Rib Roast Served with Aussie Beer Bush Damper

Rib Roast

Ingredients:

6 beef ribs
6 eschallots
4 cloves of garlic
1 tbls of cracked black pepper
½ tbls raw sugar
440g can of chopped tomatoes
3 bay leaves
1 sprig of Rosemary
Pinch of salt
1 bottle of red wine
Olive oil
green beans


Method:

1. Trim the ribs of excess fat and then brown on all sides in a hot pan (that can be used in the oven) in the olive oil.

2. Once browned, remove ribs from pan (keep them warm). Add the eschallots and garlic cloves to the pan and brown those a little.

3. Put the ribs back in the pan, then sprinkle with the pepper, sugar, salt and give them a stir and then add the tomatoes.
4. Give it all a stir and bring to the boil then add the wine, bay leaves and the rosemary.

5. Stir it all again and bring to the boil. Put a tight fitting lid on the casserole dish and put in the oven at 160 degrees fan forced or about 180 normal and cook until fall apart tender – about 1 ½ half hours.

6. When cooked carefully remove the ribs from the cooking liquor, strain the liquor and put in a clean pot and bring to a firm simmer until it has reduced to a consistency you are happy with – probably reduced by ½ to a 1/3. While the sauce is reducing trim the gristly skin flaps from the ribs so that all you have left is just cubes of meat (the fat would have rendered during the cooking leaving the gristly skin and the bones will have fallen out during the cooking process and discarded when you strained the sauce.

7. Serve 3 or 4 pieces of the meat on a plate, spoon the sauce around and over the meat and serve with a side of steamed green beans. You could also serve with a mash of some kind or even some polenta however the rib meat is unctuous and rich and just fine with the beans.

Aussie Beer Bush Damper

Ingredients:

3 cups of self raising flour
1 tsp salt
3 tsp of Akudjura powder – ground bush tomato
2 tsp native Mountain Pepperleaf powder
½ tsp of roasted ground wattle seeds
½ bottle of stout


Method:

1. Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a bowl and then gradually add the beer.

2. Mix with a wooden spoon until the mix comes together.
3. Turn out of the bowl and knead for several minutes until the dough is smooth.
4. Form the dough into a round loaf shape and score the top of the loaf in six wedges. Put in a hot oven on baking paper on the tray or wire rack and cook at 200 degrees or 180 fan forced – spray with water and cook for about 25 – 30 minutes.
5. The damper is ready when it is crispy on the outside and sounds hollow when tapped. Turn out on a wire rack and cool or rip it apart straight away, slather it in butter and eat with a cup of tea

BBQ Baby Octopus with Greek Salad

BBQ baby octopus

Serves 4:

1.25kg baby octopus, cleaned
Juice of 1 lemon
3/4 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tablespoons dried oregano
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped
Lemon wedges
Greek salad, to serve

1. Squeeze lemon juice into a large bowl. Add squeezed lemon halves, olive oil, garlic, oregano and octopus. Toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or ideally over night.
2. Heat a barbecue flat plate over high heat. Add drained octopus and cook, turning regularly for about 5-10 minutes, or until octopus is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper.
Transfer octopus onto a large serving plate. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with lemon wedges and Greek salad


Greek salad recipe

3 Roma tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 Lebanese cucumbers, halved and sliced
1 Spanish onion, halved and thinly sliced
200g block of Greek style Fetta cheese, diced into cubes
100g Kalamata olives
1/2 bunch chopped continental flatleaf parsley
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine tomatoes, cucumbers, Spanish onion, Fetta, olives and parsley in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.