John Stone's family have been butchers for six generations. They mostly work with small family-owned farms, where the cattle are free-range and spend most of the year outside. Having a relationship with the farmers guarantees consistency and reliability. They dry the meat gently by controlling the airflow, humidity and temperature. The dry-ageing process creates a unique and distinct flavour.
I love the quality of this beef and use it in the restaurant at The Marker as well as at home. They set up an online shop during the pandemic, which came in very handy.
For me, meat and potatoes is the ultimate pleasure. I like to use potatoes from Ballymakenny Farm, grown by Maria and David Flynn with such care and attention, because they are packed with flavour. They are also available for home delivery.
I like using a good quality salt to season and find Oriel sea salt perfect for steaks. Oriel harvest the ocean for its natural mineral sea salt, the product is entirely Irish, natural and pure. The salt is slightly moist, crumbles between your fingers and dissolves quickly, enhancing the flavours of the meat.
Gareth Mullins is executive head chef at The Marker Hotel.
Roast fillet of beef with garlic gratin potato, pepper sauce
Serves 4
Ingredients
1kg beef fillet, ask your butcher to trim all fat and sinew off the meat
Oriel natural mineral sea salt for seasoning
Peppercorn sauce
1 tbsp of a mix of pink, green and black peppercorns
2 cloves garlic
3 shallots
10ml extra virgin olive oil
50ml brandy
200ml cream
Garlic potatoes
1kg Ballymakenny Mayan Gold potatoes
250ml cream
1 clove garlic
20g Parmesan
Salt for seasoning
Method
1 For the garlic potatoes: Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Place the cream in a pot. With the flat side of a knife, put pressure on the garlic clove before adding it into the cream. Bring the cream and garlic to the boil. Turn the heat off when it starts boiling and set to one side.
2 Peel the potatoes and slice them thinly on a mandolin or with a shape knife with a thin blade. In a bowl, mix the potatoes with the garlic cream and season with salt. Spoon the potatoes evenly into a wide shallow dish. Pour over the excess garlic cream. Scatter over the Parmesan, this will give the potatoes a nice crust when finished. Bake at 180 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked.
3 Before cooking it, make sure to leave the beef out of fridge for 30 minutes to allow the meat to come to room temperature.
4 Choose a medium-sized heavy based frying pan, preheat it on the stove until smoking hot. Oil and season the beef before placing it in the pan. Sear the beef on all sides until you have a good crust. Add in a knob of butter and baste the beef for a further one minute; this helps enhance the flavour and colour.
5 Transfer the beef to a preheated 190 degree oven and cook for 25 minutes for rare; medium-rare 30-35 minutes; medium 35-40 minutes; well done about 50 minutes. After the beef is cooked, allow it to rest for at least 15 minutes before carving
6 For the sauce: Finely chop the shallots and garlic. Crush the peppercorns in a mortar and pestle. Sauté the shallots in the same pan as you cooked the steaks until soft. Add the garlic and crushed peppercorns. Add the brandy and reduce until it has completely evaporated. Add the cream, and reduce until the sauce coats the back of a wooden spoon. Season with a little salt, if necessary.
Kitchen Cabinet is a series of recipes for Food Month at The Irish Times from chefs who are members of Euro-Toques Ireland, in support of Ireland’s food producers. #ChefsMeetProducers.
