Category: beef

Categories
beef cheese onion

philly cheese stack burger mcdonald’s style

Every so often, hamburger chain McDonald’s run special burgers for a limited time. For me most of these are missable and I don’t bother, but the one they are running Oct/Nov 2023 in the UK is delicious. The Philly Cheese Stack (note stack, not cheese steak!) is a double beefburger heavy on the cheese and onions. And I think it’s well worth recreating as it won’t last forever!

Here’s what it looks like:

According to the McDonald’s website it contains:

That’s beef patties, bun, cheese slice, cheese sauce, grilled onions, pickles, crispy onions. I had a go at recreating it and I think it’s a terrific knock-off!

Here’s how I tackled the ingredients:

  • Beef patties – many ‘fakeaway’ McDonald’s recipes are on the internet. You just need a fatty mince with salt and pepper. That’s it.
  • Bun – You can make your own bun if you like, I didn’t on this occasion. Whichever soft bun you like.
  • Cheese slice – I used standard cheddar ones from the supermarket.
  • Cheese sauce – I’m sure you could make one, but I found this one from Hellman’s tastes a lot like the one McDonald’s use. Easily found in Tesco’s and other supermarkets.
  • Grilled onions – I mean, grilled is an odd word to use. In the UK that would mean pop under the grill, whereas in the US it would mean ‘barbecue’. I think it just means gently fried here.
  • Pickles – either a great condiment or the devil’s food. You decide.
  • Crispy onions – These are definitely the ones you get to put on salads or from salad bars in restaurants.

Apart from cooking the onions and frying the meat this is an assembly job and dead easy. Please give this Philly cheese stack recipe a go and let me know how you get on!

Print

philly cheese stack burger mcdonald's style

Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 1 person

Ingredients

  • 200 g 15% beef mince
  • ¼ onion
  • 2 cheese slices
  • 1 tablespoon cheese sauce I use Hellman's
  • 2-3 pickle slices
  • 1 heaped teaspoon dried onions

Instructions

  • Season the mince with about ½ teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Tumble and mix loosely (don't overwork this mix). Split the beef and form into two 100g balls and refrigerate for a few minutes while you prepare everything else.
  • Get a shallow pan over a medium-low heat. Peel and slice the onion into rings. Add a splash of oil and fry the onion gently for about 10 minutes until softened and starting to gently colour. You're just breaking the onion down a bit.
  • Wipe out your pan with kitchen roll and put the heat up to high. Take your meatballs and put them in the pan, pressing down hard with a flat tool like a fish slice to squidge them into patties just under a centimetre thick. Leave undisturbed to colour for 3-4 minutes. When browned flip to complete cooking for another minute or two. The patty should be thin enough it won't take much cooking by the time it's coloured.
  • While the meat cooks, split and toast your bun as desired. When everything is ready it's time to assemble. From the bottom up: bun, beef, cheese slice, beef, cheese slice, grilled onions, crispy onions, cheese sauce. Eat immediately.

Notes

This recipe is a great knock off of the McDonald's limited edition burger you can make at home. You can make the patties in advance and freeze.
Categories
food steak

how to cook a t bone steak

I’d never cooked a t bone steak before, and searching the web found a mass of conflicting information. I read and watched all I can find and I figure out the key of how cook a t bone steak: nobody talks about the thickness.

If you already know how to cook a steak, you can cook a t bone. The difference is the thickness of the steak. The surface can be done, but the interior will need more time – so transfer it to a hot oven. Additionally, the bone doesn’t conduct heat as well as the meat itself, which mean the steak stays cooler nearer the bone so be prepared for it being less well done in the middle compared to the edge.

I say this all the time with meat cookery and especially steak that you need to use a probe thermometer. Test it when near done and get the temperature where you like it using my handy guide.

Where does the T Bone come from?

The T-bone steak is a classic cut that shares similarities with the porterhouse steak. It consists of both the top loin and sirloin, along with the tenderloin (fillet), connected together by the bone, which is intentionally left intact.

Its name is derived from the bone’s shape, often resembling the letter ‘T.’ The bone in a T-bone steak is actually the lumbar vertebra, which is halved to form part of the cow’s spine. The flesh surrounding this bone comprises the muscles from the spine, contributing to the dense marbling and providing ample fat coverage on the cut.

