First of all, a big thank you for the nice comments about Neven’s English Food Tour, which is on RTÉ 1 on Wednesdays at 8.30pm. We all had a great time travelling in the northeast of England, visiting places like Newcastle.
And, Newcastle was very much on my mind just after Christmas when Connor and I were given two tickets to watch Man United play Newcastle at Old Trafford prior to Ruben Amorim’s departure.
Thank you very much to my good friend, Peter Goan.
We had a fabulous time. We flew from Knock in Co Mayo, which is about an hour and a half from Blacklion, so it was very handy for us.
First stop was the Manchester Megastore, where I kept my credit card under control. You can only have so many jerseys!
Then there was the match itself, which we won 1-0, courtesy of midfielder Patrick Dorgu scoring his first goal for the club. What an atmosphere we enjoyed in Old Trafford. It was electric.
It was a lot better than the 4-1 beating we suffered against Newcastle in February. Little did we know all the drama that was coming over the next weeks, with the public spat and subsequent departure of Ruben Amorim from the club.
But as I have said before, I have been a Manchester United fan since I was the age of just 15, and I am definitely in for the long haul.
Irish fans
We met a lot of Irish people at the match, so the support for Manchester United remains firm. The next morning, Connor and I did the Old Trafford stadium tour, which was absolutely fantastic.
There was a group of about 50 of us, and we had two guides who took us all over the place, including a visit into the changing rooms where you can see the players’ kit at their lockers.
Of course, we took some selfies along the way. We also got to check out the trophy room, which is a very impressive display, and there is room for more. I look forward to the future.
This week, I’m featuring two great beef cuts, both full of flavour and ideal to cook low and slow, which are perfect for dark and cold January meals.
And they are very good value. I am very partial to beef ribs. This is a cut we use in the restaurant as a garnish on our beef fillet dish. We get a lot of nice comments about it.
In MacNean House and Restaurant, we braise it on the bone, but you can buy it off the bone. It is important to sear it for the best flavour. You could also use this recipe with pork belly, but remember that it will cook a bit faster than the beef ribs do.
Japanese twist
The second meal has an Asian twist with a lot of good punchy flavours. Miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning with the distinctive flavour of fermented soya beans. This flavour is known as umami, which is the fifth basic taste along with sweet, sour, salty and bitter.
Miso is great in soups, marinades and dressings – and is easy to find in supermarkets these days. It is well worth trying out in your cooking.
I love this with creamy mashed potatoes, but you could also use rice. You can make this meal a day or two ahead, so, along with being good value, it ticks a lot of boxes.
The second steak meal is basically a beef and mushroom casserole with a puff pastry lid. For beef in a casserole, I like the more fatty pieces, which are juicier and have more flavour.
Pancetta has that lovely smokiness and richness. Portobello are a glorious big breakfast mushroom, and you can use a can of tomatoes instead of the purée. And again, it is best cooked low and slow and it is beautiful with mashed potatoes or rice.
Honey miso beef short ribs
Ingredients: Serves 2-4
1 pack boneless beef short ribs
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
2cm piece fresh root ginger, sliced
3 garlic cloves, bashed
1 bunch spring onions, thinly sliced
100ml sake or dry sherry (optional)
2 tbsp miso
4 tbsp hot honey
2 tbsp soy and ginger sauce
1 star anise
500ml beef stock
1 tbsp cornflour
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Creamy mashed potatoes, to serve
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F/Gas Mark 3). Remove the ribs from the packaging and allow to back to room temperature. Heat a casserole until smoking hot over a high heat. Season the ribs generously. Add the oil and then add the ribs. Sear all over until golden brown, turning them regularly with tongs. Transfer to a plate.
2. Drain the excess oil out of the casserole and add the ginger, garlic and two-thirds of the spring onions. Sauté for about 2 minutes until aromatic. Deglaze with the sake or sherry and then whisk in the miso and honey.
3. Add the soy and ginger sauce with the star anise and stock. Return the ribs to the casserole. Cover with a lid and roast for 3 hours until the ribs are meltingly tender.
4. When the ribs are cooked, carefully transfer them to a warm plate. Then remove any excess fat with kitchen roll. Strain into a clean pan to remove and discard the aromatics.
5. Mix the cornflour with enough water to make a paste and then whisk into the sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook for a few minutes until thickened, whisking constantly.
