challenge – her dish of choice – a Jaggery Goat Curry with her signature Roti. Jaggery is an unrefined sugar product made using traditional methods of pressing and distilling palm or cane juice, the colour ranges from light golden to dark brown due to the retention of molasses.

Minoli De Silva

“This curry incorporates a lot of what is important to Sri Lankan cuisine – the range of spices from fresh to dark roasted curry powders; to using three parts of the coconut including water, milk and cream – and finally, time. The goat is so full of flavour and when you just let time do its work, all the spices get absorbed into the meat and the marrow adds an incredible richness. You can’t beat the flavour.”

“This goat curry dish is perfect for a special occasion – there is a lot of effort that goes into making it but so much reward. You sit around with the whole family or group of friends and eat everything – everyone uses their hands, breaking off all parts of the meat and sucking marrow from the bone, it’s a really special experience.”

“The other thing I would say is that this dish is a great way for people who may not have tried goat before to give it a go – everything is made to go together and the result is a meltingly delicious dish that you can’t stop eating,” Minoli said.