WAYNE NUGENT, MOTORSPORT PHOTOGRAPHER
FB: How would you rate your cooking skills?
WN: Good as long as I stay away from the sweeter side of things! I’m very much a fan of more traditional fare and spending a day poring over a meal to get the best out of the ingredients is something I enjoy immensely.
FB: What is your signature dish?
WN: Anchovy, garlic and rosemary slow-cooked roast lamb with all the traditional, home-style trimmings.
FB: If you could only have one more meal, what would it be?
WN: A medium-rare rib-eye steak with duck fat roast potatoes, garlic butter brussels sprouts and whatever else will fit on the plate. Usually, being in charge of the proteins means I love a good steak when I do not have to cook it!
FB: What is your favourite TV food show?
WN: MasterChef Australia without a doubt. I always wanted to be a contestant, but a dessert challenge would cause me to curl up into the foetal position under my bench and drink the cooking wine!
FB: What is your favourite food?
WN: I love proteins of all types. The slower-cooked the better!
FB: What is your favourite drink?
WN: Drambuie – an utterly fantastic way to finish off a great meal.
FB: Which five people would you most like to invite to dinner?
WN: Sir Jackie Stewart, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Tom Clancy, Morgan Freeman and Nick Cave.
FB: Do you have a kitchen tip for us?
WN: Cook meat only when it has come to room temperature and make sure you rest it adequately afterwards. Also, for a crispier skin on a roast leave it uncovered in the fridge overnight to draw moisture out.
SLOW AND STEADY, NEVER BRISK
Every so often, my hubby does a market run. He loads up on insulated carry bags, drives into town and hits Queen Vic Market like a man on a mission, stocking up on some of our favourites … namely prawns, salmon, chops and steak.
On his latest market mission, he found himself distracted by a display of beef brisket. “It just jumped out at me!” he says in the same way he talks of about Lindt dark chocolate bars with coconut cream he spies at the supermarket. He bought two kilos of the brisket and lugged it home with the rest of his meaty stash.
Like this week’s Food Bytes guest Wayne, at our place we love our slow-cooked proteins – and if you’re on a budget, brisket is just about the best cheaper-cut option going around. The meat-to-fat ratio is such that it’s perfect for slow cooking. Using a tried and trusty recipe from the popular Recipe Tin Eats website, I divided the brisket into four portions, marinated in a spice rub and put it in the slow cooker on high for four hours, bubbling away in a sauce of apple cider vinegar, tomato sauce, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and spices. That’s minimal preparation for some pretty impressive results. The meat came out soft and tender, with the texture of pulled pork. It’s sticky sweetness was divine when teamed with a generous serve of crunchy coleslaw. It’s the second time I’ve made this recipe and both times it’s been a winner.
So if you haven’t tried brisket before, give it a go. You’ll find the recipe for this slow cooker beef brisket with barbecue sauce at recipetineats.com
