Black Isle Beef
Hi there and welcome back to the Food & Wine blog. While many of the ingredients we use change with the seasons one that we will always have on our menu is beef.
The versatility of beef makes it a tremendous ingredient to work with. We offer a range of different dishes around the Hotel from a simple roast beef sandwich in the bar to a tasty burger in the Jigger Inn, a great grilled steak in the Sands Grill or a more elegant dish the Road Hole Restaurant.
In the Sands Grill beef is king, simply served with a slow cooked tomato, chips and a choice of sauces. The cuts range from the 20oz rib chop to an 8oz fillet, grilled to your liking in our Josper oven. A Josper oven comes from Spain and is filled with charcoal before every service to give a unique grilled flavor to the meat.
Of course we cannot forget the famous Jigger Inn burger! The burgers are made with a secret recipe including 10oz of quality minced beef, made daily and cooked to order. You know, it is not unusual for us to go through 50kilos of beef at the weekend! Along with the Jigger Ale and landlady Antoinette Leask, the Jigger burger is a local legend.
We may offer a range of different beef dishes however there is only one kind of beef that we use and that is Black Isle beef from Inverness-shire. We are in constant contact with our local butcher John Henderson from Glenrothes, discussing the different cuts and ensuring the quality of meat. As we move into autumn I am looking at using some heavier cuts, in the last week I have been trying out dishes using oxtail, beef cheek and shin…hearty cuts that will warm you up on a cold evening!
I have prepared a simple recipe for you to try on chilly autumn night that will warm you to your bones…
Braised Beef Cheeks – for two people
Ingredients:
Beef Cheeks 2 Carrots 5
Beef stock 1litre Potatoes 6
Red wine 200ml Full fat milk 50ml
Shallots 2 Butter 100g
Method:
First, cut the cheeks in half and sear in a hot pan, once sealed remove the cheeks. Add the shallots and three carrots to the same pan, roast until caramelised then add the wine and reduce. Put the cheeks back in the pan and cover with stock, place in an oven at 140°C and cook for 4 hours.
While the cheeks are cooking peel the potatoes and boil for mash, cut the remaining two carrots into even shaped cubes and roast in the oven. Once the potatoes are cooked, mash and beat in the cream and butter.
Place a good dollop of mash in a bowl, add the roasted carrots, top with a beef cheek and add a generous amount of sauce. Serve with some crusty bread and enjoy!
I do hope you give the recipe a go, it’s really simple and very tasty! Let me know how the dish turns out and why not show off by posting a picture on our Facebook page?!
Speak soon
Simon
Posted: September 15th, 2011 under Ingredients, Suppliers.
