Beef cheeks braised with oysters in Red wine (Inspired by Chef Raymond Blanc)

Ingredients:

2 large pieces of beef cheeks

20 Large oysters
1 Cup Flour
Salt and Pepper to season
Butter/olive oil for frying
Mirepoix: 1 large carrot, 4 stalks celery, 2 large brown onions, 6 cloves garlic, 3 stalks spring onion
500g brown mushrooms
1 small can tomato paste
Aromatics: Thyme, Bay leaves, cinnamon, star anise
Liquids: 1 pack Campbells beef stock, 1 bottle Merlot
Equipment: 1 large heavy base pot, 1 slow cooker

Instructions:

(Optional) Add salt, pepper and flour into a large ziplock bag and shake till well mixed.

Place beef cheeks into the ziplock bag and shake till well coated in flour and seasoning.
(OR) Season beef cheeks with salt and pepper
Then, in a heavy base pot, heat oil till smoking then add beef cheeks and brown them till dark and golden then set aside.

Chop up mirepoix and brown mushrooms into small pieces (use food processor for convenience)

Fry them in the heavy base pot scrapping down all the sucs, add tomato paste and fry till fragrant.
Add oysters
When ingredients are tender and semi-caramelised, add wine, stock and aromatics.
Bring to boil.
Boil till volume is reduced to ½ or 1/3.

Meanwhile, heat up slow cooker.

Ladle a couple of spoons of the mixture onto base of slow cooker pot.
Place beef cheeks
Ladle the rest of the mixture over the beef cheeks
Slow cook for at least 8 hours.

Serve with cauliflower mash, asparagus and broccolini fried in bacon fat.

Lebanese Cuisine - Jasmin1 Auburn

I will let the pictures do the talking for this post.

Website: Jasmin1 At Auburn

 Mixed plate $18. Worth every penny. Lebanese bread, garlic sauce, tahini sauce and pickles are all complimentary.

Best Lebanese food I've had since moving to Sydney? Probably. Will I be back? Definitely. (Been back two days in a row so far :P)

Chinese Cuisine - Steamed pork with millet

A Chinese classic, tender pork belly marinated in a spice mixed and steamed with millet to absorb up all the juices.

Start with a piece of pork belly with a meat to fat ratio of approximately 1:1

 For this recipe, I decided to experiment with this pre-packaged spice and millet mix that can be found at most Asian grocery stores.

 Slice your pork belly up into approximately 2" cubes

 Empty packet of spice and millet mix over, add 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce, 1 table spoon of Chinese cooking wine, 1 tablespoon of soy-sauce, 1 table spoon of Sesame oil and just a pinch of pepper.

 Give it a good mix until all the meat is well coated. Let meat marinate in the fridge (cover with cling wrap) for approximately 2 hours or overnight before cooking.

 Julienne a carrot and sprinkle over the top before steaming for an hour

Finished product sitting in my steamer. It is a complete 1 dish meal for the winter. Enjoy!