0:00:02 > 0:00:05We believe Britain has the best food in the world!
0:00:07 > 0:00:10Our glorious country boasts some fantastic ingredients.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12Start eating it, will ya?
0:00:14 > 0:00:16It's home to amazing producers...
0:00:16 > 0:00:19- My goodness gracious, that is epic. - Isn't it?
0:00:21 > 0:00:23..and innovative chefs.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27But our islands also have a fascinating food history.
0:00:27 > 0:00:33The fish and chip shops of south Wales are running out of chips.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35BOTH: Yes!
0:00:35 > 0:00:37And in this series,
0:00:37 > 0:00:40we're uncovering revealing stories of our rich culinary past.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44Now there is food history on a plate.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47As well as meeting our nation's food heroes
0:00:47 > 0:00:50who are keeping this heritage alive.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53Best have them enjoying themselves. It's a short life, let's make it
0:00:53 > 0:00:55a happy one like they've always have had.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59And of course we'll be cooking up a load of dishes that reveal
0:00:59 > 0:01:01our foody evolution.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05Spring, summer, autumn or winter.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07It's brilliant.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09- BOTH:- Quite simply,
0:01:09 > 0:01:11the best of British!
0:01:26 > 0:01:30Nothing, not wet Wimbledon, bulldogs or even cricket
0:01:30 > 0:01:36is as British as beef. Take a look at these Longhorns here.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40They are not only the oldest breed of beef cattle in Britain,
0:01:40 > 0:01:44they are arguably producing some of the best-tasting beef in the world.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48And, you know, beef is so much part of our national identity that
0:01:48 > 0:01:52since the 18th century, the French have called us
0:01:52 > 0:01:54"Le rosbif."
0:01:54 > 0:02:01But we are proud to stand here and call ourselves les rosbifs.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04We fry it, we grill it, we saute it,
0:02:04 > 0:02:06we casserole it, pot roast it. Oh!
0:02:08 > 0:02:10I like the look of that one.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14Our love of beef is legendary.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17In a celebration of all things bovine,
0:02:17 > 0:02:21today's show pays homage to the great British beef cow
0:02:21 > 0:02:24and the role it's played in our culinary history.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27We'll be revisiting a bygone tradition.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30Championing world-class cattle.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33And rejoicing in the art of that perfect fusion
0:02:33 > 0:02:35of mankind and meat, the roast beef dinner.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43Cattle breeding is something we Brits have excelled at over the years
0:02:43 > 0:02:46in our quest to find the perfect beef-producing beast.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51When it comes to British beef, for us,
0:02:51 > 0:02:54one of the best has to be Hereford.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59It's home to a breed that's famous all over the world.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02That white-faced beauty, the Hereford cow.
0:03:02 > 0:03:03It's a real British icon.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09And it's one of the most influential food exports we've ever had.
0:03:09 > 0:03:14Today, over five million pedigree Herefords can be found grazing
0:03:14 > 0:03:17all over the world in over 120 countries,
0:03:17 > 0:03:20from Australia to Russia.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23No wonder the people of Herefordshire have always been
0:03:23 > 0:03:25so proud of this fine beast.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30It's the best animal ever produced.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33They put on more weight gains than any other animal in the world.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35- By eating just grass. - By eating grass,
0:03:35 > 0:03:38which is grown for virtually nothing.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42It was a breed born out of necessity and invention.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46With the advent of the Industrial Revolution,
0:03:46 > 0:03:49the food market in Britain expanded rapidly
0:03:49 > 0:03:52as the population in urban areas exploded.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55Farmers needed a cow that could efficiently convert
0:03:55 > 0:03:58grass into pounds of tasty beef at a profit.
0:03:58 > 0:04:03The "stakes" were high, so when a young landowner, Benjamin Tomkins,
0:04:03 > 0:04:06inherited a notably bulky cow and her calf in 1742,
0:04:06 > 0:04:10he dedicated the next 50 years to breeding the perfect beef cow.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12And the Hereford was born.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16Word quickly spread
0:04:16 > 0:04:20and soon the world's cattle fanciers would be unable to resist.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30First, they were imported into the United States
0:04:30 > 0:04:33by Kentucky statesman Henry Clay in 1817
0:04:33 > 0:04:37and thus began its journey of world domination.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41You only want to switch on your television to watch any Western film,
0:04:41 > 0:04:44and practically every animal you see in that picture
0:04:44 > 0:04:49was got by Hereford bull, which originates back to Hereford.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52They were exported wherever grass grew and beef was in demand,
0:04:52 > 0:04:56and the Hereford thrived practically everywhere it went.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59But back on home turf, as the 1970s dawned,
0:04:59 > 0:05:02the bulky Hereford faced a tough challenge.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06Now people wanted leaner meat.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08We're not going for fat as much nowadays
0:05:08 > 0:05:12and, in any case, the housewife resents having to pay more than a pound a pound
0:05:12 > 0:05:15for a good steak and then having to cut all this fat off it.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18So many British farmers turned to the cow's
0:05:18 > 0:05:20larger and leaner continental counterparts.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23Breeds like the Charolais and the Limousin
0:05:23 > 0:05:25started to push the Hereford out of the market.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29Thankfully, over the last few years,
0:05:29 > 0:05:32the breed has made a bit of a comeback in the UK,
0:05:32 > 0:05:35as more and more people look for traceability in their meat.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39And have realised that a bit of fat does wonders for the taste buds.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48The Hereford cow is a truly British offering to the world of beef.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51Which is the perfect partner for another creation
0:05:51 > 0:05:53that we can lay claim to.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56Savoury puddings don't often appear on our menus these days
0:05:56 > 0:06:00but we want to give them the recognition they deserve
0:06:00 > 0:06:02by cooking a truly time-honoured dish.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06Suet pudding is the one thing
0:06:06 > 0:06:10that us Britons can absolutely say we invented.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12It's quintessentially British
0:06:12 > 0:06:18and in it there is the quintessential ingredient of, Dave?
0:06:18 > 0:06:20Beef!
0:06:20 > 0:06:25And suet go together like Sid and Nancy. It's brilliant.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28I mean, Mrs Beeton can lay claim to being the first person
0:06:28 > 0:06:30to publicise the steak and kidney pudding
0:06:30 > 0:06:34when she printed a recipe sent in by a reader in 1864, I believe.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37That was 1864, ladies and gents.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41Now it's time for a revolution, and now it's our turn.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45We've thought about it, but one thing that's always occurred to us,
0:06:45 > 0:06:48- the relationship between the gravy and the suet.- Yeah.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52- Could it be improved upon? - Could it?- Could it be better? - Could it look nicer?
0:06:52 > 0:06:55- Could you get more bangs for your bucks?- Can you get more nibbles from your noob?
0:06:55 > 0:07:00So, we've invented a layered beef and mushroom suet pudding.
0:07:00 > 0:07:06It's like a club sandwich triple-decker suet pudding
0:07:06 > 0:07:08culinary, kind of...
0:07:08 > 0:07:09- Masterpiece!- ..masterpiece.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15What a legacy to leave to the world of the pudding.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18With its exquisite layers of suet pastry and steak,
0:07:18 > 0:07:20it's like a beef Viennetta!
0:07:22 > 0:07:25Longhorn, look at this beautiful,
0:07:25 > 0:07:30beautiful piece, native breed Longhorn. The best of British beef.
0:07:30 > 0:07:34And the Longhorn can lay claim to being the first.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38It was the first breed of beef that was bred to be eaten.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41Up until then, we'd eat knackered old dairy cows,
0:07:41 > 0:07:43we'd make the best of it.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45To provide a worthy accompaniment to this beautiful fellow,
0:07:45 > 0:07:49we're going to need a gravy. Start by chopping two onions.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51- I'll tell you what, though.- What?
