lifeisazoobiscuit

Today, I need to tell you about my little weekend adventure … the Ultimate Braai Challenge… Last week my friend Joani and I took part in the Western Cape auditions for the Ultimate Braai Challenge. This turned out to be one of the best foodie experiences of my life – the 100 crazy teams, the ‘gees”, the organizers, the judges – they were all just amazing and Justin Bonello is such a fabulous down to earth guy! I was really gob-smacked by all the different people that took part – their liveliness, their spirit and what passion we South Africans have! I realised once again – we LOVE a braai! I cannot wait for this show to start – I really think it is going to take SA by storm!! (see a few pics at the bottom of this recipe)

But let me get back to what food we presented to the judges – our main course was braaied Ostrich fillet in a red wine and mushroom jus with beetroot blocks – all done on the braai. One of the judges told us that this specific dish was the best dish he had tasted on the day! If you are not so much an ostrich steak fan you can always swap this with a cut of beef or even kudu fillet. Serve this with buttery, mustardy, crushed new potatoes and …do not forget to enjoy this with a good glass of red wine!

Serves 4
Preparation and cooking time: +- 30 min

Ingredients
4 x 200g Ostrich Fillet
1Tablespoon cooking oil
Salt and pepper
For the Jus
15 g butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 ½ large onion, cut in quarters and parted
3 king oyster mushrooms, cut in 3x lengthwise
4 button mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 Tablespoons fresh rosemary
1 garlic clove, grated or finely chopped
Pinch of salt
Big pinch of black pepper
1 ½ cups of red wine
1 Cup chicken stock (it is ok to use stock cubes diluted in water as per instruction)
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
3 teaspoons of brown sugar
20 g butter (I know … more butter )
250g cooked beetroot cut into 1cm x 1cm cubes

Method
1. Add the oil and butter to a pot then add the onion – caramalise the onions over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Onions need to have that beautiful honey colour.
2. Add the mushrooms, thyme, rosemary and the salt and pepper. Fry for a further 10 minutes. I love to hear the snap-crackle-pop of the thyme!
3. Add the red wine and garlic and de-glaze the pan.
4. Then add the chicken stock and the tomato paste. Simmer till half the amount is left.
This is important – it needs to be a sauce consistency.
5. Add the rest of the butter and let it melt. Taste and season.
6. Sieve through a fine sieve and add the beetroot blocks. Set aside.
7. Keep the big onion pieces and oyster mushrooms aside – discard the thyme, rosemary and garlic.
8. Heat the oil in the pan and fry the ostrich according to your taste – medium rare for me. Season meat to your taste.
9. Add the onions and mushrooms (that you used in the jus) and fry these with the steak.
11. Take the steak out of the frying pan to rest (let it rest for least 8 minutes) and add the red wine jus to the steak juices. The jus is now going to be infused with the steak flavours. OH! that is so yummy.
10. To serve: Put the steak on a plate – add some onion pieces and giant oyster mushroom on top. Then pour some jus at the bottom of the plate. Dress with a few blocks of beetroot around the steak.

Happy Braaiing … remember where there’s smoke … there is a braai!
lifeisazoobiscuit.com