It's all in the game: T-bone and smoked trout

Weekend food and other things

Saturday

Irish T-bone with roast summer veg and roast beetroot

I had been shopping during to the week and had seen that they had 2 Irish T-bone steaks reduced by 30% now that is a good reduction in anyone’s money. So I being alone, decided on the small of the 2, it was 375g (on reflection I wish I had bought them both, but reflections aren’t always that good, said he remembering the one in the mirror this morning).

Saturday morning turned out bright and beautiful so I mounted my bike and went out for a 2 hr bike ride, it was a nice morning and I stopped off for a nice cup of coffee and an egg roll at one of the many bakeries, just before getting home. Showered and change of clothing, went to the market, if only to get a few spuds and fresh eggs from the stall run by my neighbour (one of them), I had seen them harvesting the potatoes on Friday so knew that they would have new potatoes, they always have fresh eggs. I next went to a small bio stand and bought some red peppers, courgettes, and broad beans, so that was the weekend food almost sorted only tonight’s meal, then a thought struck me. What about smoked trout, I mean self caught and home smoked. So with that in mind, I loaded up my fishing tackle, I also planned to pop into the Steinhorster Becken http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steinhorster_Becken

to have a look at the bird life, this is only about 4 km away from the trout lakes. I often pop in when here in the vicinity and as I hadn’t been here since spring was pleasantly surprised at the vast amount of bird life on and over the water.

Leaving the becken I travelled the few kilometres to the trout lakes, I got there about 1 hour before it closed, but the catching of trout in the ponds is not a real art as the fish are reared and then released into the ponds for day anglers, I was only after a couple but by the time it closed at 17:00 had 3 reasonable sized ones. Cost for all 3, €7,- the largest 420g the rest just above 300g. So bonked over the head, into a bag and off home to clean and brine them for tomorrow.

So down to the steak, I had removed it from the fridge before leaving and rubbed it in olive oil, covered and brought up to room temperature (which was quite warm). I had bought a couple of bottles of ALDI’s best pink so that was in the fridge cooling.

I do not believe in marinating GOOD steaks in anything but oil, why cover up the taste of a good piece of steak with a heavy marinade, I will if BBQing, tend to season after or during the cooking process, I may even through some herbs into the embers to create a bit of smoke. I will also make a good sauce and herby/spiced vegetables as an accompaniment. I will at other times make a dry rub and apply this just prior to putting onto the BBQ grid.

Pork and game I treat differently, in that they can take a lot of extra added flavour without destroying the meats own.

Fire up the BBQ (I have a combo grill/smoker)

Then make the rest of the food, the BBQ charcoal should be completely covered with a grey ask film, before use.

Roasted beetroot with herb quark

3 beetroots about the same size

Olive oil

Thyme

Salt

Pepper

125g pot of herb quark (you can use quark and add your own herbs)

Wash the beetroots under running water trying not to break the skin, dry with kitchen paper, pour some olive oil into a roasting tin (I used a bread loaf tin) strip some leaves from a couple of sprigs of Thyme add these along with a pinch or two of sea salt. Roll the beets around so that they are all covered, pop them into a pre-heated oven (220°C) for 40-45 minutes.

When they are soft, but not shrivelled (use a meat skewer to test) remove them from the tin and either rub the skin off or peal with a sharp knife. Cut into quarters and pour the remains of the oil, thyme salt mixture over them. Add the quark and mix, cover and set aside. (I also added a few broad beans that I had also cooked)

The Roasted Summer vegetables.

1 red pepper (deseeded and halved)

1 courgette (cut into slices length ways)

2 medium onions (peeled and cut into quarters)

10 fat garlic cloves (leave the parchment skin on).

small handfulp pitted kalamata olives

Sun dried tomatoes in oil

6 Anchovy filets in oil.

4 new potatoes (scraped clean and boiled)

Olive oil

Dried herbs (herb de Provence)

Sea salt (I have some from the Isle de Noirmoutier)

Fresh ground peppers

Fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, marjoram)

Mix red peppers and sliced courgettes, add the garlic cloves, olives and tomatoes. Splash with olive oil and the mixed dried herbs, sprinkle with the salt and give it a couple of grinds of pepper, cover with foil and into the oven with the beetroots.

When you remove the beetroots, remove the foil from the roasting vegetables, give them another stir and add potatoes cut into wedges along with the anchovy filets, return to the oven and turn up the heat for about 5-10 minutes (to brown the potatoes and blacken the red peppers).

Now remove the cover from the steak and put it onto the BBQ grid, lid down and after 3 minutes lift lid and turn, now season the done side, I used a little salt, pepper and some L&P, as I said before it’s the steak I want to taste not a whole load of other flavours. Test the steak (I like mine rare, very rare), when it is done to your taste, turn quickly , season as before and place on a platecover and allow to rest for a few minutes.

Go and get your beetroot, veg and cold wine.

Plate up with your vegetables, enjoy your meal I did.

Sunday

Smoked trout.

Your fresh caught trout, gut and remove the gills, put them into a bowl that can take them and 2 litres of 7% brine (I used a propriety brand with herbs and spices already mixed in), pour over the brine and cover, leave in a cool place to brine overnight (there are some that just rub, with brining salt, but I find this a bit hit and miss).

Next day, remove from the brine and wash under running water to get rid of any bits and pieces adhering to the skin or the cavity. Dry with kitchen paper, they are now ready to smoke!

When ready, fire up your smoker, place the trout belly side down and opened up on a grilling tray. Place your sawdust either into your smoke box or as I have, a solid cast-iron, disc. Place this onto the coals and wait until it starts to smoke.