0:07:51 > 0:07:55We're going to have to do some exercise to justify eating that.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58Oof! You know, suet has been out of fashion
0:07:58 > 0:08:02- since we got a bit more calorie conscious.- I'm not surprised.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06- Yeah, but once every now and again, you know...- And that's the thing.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09Even though we're on a diet, like we've always said,
0:08:09 > 0:08:12a little bit of what you fancy does you good, every now and then.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15Just cos we're thinner than we used to be doesn't mean to say
0:08:15 > 0:08:17we've stopped eating pies and drinking beer.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19We just don't do it six nights a week like we did before.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21We do it one night.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24Chop 200 grams of mushrooms, add to the onions,
0:08:24 > 0:08:26and sweat them down for five minutes.
0:08:27 > 0:08:32Into a bowl put four tablespoons of flour, one of flaked sea salt,
0:08:32 > 0:08:34pepper,
0:08:34 > 0:08:37and two teaspoons of mixed herbs.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42Now, what I'm going to do is toss the beef in that mixture.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44Righto, Kingy, I think we're there.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48That's sweated down like a Beefeater in a cabbage patch.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51This floured meat will help thicken the gravy.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53Look at that, it's really well coated, yeah?
0:08:53 > 0:08:57Looks like Turkish Delight now, doesn't it?
0:08:57 > 0:09:00There's no browning off of the meat required on this one.
0:09:00 > 0:09:01This is a stew.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03This is like Boadicea's breakfast-
0:09:03 > 0:09:05so British.
0:09:06 > 0:09:12Now, to that we add a bottle and a half of stout. Good, dark beer.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17Now add 300ml of beef stock,
0:09:17 > 0:09:19two tablespoons of tomato puree...
0:09:21 > 0:09:23..and two teaspoons of caster sugar.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26You always add a bit of sugar when you use tomato puree.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30- Just tempers the acidity slightly, doesn't it?- Yeah.
0:09:30 > 0:09:35And a heap of cracked black pepper. Beef and pepper.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37Well, that goes together like beef and suet.
0:09:38 > 0:09:43That needs to go into a preheated oven, 160 degrees Celsius
0:09:43 > 0:09:44for about 2.25 hours
0:09:44 > 0:09:48until that beef is cooked through and falling apart.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50- And do you know what I suggest, Kingy?- What, mate?
0:09:50 > 0:09:54We have two hours in which to burn off calories
0:09:54 > 0:09:58and that will justify us tucking in to our triumphant
0:09:58 > 0:10:02steak and suet layered pudding for the 21st century.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05- Let sweating begin.- Yes.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10# God save the Queen. #
0:10:10 > 0:10:13HE HUMS THE NATIONAL ANTHEM
0:10:13 > 0:10:14# ..victorious
0:10:14 > 0:10:18# Happy and glorious... #
0:10:18 > 0:10:20HE WHISTLES THE NATIONAL ANTHEM
0:10:22 > 0:10:24I wish our national anthem was a bit more jolly.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26What, like the Germans?
0:10:26 > 0:10:31- No, not like the Germans. - French?- No.- Italians?
0:10:32 > 0:10:34Leave your casserole to bubble away,
0:10:34 > 0:10:37giving it a good stir halfway through the cooking time.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44- BOTH:- Oh, yes.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46Remove five ladles of the cooking liquor
0:10:46 > 0:10:49and set it aside for use for the gravy.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53If we've got too much moisture in our layered suet pudding,
0:10:53 > 0:10:56the technology of which will become apparent in a moment,
0:10:56 > 0:10:58it could be catastrophic.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02Now, you want to ladle this out.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05And put it into a heatproof bowl.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08And leave to cool.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11Time to make the suet.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15Time to think about the geometry of the creation of the beast.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19Take 325 grams of self raising flour...
0:11:19 > 0:11:21150 grams of shredded suet...
0:11:22 > 0:11:25..a teaspoon of salt
0:11:25 > 0:11:27and 25 grams of finely chopped parsley.
0:11:29 > 0:11:30Now, start adding the water.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36You'll need about 250ml, but it's not an exact science.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39It's ready when it's a firm ball of dough.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41- So you can feel if it's right. - Oh, yeah.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43- We would've had half of this each. - Yes, we would.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47Whereas this will serve six people. That's where we were going wrong.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51So, basically, a portion is fine. Half the pudding isn't.
0:11:52 > 0:11:57First off, I want 100 grams of suet,
0:11:57 > 0:11:59so let's have a guesstimate..
0:12:02 > 0:12:05100 grams of suet. Ball number one.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09Now I need 150 grams of suet.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15150. Ball number two.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18Ball number three. I'm going for 200 grams.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21Which must mean that, if my mathematics serves me correctly,
0:12:21 > 0:12:25ball number four should weigh 275 grams.
0:12:28 > 0:12:29270.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33That's not bad, is it?
0:12:33 > 0:12:36We've lost five grams somewhere in the ether, but, no, that's not bad.
0:12:36 > 0:12:37That's going to work.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39Our suet pudding is a complex beast.
0:12:39 > 0:12:44Turn the pastry out onto a floured surface and roll the smallest ball
0:12:44 > 0:12:47into a disc of about 1.5 centimetres thick.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51Now, if I just go that thickness, because I've done the geometry
0:12:51 > 0:12:56and the mathematics, each disc should come out slightly larger.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59And with a bit of luck, with a fair wind, and a happy heart,
0:12:59 > 0:13:02we should end up with a pudding.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09What I'm going to do with the pastry brush
0:13:09 > 0:13:12is liberally butter the inside of the pudding basin.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15Now this has to be as thick as the top, so, in theory,
0:13:15 > 0:13:18if I get the top and bottom the right size,
0:13:18 > 0:13:20the two in the middle can be shaped to fit.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22What do you reckon?
0:13:23 > 0:13:24Spot-on-ski!
0:13:24 > 0:13:28SINGS CHARIOTS OF FIRE THEME
0:13:28 > 0:13:30Let's build a pudding.
0:13:30 > 0:13:34Place the smallest disc into the bottom of the pudding basin.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37Then add your first layer of meat. Then the second disc.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39Repeat until the bowl is layered
0:13:39 > 0:13:41with the remaining pastry and filling,
0:13:41 > 0:13:43ending with the largest disc of pastry.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47Ha-ha!
0:13:47 > 0:13:50Now, if that comes out, can you imagine what it's going to be?
0:13:50 > 0:13:54It's going to be a taste sensation. It redefines the dumpling.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59Cover the bowl with greaseproof paper and foil
0:13:59 > 0:14:03making sure you put a pleat down the middle of both.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05Because when it cooks, it's going to expand.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07Just like our waistbands when we eat it.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10Now tie the paper and foil in place with some string,
0:14:10 > 0:14:13leaving some to make a little handle across the top.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15And test flight...
0:14:15 > 0:14:18Get in. Beautiful. Lovely.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22Place your pudding onto a trivet or upturned saucer
0:14:22 > 0:14:24in the bottom of a pan.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30We've got our lovely handle to lift it out.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33Pop the lid on, get that on a gentle simmer
0:14:33 > 0:14:35and it's going to steam in that vapour.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39Now, the water mustn't touch the pudding, but what you must do
0:14:39 > 0:14:42is look every now and again and make sure it hasn't boiled dry.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45And that needs to steam for two hours.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55Dave, the sense of anticipation is killing me.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57It's more than just a meal.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59This is history in the making.
0:15:01 > 0:15:02Oh, look at that.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06- It's just like a sunburnt beer belly, isn't it?- Oh, look.
0:15:06 > 0:15:07Hoo-hoo!