6. Spoon the creamy mashed potatoes onto each of the plates and make a dip in the centre of each one. Add the ribs and spoon over the honey miso sauce. Garnish with the remaining spring onions to serve.
Steak and portobello mushroom pie
Neven Maguire: Steak and Portobello mushroom pie. \ Philip Doyle
Ingredients: Serves 6
1 twin pack casserole beef pieces
1 pack pancetta, finely chopped
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 pack Simply Better Irish baby
rainbow carrots, sliced
2 tbsp tomato puree
3 tbsp plain flour, plus extra for dusting
300ml red wine
1 carton beef stock
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 pack portobello mushrooms
1 pack all butter puff pastry, thawed
1 Irish free-range corn-fed large egg, beaten
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Peas, buttered
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F/Gas Mark 3). Dry the beef with kitchen paper and allow it to come back to room temperature. Heat a large casserole dish over a high heat. Add the pancetta and sauté until it is crispy. Transfer to a small bowl.
2. Add the oil to the casserole. Season the beef and then sear until browned. Transfer to a plate. Add the onion and carrots and sauté for about 10 minutes until caramelised. Stir in the tomato purée and sauté for another minute. Return the pancetta with the beef. Sprinkle over the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring.
3. Pour in the red wine, allowing it to bubble down. Stir in the stock and thyme. Then season and bring to a simmer. Cover with a lid, then transfer to the oven and cook for 1 hour, then remove from the oven and stir in the mushrooms. Roast for another hour uncovered until the beef is tender and the sauce has nicely reduced.
4. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface so that it is large enough to cover the pie, and then cut an extra thin strip of pastry that is long enough to go right around a pie dish. Fill the pie dish with the beef mixture. Then brush the edge with the beaten egg and carefully wrap it around the long, thin strip of pastry. Brush the top with pastry and then sit the puff pastry round on top. Press to seal and trim off the excess, then crimp the edges. Use any trimmings to make decorations, and use the beaten egg to stick them down. Brush the top of the pie with the beaten egg.
5. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas Mark 4) with a baking tray on the middle shelf. Put the pie in the fridge to rest. When the oven is hot, bake the pie for 35-40 minutes until the pastry is cooked through and golden brown and the filling is piping hot. Serve the pie straight to the table with buttered peas.
First of all, a big thank you for the nice comments about Neven’s English Food Tour, which is on RTÉ 1 on Wednesdays at 8.30pm. We all had a great time travelling in the northeast of England, visiting places like Newcastle.
And, Newcastle was very much on my mind just after Christmas when Connor and I were given two tickets to watch Man United play Newcastle at Old Trafford prior to Ruben Amorim’s departure.
Thank you very much to my good friend, Peter Goan.
We had a fabulous time. We flew from Knock in Co Mayo, which is about an hour and a half from Blacklion, so it was very handy for us.
First stop was the Manchester Megastore, where I kept my credit card under control. You can only have so many jerseys!
Then there was the match itself, which we won 1-0, courtesy of midfielder Patrick Dorgu scoring his first goal for the club. What an atmosphere we enjoyed in Old Trafford. It was electric.
It was a lot better than the 4-1 beating we suffered against Newcastle in February. Little did we know all the drama that was coming over the next weeks, with the public spat and subsequent departure of Ruben Amorim from the club.
But as I have said before, I have been a Manchester United fan since I was the age of just 15, and I am definitely in for the long haul.
Irish fans
We met a lot of Irish people at the match, so the support for Manchester United remains firm. The next morning, Connor and I did the Old Trafford stadium tour, which was absolutely fantastic.
There was a group of about 50 of us, and we had two guides who took us all over the place, including a visit into the changing rooms where you can see the players’ kit at their lockers.
Of course, we took some selfies along the way. We also got to check out the trophy room, which is a very impressive display, and there is room for more. I look forward to the future.
This week, I’m featuring two great beef cuts, both full of flavour and ideal to cook low and slow, which are perfect for dark and cold January meals.
And they are very good value. I am very partial to beef ribs. This is a cut we use in the restaurant as a garnish on our beef fillet dish. We get a lot of nice comments about it.
In MacNean House and Restaurant, we braise it on the bone, but you can buy it off the bone. It is important to sear it for the best flavour. You could also use this recipe with pork belly, but remember that it will cook a bit faster than the beef ribs do.
Japanese twist
The second meal has an Asian twist with a lot of good punchy flavours. Miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning with the distinctive flavour of fermented soya beans. This flavour is known as umami, which is the fifth basic taste along with sweet, sour, salty and bitter.
