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Beef fat hispi cabbage and dripping breadcrumbs
Serves 6 Sauces and accompaniments
Ingredients
- 2 hispi cabbages
- 100g beef dripping
- 2 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
- 100ml brown butter jus (see recipe, below)
- 50g dripping breadcrumbs (see recipe, below)
For the brown butter jus
- 200ml beef sauce (see recipe, below)
- 250g butter
For the dripping breadcrumbs
- 500g sourdough, crusts removed
- 80g beef dripping
- 1tsp Maldon salt
For the beef sauce
- 1.5 litres dark chicken stock
- 1 litre dark beef stock
- 250ml port
- 250ml red wine
You will need
- cook's digital thermometer
Method
Whenever you’re rendering a piece of beef, remember to save the fat to cook with later. It lends a fantastic nutty note to dishes, especially vegetable-based ones.
Preheat the oven to 180C/ 160C Fan/Gas 4. Remove any brown or damaged leaves from the outside of the cabbages, then cut them in half lengthways.
Heat the beef dripping in a large non-stick frying pan and, once melted, fry the cabbages cut-side down until a dark golden brown
Transfer to an oven dish, roughly scatter the thyme over the cabbage and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes. Test with a skewer – the root should still be a little al dente. Cut the cabbages into quarters, dress with the brown butter jus and sprinkle over the breadcrumbs.
Beef sauce
MAKES 1 LITRES
Combine the stocks, port and wine together. Bring to the boil over a medium heat, then turn down to a simmer. Leave the stock to reduce by two-thirds, skimming off any fat that rises to the surface.
You should end up with a rich, full-bodied sauce that is almost sticky in texture. Store, chilled, for up to 4 days, or freeze.
Brown butter jus
MAKES 400ML
First, make brown butter. Gently heat the butter to 180C, carefully skimming and discarding the froth that will form on top. Once the butter reaches 180C and smells nutty, pass it through a fine sieve into a bowl. This will keep, chilled, for up to a month.
To make the jus, warm the beef sauce and brown butter together in a pan over a medium heat, whisking until the butter is completely melted into the sauce.
Dripping breadcrumbs
MAKES 500G
Preheat the oven to 170C/150C Fan/Gas 3. Dice the bread into cubes and coat in the beef dripping. Spread out on a baking tray and bake for 15 minutes. Leave the oven on when you take out the breadcrumbs.
Leave to cool slightly, then blitz
in a food processor to a coarse
crumb. Return to the oven and
bake for another 5 minutes, then
process again. Spread out on
a J-cloth or some kitchen paper
to absorb any excess fat. Season
with salt. Store in an airtight
container for up to 7 days.
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