0:15:09 > 0:15:11If this comes out, it's going to be a triumph.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19That is one complete rotation of the pudding, Mr Myers.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22- Are you optimistic? - I'm...I'm...I'm anxious.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37- YES!- YES!- Get in!
0:15:37 > 0:15:39Look at that!
0:15:39 > 0:15:41Layers! One, two, three, four.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43Yes!
0:15:43 > 0:15:46- We've done it - it's a layered suet pudding.- It is.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49Don't be shy.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52Yes.
0:15:52 > 0:15:53It's worked.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56Look at that.
0:15:56 > 0:15:57It's like a bovine gateau.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00I love it.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03Three roasted beets.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11Just like Vesuvius erupting.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18I think we have redefined the traditional suet pudding.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21But the proof of the pudding is in the tasting.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24Have we done British beef justice?
0:16:34 > 0:16:37That Longhorn beef is fantastic.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41- It's made the most wonderful gravy. Coupled with the suet.- Yep.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44The layers of suet on the top and the bottom are quite dry.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47And there's a lovely kind of soggy one in the middle.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51And the soggy one in the middle is kind of like...a free dumpling!
0:16:51 > 0:16:54The anatomy of the beef suet pudding...
0:16:56 > 0:16:58- ..will never be to the same again. - No.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04We've played with the DNA of a classic.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08The best of British beef, in the best of a British pudding.
0:17:15 > 0:17:16Our green and pleasant land
0:17:16 > 0:17:19has sustained generations of sturdy cattle
0:17:19 > 0:17:22that even today are the envy of the world.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26So if you really want to celebrate this majestic meat,
0:17:26 > 0:17:29you don't just want to cook a joint...
0:17:29 > 0:17:31..you go the whole hog
0:17:31 > 0:17:34and roast an entire ox.
0:17:34 > 0:17:39This is one barbecue where you need to call in the big boys!
0:17:39 > 0:17:42And at Penrith Rugby Club, butcher Frank Jackson has got
0:17:42 > 0:17:43a real job on his hands.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47We wanted to have a go at roasting an ox because
0:17:47 > 0:17:50it's basically a challenge, and it's not something that's often done.
0:17:50 > 0:17:55They tend to be done at village celebrations, jubilees...
0:17:55 > 0:17:58And throughout history they were quite a regular occurrence.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02It is a big task to take on, so we're a little bit worried at the moment,
0:18:02 > 0:18:04but in a couple of days' time,
0:18:04 > 0:18:07hopefully, everything will have gone absolutely fine.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16The word ox was used to describe large cattle
0:18:16 > 0:18:21traditionally bred to pull carts and ploughs.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24But the size of the animal is only half the problem these days.
0:18:24 > 0:18:29As Best of British historian and walking food encyclopaedia Ivan Day can testify.
0:18:29 > 0:18:34One of the problems is that we can't roast it in the usual English way,
0:18:34 > 0:18:38because nowadays, to fulfil all the health obligations,
0:18:38 > 0:18:41we've got to remove the spinal cord from the animal,
0:18:41 > 0:18:43which means we can't put a shaft through
0:18:43 > 0:18:47because it's going to be in four quarters rather than a whole beast.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51So we're using a very old method which is called a cradle spit.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54It is the only way that you can do a traditional ox roast
0:18:54 > 0:18:58in the 21st century, because of the health rules.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02Even when they've managed to get it onto the spit, the job is far from done.
0:19:02 > 0:19:07An animal this size can take anything up to 30 hours to cook properly.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10It may take a while, but cooking beef this way
0:19:10 > 0:19:13means we can give ourselves a real taste of history.
0:19:14 > 0:19:19Until you've actually tasted it, you've never eaten roast beef in this country,
0:19:19 > 0:19:22because it always is done in an oven now.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24So this is a rare opportunity
0:19:24 > 0:19:29to recover one of our lost food traditions.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32# When Mighty Roast Beef was the Englishman's food
0:19:32 > 0:19:36# It ennobled our brains and enriched our blood
0:19:36 > 0:19:40# Our soldiers were brave and our courtiers were good
0:19:40 > 0:19:44# O, the Roast Beef of Old England... #
0:19:44 > 0:19:46Ah, those were the days!
0:19:46 > 0:19:49We've been roasting oxen for hundreds of years.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56In the 1600s, fires were even built on the frozen Thames itself.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59People would pay money to enter an enclosure
0:19:59 > 0:20:02just to see this amazing feat happening.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09But the significance of ox roasting in Britain
0:20:09 > 0:20:13is probably best demonstrated when a royal celebration was called for.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15At jubilees and coronations,
0:20:15 > 0:20:18there was no better way to cement your patriotism
0:20:18 > 0:20:21than by tucking into some British beef.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23What's extraordinary is
0:20:23 > 0:20:27that there was an amazing amount of tradition tied up with this.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29Almost ritualised.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33For instance, on many occasions, the ox would be decorated with flowers
0:20:33 > 0:20:37and it would be driven through the streets of the town,
0:20:37 > 0:20:40often with a brass band marching in front of it.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42So, some people think this might go way back,
0:20:42 > 0:20:46and there might be some ancient, sacrificial ritual attached to it,
0:20:46 > 0:20:50but, personally, I think it's Victorian pageantry.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57But times change, and ox roasting -
0:20:57 > 0:21:00a skill traditionally passed on from one butcher to another -
0:21:00 > 0:21:03had, by the 1970s, become a dying art.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06REPORTER: At what stage can you tell that it's actually done?
0:21:06 > 0:21:10Well, it's impossible really, David, to roast a beast and say,
0:21:10 > 0:21:12"There you are, it's cooked."
0:21:12 > 0:21:16There's no substitute for practical experience in a thing like this.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20Though Her Majesty the Queen was clearly interested,
0:21:20 > 0:21:21she declined a sample.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35Our Frank's not feeding the Queen,
0:21:35 > 0:21:40but he is keeping the skills of the great British butcher alive and kicking.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44Yeah, I feel quite proud of doing it, you know.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48It's nice to he able to do this sort of thing, show people how it's done.
0:21:48 > 0:21:53Um, and, you know, hopefully, it'll be talked about for quite a long time afterwards.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55And my kids are here to see it.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58They probably won't see it again, so they can see it for posterity.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01But an ox needs a lot of attention,
0:22:01 > 0:22:03and with 20 hours of cooking to go,
0:22:03 > 0:22:05it's going to be a long night.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09OWL HOOTS
0:22:23 > 0:22:26A full 18 hours later, it's nearly done.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30It might be raining, but Ivan's back for his shift,
0:22:30 > 0:22:33and he's confident that despite appearances,
0:22:33 > 0:22:36this ox will be well worth the wait.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40The beast at the moment - I mean, it looks fairly carbonised,
0:22:40 > 0:22:47but I know from experience, that lurking behind that dark exterior
0:22:47 > 0:22:51is going to be a very juicy, succulent feast for everybody.
0:22:51 > 0:22:57And this is going to feed at least 400, if not, 600 people.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59Bring on the party!
0:23:01 > 0:23:05# Now there's all that meat And no potatoes
0:23:05 > 0:23:10# Oh, it ain't right, like a green tomato... #
0:23:10 > 0:23:14Roasting an ox is all about the ceremony, and after all that effort,
0:23:14 > 0:23:16first dibs have got to go to the cooks.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19- Beautiful.- Just look at that.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22Falling to pieces.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24Absolutely fantastic.
0:23:24 > 0:23:28- It's like marshmallow, isn't it? - It is. That's beautiful, that.
0:23:28 > 0:23:3030 hours of roasting? Can I have the first taste?
0:23:30 > 0:23:32Of course you can, Ivan?
