This popular dish, with strong Chinese overtones, has a thick rich sauce, perfect with a bowl of rice. The sauce works just as well with pork or chicken.

Sauce
1 tin coconut cream (reserve 3T for the garnish, see below)
3T fish sauce
1T sugar

1T oil
2 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
1 pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

3-4T Massaman or yellow curry paste
±1kg sirloin or rump, sliced into ±5mm strips, across the grain
1 cup roasted peanuts, ground

Garnish
3T coconut cream (see above)
3T chopped coriander leaves

Sauce
1.    Mix together the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.
2.    Heat the oil in a large wok or pan. Add the onion and pepper, and stir-fry for ±2 minutes.
3.    Add the curry paste and cook for ±1 minute.
4.    Add the beef and sauté on high, until just browned (do not overcook).
5.    Add the sauce and cook until it is thick. Add the ground peanuts and cook for 2 minutes.
To serve
6.    Transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with the coconut cream and shredded coriander leaves.

Wickedfood Cooking School

Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Boksburg – (011) 823-5365 boksburg@wickedfood.co.za

Runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studios. Classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our classes are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and teambuilding cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

2T butter
2T oil
1kg short ribs (Find ones with a good fat-meat ratio)
Salt and pepper to season
2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 celery stalk, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 anchovy fillets
2 bay leaves
¼t thyme
¼ cup bourbon (or other whiskey)
2T tomato paste
1½ cups water
1T soy sauce
1/3 cup pomegranate molasses (or regular molasses)
fresh ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 150°C. Heat the butter and oil in a large casserole dish over medium heat.
2. Season the short ribs and brown (about 3 minutes each side) in the casserole. Remove the ribs and set aside.
3. Add the onion, and cook to translucent.
4. Add the carrot, celery, garlic and anchovy and sauté for 5 minutes.
5. Add bay leaves, thyme, bourbon, tomato paste, water, soy sauce and pomegranate molasses. Return ribs, cover, bring to the boil and place in oven on center rack. Cook for ±2 hours or until the meat is soft.
6. Serve with rice or cuscus.

Serves 4-6

Wickedfood Cooking School

Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Wickedfood Cooking School runs Johannesburg cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studios. We offer a variety of Cooking Classes. Cooking lessons are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our classes are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and team building cooking classes these classes are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

This grilled steak is the perfect main course for casual outdoor entertaining.

1 cup teriyaki sauce
½ cup chopped onion
¼ cup honey
½ cup fresh orange juice
1T dark sesame oil
1 large clove garlic, crushed
½t pepper
4 – 6 ±250g sirloin steaks
Parsley, chopped for garnish

1. Combine the teriyaki sauce, onion, honey, orange juice, oil, garlic, and pepper in a marinating dish. Whisk until blended. Remove ½ cup of marinade for basting.
2. Place steak in marinade and turning to coat. Cover with cling wrap and marinate in refrigerator at least 30 minutes, turning once.
3. Remove steak from marinade and discard marinade. Place steak on grid over a hot fire. Grill, uncovered, basting occasionally with reserved marinade and turning once.
4. Place remaining basting marinade in small saucepan and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, carve steak diagonally across the grain into thin slices; arrange on platter. Spoon hot marinade over beef. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Wickedfood Cooking School

Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Wickedfood Cooking School runs Johannesburg cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studios. We offer a variety of Cooking lessons. Classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our classes are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and team building cooking classes these classes are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

2T oil
2T butter
2 latge onions, sliced
1kg braising steak diced 5cm
1T seasoned plain flour
4 carrots, diced
2 sticks celery diced
1 bottle/tin Guinness
500ml beef or vegetable stock
1T tomato purée
2t French mustard
bouquet garni (1 sprig each of rosemary, thyme, parsley, plus 2 bay leaves, tied together with fine string)
2t brown sugar
100g pitted prunes
salt and pepper
handful of fresh parsley, chopped

1. Heat the oil and butter in a large casserole dish, add the onions and cook for 5 minutes until browned.
2. Toss the steak to coat in the seasoned flour. Add the steak to the browned onions and brown all over.
3. Add the carrots and celery, then gradually stir in the Guinness, stock, purée, mustard, bouquet garni, and sugar. Season to taste. Bring to the boil, stir well, then cover tightly with a lid and simmer gently for 1½ hours, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the prunes and simmer for a further ½-1 hour until the meat is tender. Serve sprinkled with parsley.

Serves 6.

Wickedfood Cooking School

Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Boksburg – (011) 823-5365 boksburg@wickedfood.co.za

Runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studios. We offer a variety of Cooking Classes. Classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our classes are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and teambuilding cooking classes these classes are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

Q: I find that a lot of pre-made and fast food joints make burgers stuffed with all sorts of rubbish how can I make the best beef burger that doesn’t shrink and loose flavour?

A: Beef burgers are very easy to make at home and can also be much healthier as you know exactly whats going into them. When buying the mince buy the best quality lean mince you can afford, but with a little fat to keep it moist. The  jungle oats or breadcrumbs in the mix helps to retain moisture and keep the patties nice and juicy.

Next month at Wickedfood Cooking School we will be teaching a 30 minute meals class where we will be making these burgers along with Thai vegetable curry, chicken breast with feta and pasta, chilli steak wraps, penne with a rich tomato vodka cream sauce,and  fried fish with oven chips. A great class to introduce anyone into the kitchen or just to get new and exciting meals to make after a a long day at the office.

Mince patties
250g beef mince
1 egg
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup Jungle oats or breadcrumbs
1T tomato sauce
1/2T chutney
1t Worcestershire sauce
1t salt

1T grapeseed oil
4 round bread rolls
Tomato sauce (optional)
1 onion (preferably red), thinly sliced (optional)
1 large tomato, thinly sliced
4 salad leaves, washed and dried

Making the meat patties

• Combine the meat patty ingredients together in a large bowl ensuring that they are well mixed.
• Divide the meat patties into 4, place each portion of mince onto a board and mould into flat round shapes, about the size of the rolls.

Making the burgers

• Slice the rolls open and spread the base with a thin layer of tomato sauce. Cover with a thin layer of onion and tomato.
  The patties can be either grilled or fried.
  • To fry – heat the oil in a pan, and then fry the patties, in two batches, on each side for about 4 minutes. Keep warm.
  • To grill – heat the grill, and once hot, place the patties on a grill pan, lined with foil, grilling each side for about 4 minutes, until done. Keep warm.
• Place a meat patty into each roll, topped with a lettuce leaf.

Serves 2

Wickedfood Cooking School

Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Wickedfood Cooking School Johannesburg runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studios. Classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our classes are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and team building cooking classes these classes are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.