Date/Time
Date(s) - 08/02/2012
12:00 am

Location
Livestock and Meat Commission for Northern Ireland
31 Ballinderry Rd
Lisburn
County Antrim
BT28 2SL

United Kingdom

Impress your partner this Valentine’s Day and cook up a storm to help make it the perfect day for your loved one. If you want to make this year extra special why not try some simple but impressive recipes from the Livestock and Meat Commission for Northern Ireland. Indulge in a nutritious home cooked meal using Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assured  beef, a wholesome and natural food which is an excellent source of essential nutrients, perfect as part of a healthy and balanced diet.

The Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assurance Scheme (NIFQAS) gives consumers assurances on farm quality, food safety and traceability of beef. If you can’t find the logo simply ask your butcher or retailer if your beef is farm quality assured as it is a clear indicator of quality.

Here are some simple beef recipes for a romantic night in.

The perfect fillet steak with cognac cream

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 thick Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assured fillet steaks

1 tsp of olive oil

1 clove of garlic peeled and cut in half (optional)

Sauce

3 tbsp Cognac

150ml meat glaze or beef stock

150ml double cream

1 tsp of chives finely snipped.

To serve

200g baby potatoes

1 tsp of olive oil

1 red onion, sliced

50g sun blush tomatoes

100g chestnut mushrooms, cleaned and halved

A few chives, chopped

Method

• Cook the baby potatoes in lightly salted boiling water until tender, drain and cut in half. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan and fry the red onion until soft then add the mushrooms and brown. Add the sun blush tomatoes, cooked potatoes, and chives. Remove from the frying pan but keep warm while you cook the steaks.

• Heat a non-stick frying pan until it is very hot.  Rub each half of garlic clove over each steak, then brush with a little oil.

• Place steaks in the frying pan and do not turn until they are sealed, which usually takes about 2 minutes. Turn steaks and cook for another 2 minutes, the steak is now rare. Cook for a further 1 minute more for medium rare or for 2 minutes for medium and three for medium to well done.

• Test to see if steaks are ready by pressing them with the tongs. The less movement, the more cooked they are. Avoid cutting the steaks to see if they are cooked, as this only releases the juices and dries them out.

• Remove the steaks. Cover with tinfoil to keep warm to rest while you make the sauce. Add the meat glaze to the pan and stir to release all of the flavours from the bottom of the pan and reduce a little. Add the cognac, then add the cream and bring to the boil. Add the chives.

• Place the warm steaks on to warm serving plates, and pour the excess juices left on the resting plate into the sauce. Serve with the potatoes, mushroom and tomato medley.

Thai red beef curry

Serves: 4

Preheat the oven to 140°C/ 275oF/gas mark 1

You will need a large flameproof casserole dish

Ingredients:

4 tsps of groundnut oil

600g Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assured lean braising steak, cut into 5cm pieces

1 red onion, chopped

1 tsp Thai red curry paste

500g chopped tomatoes

3 tsps of sweet chilli sauce

Juice of ½ a lime

10g coriander, stalks and leaves, chopped

100g sugar-snap peas, sliced

100g French green beans, sliced

Method:

• Heat half of the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish.

• Brown the beef in batches over a medium-high heat, adding a little extra oil if needed, then set the meat aside on a plate.

• Heat the rest of the oil, add the onions and fry gently for 10 minutes until very soft and light brown, add the curry paste, tomatoes, sweet chilli sauce, lime juice, coriander, beef.

• Cover and place in a heated oven for 1 hour, uncovering for the last 15 minutes to add the sliced sugar snap peas, green beans and to thicken up the sauce a little.

• Serve with steamed jasmine rice.