0:23:35 > 0:23:38- My God, that is absolutely fantastic.- Good.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41- I'll have to take the second one, I think.- Go on.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47- Just melts in the mouth, doesn't it? - Absolutely superb.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50- Absolutely marvellous. - I've been quite nervous about it.
0:23:50 > 0:23:55But it is gorgeous - it's juicy, it's very tender, it just falls to pieces.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59I'm afraid, Ivan, we've got 400 people in here waiting to get fed, so we'd better crack on.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02I reckon there'll be enough for another 200.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04I think there could be.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06But we'll be giving good portions, because we are in Cumbria.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08Well, I'll phone a few friends.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14A whole roast ox is hardly the first thing that comes to mind
0:24:14 > 0:24:17when you think of party food.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20But taking time to revisit some traditions of old
0:24:20 > 0:24:23is, it seems, well worth the effort!
0:24:28 > 0:24:33Yes, all too often beef these days comes in the form of shrink-wrapped steaks and bargain burgers.
0:24:33 > 0:24:38But look harder and you'll discover there are British beef farmers
0:24:38 > 0:24:42who really go the extra mile when it comes to producing quality meat.
0:24:42 > 0:24:46Including one in my home county of Northumberland.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52Steve Ramshaw is taking cattle rearing to a whole new level,
0:24:52 > 0:24:55combining the best of British cattle breeds...
0:24:55 > 0:25:00..with the molly-coddled Wagyu cow all the way from Japan.
0:25:04 > 0:25:09We've heard that if you feed Wagyu cattle beer,
0:25:09 > 0:25:12it...you know, does great things to them.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14And, you know what, Kingy, it's not just the feed,
0:25:14 > 0:25:18it's the way of life and the quality they're brought up.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21And they're subjected to constant massage and fine music.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25And it produces a better product. I've got that for the massage.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29- What's that? - It's a massaging device.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31Now, imagine that's the loin of the beast
0:25:31 > 0:25:35and you run your device up and down there, because the loin's the expensive part,
0:25:35 > 0:25:38and it's a process of tenderisation as the beast matures.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42- Are you going to do it? - Oh, aye. Come on.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50And the reason for all this pampering is a unique beef product
0:25:50 > 0:25:53that, like sushi, infiltrated the global consciousness
0:25:53 > 0:25:56during the bubble-inflated 1980s.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59Special occasions in Japan often call for shabu shabu -
0:25:59 > 0:26:04cooked in an unusual way at the table in a pot of water.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07But the most unusual part of the experience is the meat.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10It's called Kobe beef, and it looks different
0:26:10 > 0:26:15because of those thin veins of fat running through the cherry-red lean.
0:26:15 > 0:26:21The Japanese call it shimofuri - and that means frost-sparkled -
0:26:21 > 0:26:25and they believe that the more sparkle in the lean,
0:26:25 > 0:26:27the more sparkle in the taste.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31And to give the meat this sparkle,
0:26:31 > 0:26:35Japanese farmers rear these cows like members of their own family.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39And the unique taste of the meat seems to depend both on the breed,
0:26:39 > 0:26:43and on the way the animals are fed and pampered.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45This one high-maintenance cow.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47It demands a particular diet...
0:26:47 > 0:26:48LOUD MOO
0:26:50 > 0:26:53..and to help it relax after the meal, a lovely massage.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02DAVE HUMS A TUNE
0:27:02 > 0:27:07Steve is using some of these tricks in rearing his own animals back here in the UK.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11How long do you reckon you'll have to massage it for to have some impact, Steve?
0:27:11 > 0:27:16In Japan they massage them every day, the belief is that it tenderises the meat.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19But the reality is, we don't know if it works.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22What you could do though, Steve, is to get...
0:27:22 > 0:27:24You know those giant slimming belts?
0:27:24 > 0:27:27Get one, plug it in on two-hour cycles.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29In France, where they breed pure Wagyu,
0:27:29 > 0:27:32they have a little car-wash machine that comes down
0:27:32 > 0:27:34and massages them while they're eating.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37But do you reckon, though, Steve, the truth of the matter
0:27:37 > 0:27:40is good breeding and really good animal husbandry?
0:27:40 > 0:27:44Good genetics to start with, well-looked-after animals, good diet
0:27:44 > 0:27:46and I think that's it.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50I mean, the genetics we brought in from America is really just something special.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52Why aren't you getting all this from Japan?
0:27:52 > 0:27:54Japan has a protection on these animals now.
0:27:54 > 0:27:58They're actually a protected identity, so they don't release them.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01They did export some to North America in the 1970s,
0:28:01 > 0:28:04and they've got a huge herd now in America.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08Obviously, the climate in North America is similar to the climate in Northumberland,
0:28:08 > 0:28:11so it's important that we bring animals from a northern climate.
0:28:11 > 0:28:16Acclimatisation in the States might help Wagyus adapt in Northumberland,
0:28:16 > 0:28:19but Steve's keen to create a uniquely British product
0:28:19 > 0:28:22and to do that he's crossbred them with Aberdeen Angus -
0:28:22 > 0:28:24cut down on the pampering,
0:28:24 > 0:28:27and let them loose on our sweet and lush pastures.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30The taste comes from our British diet which is grass and clover,
0:28:30 > 0:28:34but what we're looking for is tenderness and juiciness,
0:28:34 > 0:28:38aftertaste, and then taste. But taste is personal.
0:28:38 > 0:28:42I once had someone complain that the beef was too "beefy".
0:28:43 > 0:28:46He wants his dinner!
0:28:47 > 0:28:49I think it was my jacket!
0:28:50 > 0:28:53He might want his dinner, but I want mine!
0:28:53 > 0:28:56And that tackle from behind is my cue to get out of here.
0:28:56 > 0:29:00I think it's steak-o'clock, Kingy!
0:29:00 > 0:29:02Dude, I agree wholeheartedly,
0:29:02 > 0:29:05so Steve is going to show just what this new hybrid British beef
0:29:05 > 0:29:07is all about.
0:29:07 > 0:29:09What have we got there, Steve?
0:29:09 > 0:29:12This is a traditional supermarket steak.
0:29:12 > 0:29:17Which is good British beef, but...not very well marbled.
0:29:17 > 0:29:19And the colour looks too red.
0:29:19 > 0:29:21The colour disappears a bit with more maturation.
0:29:21 > 0:29:26So the Wagyu-cross and the full-blood Wagyus have been matured a bit longer.
0:29:26 > 0:29:28And that's the one you're working for?
0:29:28 > 0:29:31That's the one I think will be the real winner in British restaurants.
0:29:31 > 0:29:32Wonderful.
0:29:32 > 0:29:35What is it that actually makes it so special, Steve?
0:29:35 > 0:29:40The amount of marbling in the meat just makes it so juicy when you cook it.
0:29:40 > 0:29:43So it retains the flavour and moisture of the meat.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45But the fat on this, Steve, is different?
0:29:45 > 0:29:47Yes, it's intramuscular fat.
0:29:47 > 0:29:52So it's unsaturated fat and it's actually quite healthy fat for you.
0:29:52 > 0:29:53Can we have a bit?
0:29:53 > 0:29:57- I'd better cook one, yeah?- Fantastic. - Dying to taste it.- I can't wait!
0:29:57 > 0:30:00SIZZLING
0:30:02 > 0:30:04- Smells fantastic.- Does, doesn't it!
0:30:04 > 0:30:06The anticipation's killing me.
0:30:12 > 0:30:15Oh, look at that! That's a supermodel of the meat world.
0:30:15 > 0:30:17That is a lovely-looking steak.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20You know, Steve, it's like a piece of history, isn't it?
0:30:20 > 0:30:24We're a nation of beef eaters and this is the dawn of a new era.
0:30:24 > 0:30:26It doesn't often happen, this.
