FLOWER POT KITCHEN: EXCELLENT BBQ ROASTED SIRLOIN SERVED BLUE WITH SIMPLE BUTTERED SALTED JESERY POTATO'S AND HOMEMADE AIOLI MAYONAISE

31 May 2012

EXCELLENT BBQ ROASTED SIRLOIN SERVED BLUE WITH SIMPLE BUTTERED SALTED JESERY POTATO'S AND HOMEMADE AIOLI MAYONAISE

FLAMING HECK!!! THAT'S THE FEAR I FELT THE VERY FIRST TIME I SET FIRE TO A COUPLE OF WEEK'S WORTH OF MEAT!

THIRTY MINUTES LATER THE STEAK IS ONLY SLIGHTLY CHARRED ON THE SURFACE AND BEAUTIFUL COOKED, THE BURNT ENDS BEING RARE/MEDIUM AND THE REST OF THE MEAT IS A FABULOUS BLUE/RARE

ESSENTIAL TEN MINUTES RESTING WRAPPED IN FOIL ALLOWING ALL THE JUICES TO FLOOD BACK THROUGH THE MEAT

SO SIMPLE YET SO SUMPTUOUS

INGREDIENTS
3 kg Sirloin steak
1kg Jersey Royal potatoes
50g butter
1 bunch chopped flat leaf parsley
Sea salt & fresh ground black pepper

THE SIRLOIN (Sir Loin)
A King knighted this piece of meat with his sword and that is why this Loin of Beef is known as the Sirloin, fabulous piece of history!

Light your BBQ and let the coals glow white before you start to cook, this is really important. At this stage take your sirloin and place fat side down, now this will ensure flames as the fat melts and drips over the coals, Do Not Panic, well maybe just a little! After approx 5 minutes turn the sirloin over and the flames will die down and relax, cook this side for approx 5 minutes, then take the sirloin and place on one of the side edges for 3 minutes, then turn over and repeat on the other side edge for the same. Now once again place the fat side down on the bbq and be ready to relax as the flames get really intense for approx 3-5 minutes, then turn over to the under side and cook again for the same 5 minutes once again now turn over onto the sides giving each side approx 3 minutes each side, then to finish off a 3kg sirloin, ensuring blue 2/3 through and rare/medium on the outside (enough to feed, med/rare only for two guests) give the fat side 2 more minutes and the under side the same. If you wish for more rare to medium finish then I suggest cooking on for another 10-15 minutes and rotate every 5 minutes in order not to over char the outside and for more medium plus then I would leave the sirloin on the bbq for another 20,minutes, but keep turning every 5minutes to lessen the burnt ends.

Once you have charred your fabulous sirloin, wrap it well in tinfoil for approx ten minutes to rest, and allow all the juices to flood back into the meat and keep it moist and juicy. Meanwhile finish off your side dishes.

JERSEY ROYAL POTATOES
I love to part boil and part steam these most fabulous soft gentle and creamy potatoes, Just boil/steam in 1/2 salted water in a sealed saucepan and lid, till tender in salted water and drain, then toss in lots of butter and salt.

HOMEMADE AIOLI MAYONNAISE
3 organic egg yolks
50ml double cream
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 pinch white pepper
1 pinch sea salt
200ml approx light olive oil

In a blender place all the ingredients, except the olive oil, pulse, then very slowly drizzle in the olive oil, check the consistency after 150ml, and add more if needed, you may need to add more than the 200ml, this part is a judgement on the desired consistency required.

SIDE ORDER EXTRAS
COLESLAW
100g grated carrots
100g fine sliced white cabbage
100g fine sliced Spanish onion
Portion of homemade ailoi or mayonnaise

Quick and easy, mix all the ingredients together and season to taste, if not quite right, then adjust with seasoning or the homemade ailoi.

CREAMED CORN
2 cobs of corn off the kernel
1 small onion fine diced
1 clove garlic fine chopped
10 jalapenos fine chopped
300ml double cream
Big handful chopped coriander
Season to taste

One of my most favourite side dishes, saute off the onion, garlic, for five minutes, add the jalapenos & corn and saute for another 10 minutes, add the cream, reduce just slightly, taste and season to taste, add the coriander.

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LIFE MY PASSION

Welcome to my daily life of cooking, one winters day many years ago my family and I were all inspired by a back to back rainy day of River Cottage this got us to stop talking about and start actually doing, suddenly three weeks later eight vegetable beds were dug, greenhouse erected and our first vegetables were propagating, this was the start to raising and growing our own food, our fabulous son Oscar changed our path in life which lead us to sell our small thriving restaurant of 10 yrs and to start our new life (Terrifying!) a life of the self sufficient in touch with nature and seasons, taking a step back and looking forward to a slower change of pace and making the most of every moment.

My passion for cooking was stronger than ever and having time at home with Oscar I found I had a new direction and I was no longer striving for perfection, I was suddenly very passionate for the enjoyment of the other side of food, something I had not realised, being the Chef/Cook and every other duty of your own small restaurant made me see that I never actually took time to cook what I wanted!

So there I was muddy boots and hands digging deep in more than one sense and I found myself transported back in time to where everyone grew some of their own food, it is a wonderful world with a real sense of achievement and loss, Slugs Snails and Caterpillars! But thats another story! Childhood memories of summers when I lived with my grand parents reminded me of so much that I had learnt about the make do and mend generation that I had forgotten.

Now as a family we love our free wild food days where we gather what nature has provided, have gone from being mini mini garden urban small holders, who did raised pigs at home because we could not wait to find land and supporting ourselves from our garden to now owning a very small farm that allows us to grow more vegetables for the whole of our family and neighbours, raise our own gorgeous Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs, (Sausages!) and pets! Dorset Down sheep, chickens for eggs and pet goats! Suddenly having large quantities of produce started to wake up the Cook in me!

The Cook was awake that part of me that wants to cook for the masses and I found myself setting up Flowerpot Kitchen, a Farmers Market Stall, I wanted to use our honest raised meats and make old fashioned pork pies, rabbit pies and game pies from the local game keeper along with old fashioned techniques and the best hot water crust pastry. This in turn grew to a small cottage industry from home weekly supplying three farm shops and a deli along with also attending three farmers markets A few years later there came a time when my son Oscar's health changed and it was an easy decision to stop.

I still hold the occasional pop up 40 seater restaurant or gourmet lunch which we do for local charities for the love of sharing food and to remind that Cook in me why I love our go slower self sufficient life!

So here I am sitting amoung the vegetables watching the chickens loving that every season nature teaches me something new and that nature is in charge! She has taught me to just go with it and grow. Give it a try from a tray of salad on your windowsill to a few tomato plants it all counts.