Good! Crazy busy, but good. Trying to hit up the sift as often as I can these days, but it's sadly not very often...

In reply to this comment by calvados:
Life's pretty good, how's by you?

In reply to this comment by Kevlar:
You're most welcome, friend! How's life?

In reply to this comment by calvados:
Thanks old son!

In reply to this comment by Kevlar:
Whaddya do when your buddy dies? *Quality this sift with some garlic fries!

Life's pretty good, how's by you?

In reply to this comment by Kevlar:
You're most welcome, friend! How's life?

In reply to this comment by calvados:
Thanks old son!

In reply to this comment by Kevlar:
Whaddya do when your buddy dies? *Quality this sift with some garlic fries!

You're most welcome, friend! How's life?

In reply to this comment by calvados:
Thanks old son!

In reply to this comment by Kevlar:
Whaddya do when your buddy dies? *Quality this sift with some garlic fries!

Thanks old son!

In reply to this comment by Kevlar:
Whaddya do when your buddy dies? *Quality this sift with some garlic fries!

Whaddya do when your buddy dies? *Quality this sift with some garlic fries!

I've heard this many times before, and I disagree. When I'm training one of my cooks the temperatures of meats, I will call them over to my station every time I am testing a steak. Only by actually feeling dozens of steaks, lamb racks, pork tenderloins, ducks breasts and so on, can you begin to learn the feel of doneness.

My principle argument with this is that different cuts of steak feel different. A prime rib that is medium well may have a texture that is almost as tender as a medium rare new york striploin, just for example.

My favourite temperature? Take a large, well marbled steak, preferably rib eye or striploin, and place above the grill or under a heat lamp for 10-15 minutes, until roughly body temperature. Now season liberally with kosher salt and cracked black pepper, and grill at extremely high temperature over hard wood charcoal. Sear each side twice for about 15-30 seconds. The steak should still be bright red and gelatinous all the way through, but have beautiful char lines on each side.

Serve with red wine and shallot veal reduction, something horseradish-y (horseradish compound butter, horseradish mashed potato, horseradish creme fraiche, etc), something green and leafy and garlic-y (maybe garlic fried rapini, maybe some wilted spinach, whatever) and some colourful veggies.

Oh and as long as we're in dreamland, why not a bottle of Vega Sicilia Unico as well? I mean, if you've got a few grand to toss around.

Ingredients

4 tbsp Olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
8 large garlicky Sausages
200g wild boar bacon or pancetta, diced
1/2 fennel bulb, finely chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 celery stick, chopped
1 tsp Thyme, chopped
1 tsp redcurrant jelly
1 tsp Balsamic vinegar
450ml chicken stock
410g tinned green lentils
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
2 tbsp crème fraiche


Method

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a saucepan and add the onions and garlic. Fry gently over a medium heat.

2. While the onions and garlic are cooking, heat the rest of the oil in a frying pan and fry the sausages for 5-10 minutes, until browned on all sides. Cut into bite-sized chunks and pile into a casserole dish. Set aside.

3. Add the pancetta, fennel, carrot, and celery into the saucepan with the onion and garlic and cook until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the thyme, then add to the casserole with the sausages.

4. Stir the redcurrant jelly and balsamic vinegar into the chicken stock and pour into the casserole with the sausages. Bring to the boil and then add the lentils. Reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 10-15 minutes until the lentils are tender.

5. Mix the crème fraîche and wholegrain mustard together in a small bowl.

6. To serve, spoon the casserole into a large serving dish and drizzle over the mustard crème fraîche.