Miso is great in soups, marinades and dressings – and is easy to find in supermarkets these days. It is well worth trying out in your cooking.
I love this with creamy mashed potatoes, but you could also use rice. You can make this meal a day or two ahead, so, along with being good value, it ticks a lot of boxes.
The second steak meal is basically a beef and mushroom casserole with a puff pastry lid. For beef in a casserole, I like the more fatty pieces, which are juicier and have more flavour.
Pancetta has that lovely smokiness and richness. Portobello are a glorious big breakfast mushroom, and you can use a can of tomatoes instead of the purée. And again, it is best cooked low and slow and it is beautiful with mashed potatoes or rice.
Honey miso beef short ribs
Ingredients: Serves 2-4
1 pack boneless beef short ribs
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
2cm piece fresh root ginger, sliced
3 garlic cloves, bashed
1 bunch spring onions, thinly sliced
100ml sake or dry sherry (optional)
2 tbsp miso
4 tbsp hot honey
2 tbsp soy and ginger sauce
1 star anise
500ml beef stock
1 tbsp cornflour
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Creamy mashed potatoes, to serve
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F/Gas Mark 3). Remove the ribs from the packaging and allow to back to room temperature. Heat a casserole until smoking hot over a high heat. Season the ribs generously. Add the oil and then add the ribs. Sear all over until golden brown, turning them regularly with tongs. Transfer to a plate.
2. Drain the excess oil out of the casserole and add the ginger, garlic and two-thirds of the spring onions. Sauté for about 2 minutes until aromatic. Deglaze with the sake or sherry and then whisk in the miso and honey.
3. Add the soy and ginger sauce with the star anise and stock. Return the ribs to the casserole. Cover with a lid and roast for 3 hours until the ribs are meltingly tender.
4. When the ribs are cooked, carefully transfer them to a warm plate. Then remove any excess fat with kitchen roll. Strain into a clean pan to remove and discard the aromatics.
5. Mix the cornflour with enough water to make a paste and then whisk into the sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook for a few minutes until thickened, whisking constantly.
6. Spoon the creamy mashed potatoes onto each of the plates and make a dip in the centre of each one. Add the ribs and spoon over the honey miso sauce. Garnish with the remaining spring onions to serve.
Steak and portobello mushroom pie
Neven Maguire: Steak and Portobello mushroom pie. \ Philip Doyle
Ingredients: Serves 6
1 twin pack casserole beef pieces
1 pack pancetta, finely chopped
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 pack Simply Better Irish baby
rainbow carrots, sliced
2 tbsp tomato puree
3 tbsp plain flour, plus extra for dusting
300ml red wine
1 carton beef stock
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 pack portobello mushrooms
1 pack all butter puff pastry, thawed
1 Irish free-range corn-fed large egg, beaten
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Peas, buttered
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F/Gas Mark 3). Dry the beef with kitchen paper and allow it to come back to room temperature. Heat a large casserole dish over a high heat. Add the pancetta and sauté until it is crispy. Transfer to a small bowl.
2. Add the oil to the casserole. Season the beef and then sear until browned. Transfer to a plate. Add the onion and carrots and sauté for about 10 minutes until caramelised. Stir in the tomato purée and sauté for another minute. Return the pancetta with the beef. Sprinkle over the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring.
3. Pour in the red wine, allowing it to bubble down. Stir in the stock and thyme. Then season and bring to a simmer. Cover with a lid, then transfer to the oven and cook for 1 hour, then remove from the oven and stir in the mushrooms. Roast for another hour uncovered until the beef is tender and the sauce has nicely reduced.
4. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface so that it is large enough to cover the pie, and then cut an extra thin strip of pastry that is long enough to go right around a pie dish. Fill the pie dish with the beef mixture. Then brush the edge with the beaten egg and carefully wrap it around the long, thin strip of pastry. Brush the top with pastry and then sit the puff pastry round on top. Press to seal and trim off the excess, then crimp the edges. Use any trimmings to make decorations, and use the beaten egg to stick them down. Brush the top of the pie with the beaten egg.
5. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas Mark 4) with a baking tray on the middle shelf. Put the pie in the fridge to rest. When the oven is hot, bake the pie for 35-40 minutes until the pastry is cooked through and golden brown and the filling is piping hot. Serve the pie straight to the table with buttered peas.
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