FOOD IS MADE TO BE SHARED
Shared dining is an age-old tradition of bringing family and friends together for celebrations and get-togethers for a variety of reasons. Rarely is there a gathering nowadays that doesn’t involve food. There is a lot of interest in menus now being designed for sharing. Groups of diners can order a variety of small plates to share so everyone gets a taste of something delicious or unusual without committing to a full-sized main course of one variety.
Shared dining is not just for larger groups though. Chefs are seeing the opportunity of cooking up larger cuts of beef or lamb which are perfect to be shared amongst 2 or 3 diners. This reduces waste and makes for easier service with less preparation required in the kitchen. Beef + Lamb Ambassador Chef, Jarrod McGregor says it’s a great trend for the long summer dining hours ahead and guests just love the more intimate shared dining experience.
Jarrod mentioned it’s also a great opportunity to upsell side dishes to accompany the meat which allows for seasonal produce to be highlighted. He says it’s important for your front of house staff to be well versed in recommending the sides so the shared platter is well-balanced. With a variety of compound butters, sauces and garnishes available the front of house team can help the diners construct a delicious pairing of flavours while keeping the meat as the hero.
A favourite cut Jarrod loves to use is the visually stunning beef Tomahawk Steak. He says a 500gm steak is perfect for two people to share. He loves to team it up with an anchovy, green peppercorn and thyme butter to be gently melted atop the steak. He keeps the steak prep to a minimum by seasoning well with extra virgin olive oil and lots of flaky sea salt. He recommends getting the grill as hot as you can to create some nice bar marks across the steak. He says about 3 to 4 minutes on the grill followed up with about 10 minutes in the oven (5 minutes on each side). Rest for 10 minutes then slice on to a board for presentation.
Jarrod shares his recipe below which includes serving the Tomahawk with Ponzu dressed greens. He says the Ponzu is great for summer with its light citrusy flavour with a hint of umami which helps bring out the bold beefy flavour of the Tomahawk.
If you think you’d like to give this a go, Jarrod shares his recipe below.
SHARED BEEF TOMAHAWK WITH ANCHOVY, GREEN PEPPERCORN AND THYME BUTTER WITH PONZU TOSSED GREENS.
1 x 500g tomahawk steak (per two people sharing)
For the butter:
400g butter, softened and diced
35g anchovy, minced
60g green peppercorns
5g freeze dried garlic
3g fresh Thyme leaves
Method: Combine all ingredients into the butter and roll into a cylinder and store in the fridge until firm.
Ponzu Dressing:
6g ginger
1 whole lemon
1 whole mandarin
10g anchovy
8g dried shitake
500ml water
235ml rice vinegar
160ml soy sauce
23g mirin
35g palm sugar
Method: combine ingredients in a pot and simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes. Leave all ingredients in the ponzu to steep and use as needed. Sear the tomahawk steak on all sides for 3-4 minutes and then place in the oven at 220°C for 6 minutes; turn and cook a further 6 minutes. Let rest for at least 10 minutes. Saute greens of your choice such as green and purple kale and brocolini.
To Serve: Slice the steak onto a board and serve with a couple of discs of butter melting on top. Dress the tossed greens with the ponzu and garnish with sesame seeds and serve as a side.