0:30:26 > 0:30:28The adventure begins.
0:30:28 > 0:30:32# Love me tender, love me sweet... #
0:30:32 > 0:30:36- Happy?- I think so.- Yeah? Good.
0:30:39 > 0:30:42That...is unbelievable.
0:30:43 > 0:30:47The marbling just keeps the moisture in the meat when you cook it.
0:30:47 > 0:30:49It gives you that aftertaste.
0:30:49 > 0:30:51Oh, what?!
0:30:51 > 0:30:53Absolutely superb.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57Do you know, as good as we are at beef in Britain,
0:30:57 > 0:30:59it's great to know that even today,
0:30:59 > 0:31:03by adding a bit of Japanese sparkle, we can still make it even better.
0:31:03 > 0:31:10# ..And I always will... #
0:31:11 > 0:31:15What I love about us Brits is that we're truly democratic
0:31:15 > 0:31:16when it comes to our beef.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19No matter what corner of the cow the meat comes from,
0:31:19 > 0:31:21it can still be classed as a culinary treasure,
0:31:21 > 0:31:25even if it does suffer from - ahem! - an image problem.
0:31:27 > 0:31:31It's cheap, nutritious and is said to even increase your libido.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34Can you tell what it is yet? Yes, it's tripe!
0:31:34 > 0:31:36Sure it's tripe. What do you think it is?!
0:31:36 > 0:31:40It's a foodstuff that has struggled with its reputation
0:31:40 > 0:31:44for quite some time and it hasn't always got the best reaction.
0:31:44 > 0:31:46Gordon Bennett!
0:31:46 > 0:31:49- Would you take it up?- No, I don't think so. I might BRING it up!
0:31:50 > 0:31:53Bleugh! I'm with them - it's horrible!
0:31:53 > 0:31:58Well, it may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I like it.
0:31:59 > 0:32:03And the stomach lining of cows and other animals is wholesome,
0:32:03 > 0:32:04filling and virtually fat-free.
0:32:05 > 0:32:09It's also a good source of vitamin C and calcium, you know.
0:32:09 > 0:32:10It's great, man!
0:32:10 > 0:32:12- What's it taste like?- Very nice!
0:32:12 > 0:32:14I just love it.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17Tripe was once a popular British dish and seen as good,
0:32:17 > 0:32:19honest working-man's grub.
0:32:19 > 0:32:21And best of all, it was cheap.
0:32:23 > 0:32:26The people of the West Riding, as a whole, have a long tradition
0:32:26 > 0:32:29of making the most of what they have.
0:32:29 > 0:32:31Using up everything they can.
0:32:31 > 0:32:33Perhaps eating the sorts of things
0:32:33 > 0:32:35people in the South maybe wouldn't like.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37Now, one of these is tripe.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42Beef tripe is the most common type in this country.
0:32:42 > 0:32:44Cows' stomachs have four chambers
0:32:44 > 0:32:46and each produces a different variety.
0:32:46 > 0:32:50But to make it edible takes hours of meticulous preparation
0:32:50 > 0:32:52by skilled tripe dressers.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55They're now removing the stomach linings off these tripes
0:32:55 > 0:32:56before they're boiled.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59It all depends how you boil it whether it's fit to eat or not.
0:32:59 > 0:33:02It's got to be just tender, not too tender, not tough.
0:33:02 > 0:33:04But it can all be made nice.
0:33:04 > 0:33:06I'll have to take your word for that, mate!
0:33:08 > 0:33:09This is the finished tripe
0:33:09 > 0:33:11A full tripe, that. That's a full stomach.
0:33:11 > 0:33:16And under here, which you see attached to it, is the honeycomb.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19This is the most popular part of the tripe. Everyone wants honeycomb.
0:33:19 > 0:33:21I don't know why, because this plain tripe is far nicer.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23I think it's the fascination of this hole business,
0:33:23 > 0:33:25which holds all the vinegar.
0:33:25 > 0:33:29Cooked right, there are those who claim that it's downright tasty.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31But the smell of cooking it is a different matter.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34You'll have no trouble finding the Ideal Tripe Works.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37Boiling stomachs can be stomach-turning.
0:33:37 > 0:33:41In fact it's so bad, it's been described by one cook as
0:33:41 > 0:33:43"an odour that melts your eyelashes off
0:33:43 > 0:33:47"and leaves the black fog of death in its aftermath."
0:33:47 > 0:33:51But despite this, tripe was a staple of the working-class diet
0:33:51 > 0:33:54in industrial towns and it came in many tasty varieties -
0:33:54 > 0:33:58cold, fried or the classic pickled.
0:33:58 > 0:34:02- Which one do you particularly like?- I like the honeycomb and the cow ear.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07In fact this bovine delicacy was
0:34:07 > 0:34:10so well liked that whole evenings were held in its honour!
0:34:10 > 0:34:15This might look like OFFAL dancing, but actually it's just TRIPE!
0:34:15 > 0:34:18There were also countless dedicated tripe restaurants.
0:34:18 > 0:34:20It was the fast food of its day.
0:34:20 > 0:34:24- Do you prefer to eat it with vinegar? - I like it with vinegar.
0:34:24 > 0:34:26- I don't like it cooked.- I like it cooked with milk and onions.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32Sadly, tastes have changed and by the end of the '60s,
0:34:32 > 0:34:34due to rising prosperity in the North,
0:34:34 > 0:34:37people started to favour more premium cuts of meat.
0:34:37 > 0:34:41Tripe became as undesirable as a tin bath, rickets or an outside loo.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43But more than 40 years on,
0:34:43 > 0:34:47the latest trend for nose-to-tail cooking means that tripe is back.
0:34:47 > 0:34:49Albeit tentatively.
0:34:49 > 0:34:53So I'm doing some tripe. It's thick, rich and gelatinous.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56That is delicious.
0:34:57 > 0:34:59So whether you're a tripe-fancier
0:34:59 > 0:35:02or you're suppressing your gag reflex - bleugh! -
0:35:02 > 0:35:04at the very thought of eating it, there's no denying
0:35:04 > 0:35:07that, in the current economic climate,
0:35:07 > 0:35:10we should be re-acquainting ourselves with this notorious delicacy.
0:35:10 > 0:35:14But only if you've got the stomach for it!
0:35:14 > 0:35:18Using every bit of the animal is a culinary practice that's been
0:35:18 > 0:35:22revived of late and is something Britons have done for generations.
0:35:22 > 0:35:25In fact it's some of the less auspicious cuts that have
0:35:25 > 0:35:29often become regional specialities and delicacies in their own right.
0:35:29 > 0:35:31So next up in our Best Of British kitchen,
0:35:31 > 0:35:34we're reviving a traditional recipe
0:35:34 > 0:35:37that finds a use for another forgotten cut - the tail.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41Now, this has to be one of me favourite cuts of meat.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44It is one of the cheapest, but it is one of me favourites.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47This is oxtail.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50It's tasty, it's unctuous, it gives great gravy,
0:35:50 > 0:35:53it's fantastic for stews, it's fantastic for soups.
0:35:53 > 0:35:56And just because it's cheap doesn't mean to say it's less tasty
0:35:56 > 0:35:59than any of the more expensive cuts on a cow.
0:35:59 > 0:36:04And today what we're going to do is make a true British classic -
0:36:04 > 0:36:07oxtail soup.
0:36:07 > 0:36:09- Actually, you're wrong.- What?
0:36:09 > 0:36:13Oxtail soup's French. Shut your face, you, and go get us some flour.
0:36:13 > 0:36:15French!
0:36:15 > 0:36:16It's English.
0:36:16 > 0:36:20No, Kingy, apparently oxtail soup is French.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23It came about during the French Revolution.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26What happens is, time of great poverty, no meat.
