Hey everybody,
This is just a last reminder to book for my winter warmer special 3 course meal with a cooking demo and a gluhwein for only R150 and kids will be accommodated with a movie, meal and shake/hot chocolate for R35.
Bookings close 9:00am on Friday morning.
Everything is produced in house, all meat is hung for a minimum of 21 days by myself, sausages are made and smoked by myself. it is a offer you cannot miss, so make sure you are a part of it!!!!!!!
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Monday, June 25, 2012
Easy Monday Dinner at the Links tonight
Crispy Pork Belly with Stir-Fried Vegetables.
Tonight is our easy Monday dinner consisting of a choice of mains and a dessert for only R68 (for the youngsters older than 65) and R78 for family and friends younger than 65.
Today is Delicious Crispy Pork Belly with Vegetable stir-fry and a Sweet Potato and Carrot Rosti and Pan Jus, or Madagascar Pepper Steak Pot Pie with creamy Garlic & Thyme mashed potatoes and a onion gravy.
and then as the saying goes the proof is in the pudding, there is a decadent chocolate brownie with vanilla scented cream for dessert.
for a reservation please call 042 200 4500.
Tonight is our easy Monday dinner consisting of a choice of mains and a dessert for only R68 (for the youngsters older than 65) and R78 for family and friends younger than 65.
Today is Delicious Crispy Pork Belly with Vegetable stir-fry and a Sweet Potato and Carrot Rosti and Pan Jus, or Madagascar Pepper Steak Pot Pie with creamy Garlic & Thyme mashed potatoes and a onion gravy.
and then as the saying goes the proof is in the pudding, there is a decadent chocolate brownie with vanilla scented cream for dessert.
for a reservation please call 042 200 4500.
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
CURRY NIGHT TONIGHT
Tonight is curry night at The Links, i will preparing 4 delicious curries ranging in heat from aromatic to hot!!!!
The Hot Curry for tonight is a Chicken Madras Curry, this is a basic Pakistani curry from the northern region of Baltistan in Kashmir, it is quite heavily spiced but just as aromatic to help cope with the heat.
Next up is an aromatic Cape Malay style fish curry, this has the traditional fruitiness of the Malay curries but slightly more spicier than normal, really good fish curry!!! one of my favourites.
Diwali Vegetable Curry is the 3 mildest curry tonight and this one comes from my Sous Chef Angie, she introduced this one onto the curry menus a couple months back and it has been a hit every time, it is a nice mix of aromatics along with a little spice and complimented with coconut milk a must have!!!!
Then the mildest curry tonight is a Sri Lankan Lamb curry, strong Lamb flavours to this curry, this is a very "curry" flavoured curry, most people in South Africa will comment and say it tastes like a "Durban" curry, i hail from Durban and i love Durban curries so it goes without any saying that this is on top of the list for me when it comes to good curries.
The Hot Curry for tonight is a Chicken Madras Curry, this is a basic Pakistani curry from the northern region of Baltistan in Kashmir, it is quite heavily spiced but just as aromatic to help cope with the heat.
Next up is an aromatic Cape Malay style fish curry, this has the traditional fruitiness of the Malay curries but slightly more spicier than normal, really good fish curry!!! one of my favourites.
Diwali Vegetable Curry is the 3 mildest curry tonight and this one comes from my Sous Chef Angie, she introduced this one onto the curry menus a couple months back and it has been a hit every time, it is a nice mix of aromatics along with a little spice and complimented with coconut milk a must have!!!!
Then the mildest curry tonight is a Sri Lankan Lamb curry, strong Lamb flavours to this curry, this is a very "curry" flavoured curry, most people in South Africa will comment and say it tastes like a "Durban" curry, i hail from Durban and i love Durban curries so it goes without any saying that this is on top of the list for me when it comes to good curries.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Beautiful Venison & Sausages
Today's blog is a little different it is about my venison that i have been hanging now for 15 days.