Although T-bone and porterhouse steaks come from the same region of the cow, they can sometimes be mistaken for one another. The key difference lies in the proportion of fillet present within the cut. To be classified as a porterhouse, the steak must have a larger portion of the fillet, measuring at least 3.1 centimetres in width.

Buy a probe thermometer for perfect steak

Want something to go with it? Here’s my recipe for beef dripping sauce

Print

t bone steak

How to cook the generous steak
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword beef
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Resting time 5 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 2 people

Equipment

  • probe thermometer

Ingredients

  • 1 t bone steak
  • plain oil
  • butter
  • seasonsings as desired

Instructions

  • Make sure your steak is room temperature before you start, and get a heavy pan on very hot. If your steak is 1 inch thick or more get your oven on very hot too.
  • Salt your meat generously, add a little oil to the pan and cook on one side for a minute. After that flip it over and cook for another 30 seconds. Add some butter to the pan and start basting for 30 seconds.
  • Start testing the temperature of the meat and once it is within 5 degrees of your desired temp (55C for medium rare) remove it. If it is starting to colour more than you'd like and the temperature is not there, transfer to the oven for a few minutes and continue to test. Rest the meat for 5 minutes before serving.

Video

Categories
beef red wine vinegar wine

beef dripping sauce miller and carter style

I love a good steak. I’ve been spoiled by great beef around the world and though my favourite steak house Chop Bloc in Chelmsford is no more, I’m quite partial to Miller & Carter. It’s a chain of about 100 steakhouses across the UK focusing on premium beef. I’m going to take you through my recipe for Miller and Carter beef dripping sauce but before that, a little history…

Miller & Carter was founded by William and Frederick Miller in 2003. The brothers initially opened their first restaurant in Birmingham, United Kingdom, with a vision to create a premium steakhouse experience. Over time, the restaurant gained popularity and expanded, leading to additional locations across the United Kingdom.

The restaurant chain is currently owned by Mitchells & Butlers, one of the largest operators of restaurants and pubs in the UK. Mitchells & Butlers acquired Miller & Carter in 2011, adding it to their portfolio of well-known dining and hospitality brands like Harvester and Toby Carvery.

You can expect a wide selection of steaks, including classic cuts like ribeye, sirloin, and fillet, as well as specialty cuts such as Chateaubriand and T-bone. In addition to their steaks, Miller & Carter offer seafood dishes, salads, and soups. Their menu also features a variety of sides, including fries and vegetables. And of course, sauces.

I’m aware this all sounds very #sponsored but I assure you it isn’t. Just a very consistent meal out that we enjoy as a family. The signature is a ‘steak experience’, where you choose a cut of steak, wedge salad with choice of dressing, fries, onion loaf and your choice of sauce on the side.

How the restaurant serve the ‘steak experience’ including the beef dripping sauce on the side

I almost always have the ‘beef dripping sauce’ – a very savoury gravy with a lip-smacking quality that leaves you with beefy goodness that you keep tasting later. I just had to have a go at recreating it at home. And after a number of attempts I’m pleased to say I think I’ve cracked it. Check out this pour!

And the Miller and Carter Twitter account have given it the seal of approval!

It is not a diet food. It needs a lot of beef dripping (very easily available at supermarkets, look for it with the other butters and fats in the chiller) and a good slug of booze. I’ve also chosen to thicken it with xanthan gum, which far from being an alien life form is actually present in lots of foods probably already in your cupboard. It’s less sciencey than it sounds, being derived from glucose fed to bacteria. Sounds yummy, doesn’t it. But it’s available in loads of high street shops like Holland & Barrett. Watch this great video on xanthan gum by the excellent Polar Ice Creamery for more info. If you can’t get it or don’t fancy it, you can thicken your sauce in the traditional ways like cornflour slurry or monte butter. Either way – try this sauce next time you have beef. It’s lick-your-plate-clean good.

Pairs well with top rump roast beef!

Looking to recreate the Miller & Carter experience? Try my Miller and Carter onion loaf recipe to complement it! Or the bordelaise sauce.