0:36:26 > 0:36:30- The hides were sent to tanneries to make leather goods.- Yes.
0:36:30 > 0:36:34In the old days, they used to leave the tails on the hides
0:36:34 > 0:36:36- and they were just thrown away. - Makes sense.
0:36:36 > 0:36:39Anyway, there was a hungry nobleman, he took that tail
0:36:39 > 0:36:40and made oxtail soup.
0:36:40 > 0:36:44And before long, all over France they were making oxtail soup.
0:36:44 > 0:36:48And the oxtail soup then filtered its way into Britain
0:36:48 > 0:36:50and we got a liking for it, too.
0:36:50 > 0:36:52Flour, salt, pepper.
0:36:52 > 0:36:56Look, the French'll lay claim to anything. It's British.
0:36:58 > 0:37:02First off, chop two onions, three carrots,
0:37:02 > 0:37:06three sticks of celery and two cloves of garlic.
0:37:06 > 0:37:09I'm going to heat about two tablespoons of oil.
0:37:10 > 0:37:14I'm just going to toss these lovely pieces of oxtail
0:37:14 > 0:37:16in the seasoned flour.
0:37:16 > 0:37:18SIZZLING
0:37:18 > 0:37:22In the world there is a huge history of people having to develop
0:37:22 > 0:37:25and devise recipes and tasty treats
0:37:25 > 0:37:27out of discarded bits of the animal.
0:37:27 > 0:37:31In America, the African slaves developed amazing recipes for using
0:37:31 > 0:37:37discarded parts of the animals, like tongue, ears, tails and intestines.
0:37:37 > 0:37:39It was because you had nothing else to eat.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42But just because you had to didn't mean you couldn't involve
0:37:42 > 0:37:45a bit of cooking to make it tasty.
0:37:45 > 0:37:48- Belly pork.- Don't get me started!
0:37:48 > 0:37:52Belly pork was a throwaway cut and now it's a bit chi-chi.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55- It's gone all trendy, hasn't it? - So's oxtail, hasn't it?
0:37:55 > 0:37:59I'll just go down the gastropub, they've got oxtail on. Whoo!
0:37:59 > 0:38:02I don't want me entrecote now, they've got oxtail!
0:38:02 > 0:38:05When your oxtail has browned off a bit,
0:38:05 > 0:38:06transfer it into a casserole dish.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08Mmm!
0:38:08 > 0:38:10Bit more oil.
0:38:11 > 0:38:15And add my melody of vegetation.
0:38:19 > 0:38:20Give it a stir...
0:38:20 > 0:38:24and that needs to sweat down for ten minutes.
0:38:26 > 0:38:30Oui! Je prends mon mirepoix
0:38:30 > 0:38:36et j'ai jete avec la derriere de ox.
0:38:36 > 0:38:37Oui!
0:38:37 > 0:38:41Je prends le pan sur le feu.
0:38:41 > 0:38:44Put the pan on the fire.
0:38:44 > 0:38:48Et le vin rouge, un peu. C'est le Beaujolais, c'est bon.
0:38:48 > 0:38:55- Put a little bit of the wine in the bottom of the pan and deglaze.- Oui.
0:38:55 > 0:39:00Now add 300ml of red wine, two litres of beef stock...
0:39:01 > 0:39:05..and two tablespoons of tomato puree.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08One teaspoon dried thyme, and season well.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13Now bring your stock to a simmer.
0:39:13 > 0:39:17Now this goes into a low oven - 150 degrees Celsius - for three hours.
0:39:17 > 0:39:18It's a gentle cooking.
0:39:18 > 0:39:24This gives us time to, well, rewrite history, I feel.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30Be sure to give it a stir halfway through the cooking time.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33After three hours it's done, so remove the oxtail pieces
0:39:33 > 0:39:36and pull all that meaty loveliness off the bone.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39Discard the gristly bits and, using kitchen roll,
0:39:39 > 0:39:41remove the fat from the top.
0:39:43 > 0:39:45Now for me herby dumplings.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47Mix 200g of flour...
0:39:47 > 0:39:50Always use self-raising in the dumpling
0:39:50 > 0:39:51so you get a fluffy dumpling.
0:39:51 > 0:39:56100g of shredded suet, half a teaspoon of flaked sea salt
0:39:56 > 0:39:59and three tablespoons of finely chopped parsley,
0:39:59 > 0:40:03add 150ml of cold water and make dumplings!
0:40:03 > 0:40:04Little dinky dumplings.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07And the great thing how these dumplings are going to work
0:40:07 > 0:40:12is the oxtail has given up all its gravy and beefy flavour.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15The dumplings, being the oxtail soup's friend,
0:40:15 > 0:40:19are going to take that flavour with open arms
0:40:19 > 0:40:22and you're going to have the tastiest dumplings.
0:40:22 > 0:40:26People will be scrambling over these little bullets of goodness.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29Now take a couple of forks and just pull the meat apart.
0:40:30 > 0:40:34It's going to be quite a substantial main-meal soup, this one.
0:40:34 > 0:40:38Now we're going to add our secret ingredients that kind of give it
0:40:38 > 0:40:41that brown-sauce lick of loveliness -
0:40:41 > 0:40:45cream sherry and yeast extract.
0:40:45 > 0:40:47Two tablespoons of each.
0:40:47 > 0:40:51Yeast extract like this was developed for soldiers
0:40:51 > 0:40:55serving in the Boer War, because you ate it and the yeast in it
0:40:55 > 0:40:58came out through your skin and it repelled mosquitoes.
0:40:58 > 0:41:02So allegedly it helped you not get malaria.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05Stir in the yeast extract and add the oxtail meat.
0:41:05 > 0:41:06Now bring to a simmer.
0:41:06 > 0:41:09- You don't need anything else with this.- No, you don't.
0:41:09 > 0:41:11There's a lot of dumplings there
0:41:11 > 0:41:13and the dumplings are going to have all that flavour.
0:41:13 > 0:41:17- So choice of bread or dumplings? Give us the dumplings.- Any day.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20Eeh, that was like a George Formby song, wasn't it?
0:41:20 > 0:41:25He-hey! # Give me dumplings over bread any day, Mother!
0:41:25 > 0:41:29# With me oxtail soup, OK, Mother! #
0:41:32 > 0:41:34Is it just me?
0:41:34 > 0:41:37# Banjo boy
0:41:37 > 0:41:40# Sing along, sing along Little banjo boy... #
0:41:40 > 0:41:47As George Formby would say, "Eh-hey, you know you're done when your dumplings float!"
0:41:47 > 0:41:50And that'll take around 15 minutes. Whoo!
0:41:50 > 0:41:52How many dumplings do you think you could manage? Five?
0:41:52 > 0:41:54- Five's a good number. - Five's good.- Five's good.
0:41:56 > 0:41:58Oh, look at that.
0:41:58 > 0:42:04- Oh, yes.- The thing is, it's a big, big pot of soup
0:42:04 > 0:42:06made from a very frugal oxtail,
0:42:06 > 0:42:09but it's completely maxed out with flavour, in't it?
0:42:09 > 0:42:12Oh, ho-ho!
0:42:12 > 0:42:15- Oh, that'll keep you out of the doctor's, won't it?- Won't it just?
0:42:15 > 0:42:17Aye.
0:42:17 > 0:42:18- Plenty for seconds.- Oh!
0:42:19 > 0:42:23Sprinkle of freshly chopped curly parsley
0:42:23 > 0:42:25A little black pepper...
0:42:25 > 0:42:27just so it sits on a dumpling.
0:42:41 > 0:42:43Oh!
