Irish food history is often dominated by the Potato Famine leading us to believe that spuds were historically a huge part of the Irish diet. This is untrue. First of all people died during the Famine because of oppressive politics rather than food shortages. The food we were producing was being exported leaving the potato for the natives. When that crop failed it meant disaster for the indigenous population. Legend has it that Sir Walter Raleigh was the first to have planted potatoes in Ireland and he wasn’t even born until the 1500s. We have a long and rich tradition of animal husbandry and it was the dominant food producing activity for thousands of years. In ancient Ireland the number of cows owned by a man was taken as a sign of his wealth. Cattle were kept for their milk rather than their meat, but meat was eaten in winter when the preservation conditions were better.
Farmers kept sheep, pigs and chickens along with cattle. Sheep’s wool is responsible for the itchy Aran Sweater or, colored with vegetable dyes, we get the sartorial style of Peig Sayers with her browny black shawl thrown around her shoulders! Sheep were raised on the hills while pigs were herded in woodland areas where they fed on acorns and fruit that fell from the trees; surely an orgasmic thought for the purist free range supporter amongst us. Chickens gave eggs and there was plenty of milk and cheese coming from all the animals. Even in death nothing was wasted, even the blood was preserved for long lasting nutritious puddings.
Even in the 20th century most homes stored their meat in little larders, cold rooms or covered vessels outside. With fridges still of the future, other methods of preservation were necessary such as salting, smoking and curing. In an older Ireland, community life and organization worked very efficiently. At different times of the year a farmer would slaughter an animal and the spoils were shared out between the neighbours meaning the animal was eaten fresh. Sometimes the meat was even bartered for work. If only our present day conurbations worked with such sharing and efficiency we all might be much better off.
We are spoiled with our vacuum packaging, high end fridges, home freezers and date stamps. ‘Use by’ dates amuse me greatly. If something is going out of date at midnight tonight does that mean it is fit for consumption at one minute to midnight but at one minute after midnight it’s gone off? On the other hand because of these recommended dates consumers have become very careless. The date stamps are subject to certain conditions. The optimum storage of meat is something that many people are not aware of. It is a constant frustration for butchers or any fresh food retailer. Meat and fresh produce regularly leave a shop in perfect condition only to be left for too long in a hot car on the journey home. The product hits the fridge in less than ideal condition. Ideally it should be put into the fridge as soon as possible and the temperature maintained at a constant rate. However the fridge is also the place where many other items are stored and so it is accessed repeatedly. With every opening of the fridge door the temperature is lowered and it has a cumulative negative impact on the shelf-life of any food stuff stored. We have an online meat service at James Whelan Butchers and I spent a long time looking at how best to safely ship small amounts of meat to customers who sometimes live quite a distance away. Keeping it cold during transportation was the goal and it was only when that was perfected could we move our website business forward.
There are two ways to store meat in order to keep it in the best possible condition; by freezing it immediately on getting it home directly from the point of purchase or by keeping a fridge specifically for protein. This may seem unrealistic but it need only be a small bar fridge and they are no longer prohibitive in price. Freezing meat is an excellent storage option. Get it into the freezer as quickly as possible and keep air from getting to the meat while it is in the freezer. It is a myth that once meat is frozen it keeps indefinitely. For best results meat should be dated on the day it is frozen, as oxidation and dehydration of meat continues even at freezing temperatures, albeit very slowly. Most home freezers are set higher than the optimum 0 degrees F, and so deterioration will definitely occur over time. The optimum time to use frozen meat is within a month of purchase, although periods of up to a year would be acceptable for beef and lamb and about 6 months for pork.
Thawing meat is a process that should be carefully considered, as bacteria are ever present in every environment and should be avoided if possible. The meat to be thawed should be placed into a large dish to avoid any possibility of drips onto other food. It should be thawed out overnight in the fridge and it’s vital that it be thawed completely before cooking. Large joints will take longer than 24 hours to thaw, and 2 days should be allowed to ensure it is ready for cooking. Of course busy life-styles dictate that meat is often defrosted in the microwave, which is perfectly safe, although the end result is definitely taste-compromised.
If using meat fresh from the fridge there are some differences to consider between the various types of meat purchased. Minced meat is best cooked on the day of purchase, as is poultry and offal. Beef, lamb and pork can be stored for days before cooking. ‘Use by’ and ‘Best Before’ dates are handy modern guides but if you really want to know if something is alright I recommend natures free gift and essential guide, the nose!
I welcome to your feedback to pat@jwb.ie
Roast Ribeye of Beef
Ingredients
• 2 kg ribeye of beef
• 2 teasp. chopped fresh thyme
• 2 teasp. sweet or smoked paprika
• ½ teasp. English mustard powder
• Salt and freshly-ground black pepper
• 2 tablesp. Dijon style mustard
• 1 tablesp. olive oil
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped
• 1 large carrot, roughly chopped
• 2 teasp. plain flour
• 300ml beef or chicken stock
• Creamed horseradish, roasted root vegetables, to serve
To Cook
Method
Place the thyme, paprika and mustard powder in a bowl with a teaspoon each of salt and pepper, then mix to combine. Wipe the meat with damp kitchen paper and then spread a thin layer of the mustard all over the fat side of the joint. Sprinkle the spice powder on top, patting it down gently to help it stick.
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 7, 220ºC (425ºF). Pour the olive oil into roasting tin and heat in the oven for 5 minutes. Add the onion and carrot, tossing to coat. Season with salt and black pepper. Sit the beef on the bed of vegetables. Place the roasting tin in the pre-heated oven.
Reduce the oven temperature to Gas mark 5,190ºC (375ºF). Roast the beef for 1 hour and 15 minutes for rare, an extra 15 minutes for medium-rare and an extra 30 minutes for well done.
Remove the beef from the tin and place on a large dish. Rest in a warm place for at least 20 minutes before carving. To make the gravy, stir the flour into the juices in the roasting tin and then gradually stir in the stock. Place directly on the hob to heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to release any sediment. Season and pour through a sieve into a gravy boat, discarding the vegetables that the beef has been roasted on. Carve the beef into slices and arrange on warmed plates with a dollop of creamed horseradish and the roasted root vegetables. Hand round the gravy separately.