Print

beef dripping sauce miller & carter style

A simple sauce that just needs a little time to deliver loads of flavours.
Course sauce
Cuisine British
Keyword copycat recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Servings 2 people
Calories 225kcal

Ingredients

  • 50 g beef dripping
  • 2 shallots
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • ½ star anise
  • 100 g fatty stewing steak like skirt, flank, chuck etc
  • 80 g red wine
  • 20 g port
  • 500 g beef stock
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • red wine vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum see notes

Instructions

  • Get a wide sauce pan over a medium heat.
  • Peel and finely dice the shallots. Peel and mince the garlic. Slice the beef into thin slices. Add about a third of the beef dripping to the pan and once melted, add the shallots, garlic, star anise and beef and stir fry for 4 - 6 minutes. Cook until the beef has started to brown and everything smells great.
  • Turn the heat up. Discard the star anise. Add the red wine and port and move everything around to get the great crusty bits off the bottom of the pan. Once the wine has bubbled away to about a third of it's volume, add in the beef stock and remaining beef dripping. Bring to a furious boil.
  • Let this all simmer away until it's about half of what you started with. This will take 20 - 30 minutes. Strain off all the solids (see note) and return the sauce to the pan. Turn the heat down low and adjust seasoning: it might need salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar, and add a couple of drops (I do mean a couple of drops) of red wine vinegar to taste to help balance the richness.
  • Once the flavour is right, whisk in the xanthan gum. You can serve immediately, or it refrigerates or freezes well.

Video

Notes

Xanthan gum is not an essential thickener, but doesn't have a floury taste and dissolves easily. It's available from larger supermarkets and health food stores like Holland & Barrett. If you can't find it use a teaspoon of cornflour mixed with a splash of water which will lighten the colour slightly.
The discarded beef and diced onion make a great last minute addition to a stir fry, or tossed with lamb's lettuce for a quick salad.
Categories
rice steak

miso steak with vegetable rice

Looking for something different to do with your steak? Try a miso steak with vegetable rice, a lighter way to enjoy the meatiness of steak, packed with umami flavours.

To celebrate Japan v Poland, Aldi asked me to come up with a dish inspired by one of the competitors. Japan loves their steaks, and miso is an incredible ingredient for packing flavour into things.

I’m also using a technique here for perfect steak results every time. No not sous-vide, though it is my favourite method, but reverse-sear. This means cooking briefly in a very low oven, followed by a flash in a red-hot pan. You can just about do this with touch and time, but a probe thermometer is the best way to ensure the steak you want.

You can feature any vegetable that stir-fries well that you like. I chose flat mushrooms and red peppers as part of the Aldi Super 6, six fruit and veg offers that refresh every week. Shopping to this deal means you can have a great meal without breaking the bank – plus one steak shares well between two in this dish. Did you also know Aldi has recently won The Grocer of the Year at the Grocer Gold Awards 2018? Saving all the money on the veg means you can splurge on the meat – the 60 day aged sirloin is magnificent.

So there you have it. A budget recipe that feels indulgent and ready in well under half an hour.

This is a sponsored post for Aldi.

Print

miso steak with twice-fried rice

Course Main Dish
Cuisine Japanese
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 2 people
Author Gary @ BigSpud

Ingredients

  • 1 sirloin steak about 700g
  • 2 tablespoons miso paste
  • 1 pinch sugar
  • 1 red pepper
  • 100 g asparagus
  • 1 flat mushroom
  • 250 g cooked rice you could use the microwave stuff
  • 2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 100C. Meanwhile rub your steak in the miso paste.
  • When the oven is ready, pop the steak on a tray and put it in. It will go in there for 15 - 20 mins, until the internal temperature is 45C (for rare), 55C (for well done). The steak will be finished in the pan and will cook further.
  • While the steak cooks, prep the veg. Chop the asparagus into 3cm lengths, the flat mushroom into long strips and dice the pepper into 1cm pieces. Get a pan on a high heat, add a splash of oil, a pinch of sugar and add the pepper.
  • After a couple of minutes stir frying, add the mushroom and asparagus. Cook for a further 3 - 4 minutes until everything is al dente, then add the rice. Move everything around until the rice is completely cooked, add the teriyaki and stir well. Taste for seasoning. Serve the rice on to plates and return the pan to a high heat.
  • Cook the steak for 30 seconds on each side until browned, making sure you cook the fat side as well. Move to a board (no need to rest) slice into finger-width strips and top your rice with the steak.
Exit mobile version