0:42:43 > 0:42:46That's the best oxtail soup I've ever tasted.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52And the yeast extract, honestly,
0:42:52 > 0:42:57put it in because it gives it a savoury...a deeper savoury flavour.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00- It doesn't taste of yeast extract. - Mm!
0:43:00 > 0:43:05There we are - a tribute to great British beef.
0:43:05 > 0:43:07Oui, c'est magnifique!
0:43:09 > 0:43:10It's magnificent.
0:43:16 > 0:43:17When it comes to meat,
0:43:17 > 0:43:20more economical needn't mean less lovable.
0:43:23 > 0:43:26But there are times when only the prime cuts will do.
0:43:26 > 0:43:29And there's one place in the UK where preparing
0:43:29 > 0:43:34and serving roast beef has been a precise art for almost 200 years.
0:43:36 > 0:43:37Simpsons in The Strand is now
0:43:37 > 0:43:40a landmark on the London restaurant scene.
0:43:40 > 0:43:45But back in 1828, it actually started as a chess house.
0:43:45 > 0:43:48Back then the joints of beef were carved at table
0:43:48 > 0:43:51to enable gentlemen to continue their chess games uninterrupted.
0:43:51 > 0:43:54Whilst board games are not the main concern of today's diners,
0:43:54 > 0:43:57the tradition provides a little theatre,
0:43:57 > 0:44:01and this way of roasting beef has come to define us as a nation.
0:44:01 > 0:44:04And straight-talking master chef Gerry Rae's job
0:44:04 > 0:44:06is to ensure that it stays that way.
0:44:06 > 0:44:09So...here we have the beef.
0:44:11 > 0:44:13We'll just check it.
0:44:13 > 0:44:16If it's aged right, you'll get a distinctive smell.
0:44:16 > 0:44:19You'll get a distinctive feel of the beef.
0:44:19 > 0:44:22The beef's matured for us for 28 days and it's dry-aged
0:44:22 > 0:44:26to allow the flavours to mature within the beef
0:44:26 > 0:44:29and also to get rid of any excess blood and to tighten it up.
0:44:29 > 0:44:32There's nothing worse than a piece of beef that's too fresh
0:44:32 > 0:44:35and it's quite spongy and it's not got any texture.
0:44:35 > 0:44:39Simpsons have always considered the forerib
0:44:39 > 0:44:41the ideal joint for roasting.
0:44:41 > 0:44:44But the way it's been butchered and hung means once cooked,
0:44:44 > 0:44:47the joint offers a variety of tastes and textures to the diner.
0:44:47 > 0:44:51The beef's hung with the sirloin attached.
0:44:51 > 0:44:56And when they go to butcher it for us, they just remove the sirloin.
0:44:56 > 0:45:00But if you turn it to this side, you'll see the black face,
0:45:00 > 0:45:03where it's been air-dried.
0:45:05 > 0:45:08You can really, really smell the aging on it.
0:45:09 > 0:45:12The black face is kept on because people like a mixture when they come here.
0:45:12 > 0:45:15They can have medium rare, they can have medium,
0:45:15 > 0:45:16they can have well done.
0:45:16 > 0:45:18Those wee black bits are full of flavour,
0:45:18 > 0:45:20so you only need a small bit.
0:45:20 > 0:45:23Simpsons has always let the meat speak for itself
0:45:23 > 0:45:27and the seasoning is minimal, yet highly traditional.
0:45:27 > 0:45:28This is the magic powder mix.
0:45:28 > 0:45:34It's really a mixture of mustard powder and just a normal table salt.
0:45:34 > 0:45:39Because we'll cook less and rest more, when this is resting,
0:45:39 > 0:45:42that mustard powder and salt is dragged back into the meat
0:45:42 > 0:45:45and this is where you get your depth of flavour from as well.
0:45:47 > 0:45:48Cooking a joint to many of us
0:45:48 > 0:45:51involves sticking it in the oven and leaving it.
0:45:51 > 0:45:54But over their 200-year history,
0:45:54 > 0:45:57Simpsons have perfected a two-stage process,
0:45:57 > 0:46:00of which oven-roasting is just the beginning.
0:46:00 > 0:46:03It's going to roughly take an hour and a half.
0:46:03 > 0:46:06But then again, it could take slightly longer,
0:46:06 > 0:46:08could take slightly shorter.
0:46:08 > 0:46:12The idea is, you can always cook something a bit more,
0:46:12 > 0:46:15but if it's overcooked, you can just give it to your dog.
0:46:15 > 0:46:19And it's not just the roasting they take pride in.
0:46:19 > 0:46:22Next job of the day...the gravy.
0:46:24 > 0:46:26Gravy's a basic thing for beef.
0:46:26 > 0:46:30It brings out the flavour and also to roll your Yorkshire pudding about in.
0:46:30 > 0:46:35If you cannae make gravy, there's no use you getting a job here.
0:46:36 > 0:46:39Stock is made from the previous day's bones,
0:46:39 > 0:46:42which have been covered in tomato paste and roasted.
0:46:42 > 0:46:45Acid in the tomato helps break down cartilage
0:46:45 > 0:46:48and also adds colour and flavour to the finished product.
0:46:50 > 0:46:55And then we throw it in here, all the bones with a load of roast veg.
0:46:55 > 0:46:58And then we cover it with water, bring it up to the boil
0:46:58 > 0:47:00and cook it for 24 hours.
0:47:02 > 0:47:05Gerry cooks his beef with military precision.
0:47:05 > 0:47:09The perfect joint is not about what it looks like on the outside.
0:47:09 > 0:47:13For Jerry, what's happening on the inside is just as important.
0:47:13 > 0:47:16So what we are doing is we're looking to get
0:47:16 > 0:47:18a core temperature of 33-36 degrees.
0:47:18 > 0:47:22And then we're going to leave it for another around 45 minutes to rest.
0:47:22 > 0:47:27And that'll bring the temperature up to about 60 degrees, fingers crossed.
0:47:29 > 0:47:31As meat is a good insulator of heat,
0:47:31 > 0:47:35it will slowly continue to cook on the inside whilst it's rested.
0:47:35 > 0:47:37So when you're cooking the beef,
0:47:37 > 0:47:41there's no use cooking it to a core temperature of 60 degrees.
0:47:41 > 0:47:43If you cook it to 60 degrees, it's going to come up
0:47:43 > 0:47:45to about 100 degrees - that's basically boiled.
0:47:47 > 0:47:51Beef roasted to perfection, gravy, tatties and of course
0:47:51 > 0:47:56Yorkshire puds, are the cornerstone of a great roast dinner.
0:47:56 > 0:47:58But Simpsons is all about tradition.
0:47:58 > 0:48:00And that includes the cabbage.
0:48:00 > 0:48:03When I first started here five years ago,
0:48:03 > 0:48:06I decided that I was going to change the veg.
0:48:06 > 0:48:09Make it more seasonal.
0:48:09 > 0:48:11But there was an uproar with the regulars,
0:48:11 > 0:48:14so...we don't try to change things,
0:48:14 > 0:48:17we only try to enhance them now.
0:48:18 > 0:48:22The regulars might not have been able to tear themselves
0:48:22 > 0:48:26from their cabbage, but they have embraced sexual equality.
0:48:26 > 0:48:30Up until 1984, men and women dined in separate dining rooms,
0:48:30 > 0:48:34but now they can all enjoy the Simpsons experience together.
0:48:34 > 0:48:38And the one thing that unites everyone is the beef.
0:48:38 > 0:48:40You don't come to Simpsons and not have roast beef.
0:48:40 > 0:48:41It's absolutely delicious.
0:48:41 > 0:48:44It's just amazing. I can't imagine anything better.
0:48:44 > 0:48:46Just look at it. Look at that redness.
