Friday, January 27, 2012

Making Stock

STOCK
Keep your Chicken Carcass, Lamb or Beef Bones to make a stock which may be used as the basis
of a delicious soup.
Making Stock
· Put the carcass into a large pot and cover with water.
· Add chopped onion, carrot, celery.
· Season with salt and pepper.
· Bring to the boil then reduce heat and simmer until reduced.
· Pour through a sieve into a jug keeping only the juices and getting rid of all else.
· Allow to settle and cool.
· Cover and refrigerate.
· When using remove top layer of fat first then add as a stock to meals or use to make soup.

Check out www.cullensbutchers.com for more great tips

Friday, January 20, 2012

Menu Planning



MENU PLANNING
Plan your week’s menu when possible - this will help shrink your spending budget - eliminating impulsive buys, causes less waste and will stop those fast food splurges when you don’t know what to cook and everyone’s over hungry!
Then more you menu plan you’ll get into the habit of using everything up and throw less away

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Cooking times

Cooking times for meat vary due to a lot of factors. The type of meat. The method of cooking and your desired result. Sometimes different types of ovens are faster, such as fan assisted.
So when you see cooking times on a recipe on on a label, these are always only guidelines. The best way is to use your eyes, and check the meat by cutting into it slightly. Always ask your butcher if you are not sure.

See some cooking times for roasting here.

http://www.cullensbutchers.com/RecipeFolder/roasts.pdf


Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Kids lunches

Now that school is back, the familiar routine has returned. If you are cooking a sunday roast, be it chicken, ham, beef or whatever. Just buy a slightly larger piece than you need. The leftovers make ideal sandwich ingredients for school lunches.

We cooked a ham at the weekend and the leftovers provide us with tasty fillings for the lunch roll instead of over processed and over priced packet ham.

Check out our recipe for Marmalade Ham....


MARMALADE & MAPLE GLAZED HAM
Serves 4-6
Ingredients: 1½ Kg (3lbs) Cullens Quality Butchers’ Centre Cut Ham
1 carrot
2 celery sticks
1 teaspoon peppercorns
Glaze:
Orange Marmalade
Maple Syrup
1 tbsp Butter
Toasted Pecan Nuts
COOKING YOUR HAM:
· Soak the ham overnight.
· Wash under cold running water.
· Return the ham to the pot with fresh water and the veg and bring to the boil.
· Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 min per pound (450g) – you could change the
water at this point if you wish. (Try adding some cola or cider for an extra kick!)
· Remove from the saucepan and cut away the outer skin leaving a thin layer of fat.
· Score the fat into diamonds and press some cloves into it.
· Cover the ham with the glaze mixture of marmalade and maple syrup (see below)
· Place in roasting tray and bake at 200 deg C / 400 F / gas mark 6 for 20-30 mins
until glaze is golden.
To Make the Glaze: In a small saucepan combine orange marmalade and maple syrup.
Heat over medium heat stirring until bubbly. Whisk in butter until smooth. Add the toasted
pecans. Add to the roast for the 20 mins baking time. And baste.
This roast is great served with red cabbage, roasted veg and roast potatoes.

www.cullensbutchers.com/recipes