I was fortunate enough to get 3 beautiful bucks from a friend and i decided that would make a wonderful winter special, so i have hung them in a cold room, the springbucks are still happily hanging there, the funny thing about hanging meat is how much we have lost doing it!! i have been researching it and some 100 years ago, it was the norm to hang meat anything from 3 weeks to 3 months, and during this time that the meat is hanging, there are little enzymes at work breaking down the connective tissue and collagen, these are the 2 protein structures that give meat its toughness, after around 1 to 3 hours of being killed rigors mortis sets in and then the muscles of the animal contract and stiffen, after 12-24 hours of being dead the enzymes that break it down start to work and the longer they are left the more is broken down. Furthermore if it was a healthy animal there are no microbes/pathogens in the animal to cause it to go rancid, therefore the only place on the animal that would start showing signs of spoilage are those that have been exposed to air, i.e the surface of the meat, and in my studies of this matter I have realized that all you need to do is trim away these rancid pieces of surface rot, as it will not affect the meat internally. i have notice that there is some mould developing on the surface of the meat but i have wipe it a solution made up of sodium nitrate and salt which is used in the curing of meat and hams as it inhibits the growth of unwanted microbes/pathogens.
I have also learnt in my 1 year of cheese making now that certain surface moulds are beneficial and are not of a concern (if you know which ones) however i am not willing to take to make risks when it comes to this hence the nitrate wash. over the past 2 weeks there has been a serious change in the colour of the meat as it loses moisture and the meat becomes more intensified, it is amazing to watch, it has gone from a dark red colour in the beginning to a deep dark purple now.
I have still not tasted any of it yet except for the blesbok that i cut up to make sausage from which is really really tasty i have made a spicy smoked sausage from them, if you would like to taste be sure not to miss our winter warmer special at the end of this month the 29th June 2012.
I was fortunate enough to get 3 beautiful bucks from a friend and i decided that would make a wonderful winter special, so i have hung them in a cold room, the springbucks are still happily hanging there, the funny thing about hanging meat is how much we have lost doing it!! i have been researching it and some 100 years ago, it was the norm to hang meat anything from 3 weeks to 3 months, and during this time that the meat is hanging, there are little enzymes at work breaking down the connective tissue and collagen, these are the 2 protein structures that give meat its toughness, after around 1 to 3 hours of being killed rigors mortis sets in and then the muscles of the animal contract and stiffen, after 12-24 hours of being dead the enzymes that break it down start to work and the longer they are left the more is broken down. Furthermore if it was a healthy animal there are no microbes/pathogens in the animal to cause it to go rancid, therefore the only place on the animal that would start showing signs of spoilage are those that have been exposed to air, i.e the surface of the meat, and in my studies of this matter I have realized that all you need to do is trim away these rancid pieces of surface rot, as it will not affect the meat internally. i have notice that there is some mould developing on the surface of the meat but i have wipe it a solution made up of sodium nitrate and salt which is used in the curing of meat and hams as it inhibits the growth of unwanted microbes/pathogens.
This is the venison 15 days ago when i got it.
venison 15 days later
close up of a blesbok shoulder
I have also learnt in my 1 year of cheese making now that certain surface moulds are beneficial and are not of a concern (if you know which ones) however i am not willing to take to make risks when it comes to this hence the nitrate wash. over the past 2 weeks there has been a serious change in the colour of the meat as it loses moisture and the meat becomes more intensified, it is amazing to watch, it has gone from a dark red colour in the beginning to a deep dark purple now.
I have still not tasted any of it yet except for the blesbok that i cut up to make sausage from which is really really tasty i have made a spicy smoked sausage from them, if you would like to taste be sure not to miss our winter warmer special at the end of this month the 29th June 2012.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
The Hungry Chef: My New Little Winter Warmer Special
The Hungry Chef: My New Little Winter Warmer Special: Please come and join us at the links for this amazing winter venison special, all families are welcome with kids been entertained with a mo...
My New Little Winter Warmer Special
been entertained with a movie, meal and a milkshake or hot chocolate for only R35, there will be someone to look after them as well, while the parents enjoy a live cooking demo and a 3 course menu (and a glass of gluhwein on the house), please be sure to book to avoid disappointment. hope to see everyone there!!!!
Cannot wait to get started!!!
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