0:48:46 > 0:48:49In fact I wish you'd go away so I could eat it!
0:48:51 > 0:48:54But it's not just about the beef, it's about the ritual.
0:48:54 > 0:48:58And to chess grand master Ray Keene, tradition is everything.
0:48:58 > 0:49:01It's served like a religious ceremony.
0:49:01 > 0:49:03The high priests of the roasts come round
0:49:03 > 0:49:05dressed in their priestly regalia
0:49:05 > 0:49:09and then they serve it, and you can ask for the best bits.
0:49:09 > 0:49:14Some people like it raw, red. I prefer it well done.
0:49:14 > 0:49:17I think all the flavours soak into the crisp outside bits
0:49:17 > 0:49:21and it's like direct communication with the divine.
0:49:21 > 0:49:23That might be taking it a little too far, Ray.
0:49:23 > 0:49:27But one thing's for sure, Simpsons and the beef it roasts has provided
0:49:27 > 0:49:32inspiration and sustenance to some of our greatest ever Britons.
0:49:32 > 0:49:35Diners have included such luminaries as Disraeli, Dickens
0:49:35 > 0:49:37and Conan Doyle,
0:49:37 > 0:49:40some of whom have immortalised Simpsons in their fiction.
0:49:40 > 0:49:43Simpsons is mentioned in Sherlock Holmes.
0:49:43 > 0:49:45It's mentioned at the end of The Dying Detective
0:49:45 > 0:49:49when Holmes has been starving himself to appear very ill.
0:49:49 > 0:49:52So Holmes hasn't eaten for a week and at the end of the story
0:49:52 > 0:49:57he says, "Watson, let's go to Simpsons for something really nutritious."
0:49:58 > 0:50:02And that's something you can still do even today.
0:50:06 > 0:50:09Next up, we're cooking with a type of beef that's been
0:50:09 > 0:50:13missing from our menus for quite some time, and with good reason.
0:50:13 > 0:50:17But it's poised to make a sustainable and ethical comeback
0:50:17 > 0:50:20and we're being encouraged to eat it with a clear conscience.
0:50:20 > 0:50:22British rose veal.
0:50:22 > 0:50:24We're very fortunate in Britain
0:50:24 > 0:50:27- to have a product that is unique to our country.- It is indeed.
0:50:27 > 0:50:30And it's kind of beefy, but it's not beef.
0:50:30 > 0:50:32No. It's veal.
0:50:32 > 0:50:37- But it's rose veal. - It's not white veal.
0:50:37 > 0:50:40White veal is the veal that people don't like to eat,
0:50:40 > 0:50:42quite rightly, for ethical reasons.
0:50:42 > 0:50:45And it was actually made illegal in Britain in 1990.
0:50:45 > 0:50:49But rose veal is a different thing altogether.
0:50:49 > 0:50:52Rose veal is the bi-product of the dairy industry.
0:50:52 > 0:50:55Most calves - and the reason we should be eating it -
0:50:55 > 0:50:58most calves are killed at six months,
0:50:58 > 0:51:00much the same as most lambs and most pigs.
0:51:00 > 0:51:03Make sure, if you're going to buy veal, it's from the UK,
0:51:03 > 0:51:07because we are the best in the world at producing it
0:51:07 > 0:51:09and we produce it ethically.
0:51:09 > 0:51:13And for us, it's opened the doors to some wonderful recipes
0:51:13 > 0:51:15that we love, but otherwise may not have cooked.
0:51:17 > 0:51:21And one of these is the vitello tonnato - veal and tuna sauce.
0:51:21 > 0:51:23As the name suggests, it's an Italian dish,
0:51:23 > 0:51:26made even better by using our succulent British rose veal,
0:51:26 > 0:51:29and we think it's a future UK classic.
0:51:29 > 0:51:33For the gourmet, the gastronome or the glutton,
0:51:33 > 0:51:36it's really fabulous, and that's the fillet.
0:51:36 > 0:51:40Think about it as like proper beef, you know, as big beef.
0:51:40 > 0:51:43That's the fillet. I mean, you get T-bone rose veal,
0:51:43 > 0:51:47you get chuck rose veal. You know, any joint.
0:51:47 > 0:51:49Sirloin rose veal, veal steaks.
0:51:49 > 0:51:52And vitello tonnato is a mad dish.
0:51:52 > 0:51:55At first kind of reading you think, "Bleugh!" But what it is,
0:51:55 > 0:52:00it's basically poached veal fillet done in a bouillon in a stock,
0:52:00 > 0:52:04quite an elaborate stock, and then you serve it with tuna mayonnaise!
0:52:04 > 0:52:06Whoever thought of it must have been bonkers.
0:52:06 > 0:52:10It's one of the most delicious things you will ever eat.
0:52:10 > 0:52:13Listen, we haven't set you wrong so far, have we?
0:52:14 > 0:52:16First make a stock in which to poach the veal.
0:52:16 > 0:52:20In a pan, place two shallots, halved,
0:52:20 > 0:52:22one stick of celery, halved,
0:52:22 > 0:52:25and two carrots, you've guessed it, halved.
0:52:26 > 0:52:29Add six peppercorns, a bayleaf, a bunch of thyme...
0:52:32 > 0:52:35..200ml of white wine...
0:52:35 > 0:52:38half a litre of chicken stock and season.
0:52:39 > 0:52:44Pop the lid on and we need to cook that for 30 minutes.
0:52:44 > 0:52:49When your 30 minutes is up, gently lower the veal into the stock.
0:52:49 > 0:52:51It's going to take us 15 minutes to poach it
0:52:51 > 0:52:55and what we need to do is turn it two, three, maybe four times,
0:52:55 > 0:52:59just to make sure that it's cooked evenly all the way around.
0:52:59 > 0:53:01Perfect.
0:53:01 > 0:53:05Now reduce the heat until it's just simmering.
0:53:05 > 0:53:06Now...
0:53:08 > 0:53:10..out this little beauty comes.
0:53:13 > 0:53:15It's poached in all that flavour.
0:53:15 > 0:53:18Ohhh...now, we keep this liquor.
0:53:18 > 0:53:21We're going to make what is effectively tuna mayonnaise.
0:53:21 > 0:53:24But it's a runny mayonnaise. We don't want it too thick.
0:53:24 > 0:53:28So actually let it down with that rose veal cooking stock.
0:53:28 > 0:53:29Whilst the veal cools,
0:53:29 > 0:53:32you need to get all the ingredients together for your mayo.
0:53:32 > 0:53:35- Two egg yolks.- Two egg yolks, check.
0:53:35 > 0:53:37One can of tuna.
0:53:39 > 0:53:41One tablespoon of baby capers.
0:53:41 > 0:53:44One and a half tablespoons of lemon juice.
0:53:45 > 0:53:49Two teaspoons of Dijon mustard.
0:53:49 > 0:53:52Can't go wrong with beef and mustard.
0:53:52 > 0:53:58Half a teaspoon of caster sugar and a quarter teaspoon of sea salt.
0:53:58 > 0:54:00Whizz.
0:54:03 > 0:54:05Now, with the blender blades still going,
0:54:05 > 0:54:10gradually add 100ml of sunflower oil and 50ml of olive oil.
0:54:13 > 0:54:14Look at that!
0:54:14 > 0:54:16Smoother than a velvet meerkat.
0:54:16 > 0:54:18- Isn't it?- Yeah.
0:54:23 > 0:54:26- Yes, spoonable.- TOO spoonable.
0:54:27 > 0:54:31So we need to let that down with a little bit of the cooking stock,
0:54:31 > 0:54:32cos it's kind of a sauce.
0:54:32 > 0:54:33Ooh, dear!
0:54:35 > 0:54:37HE STAMPS HIS FOOT
0:54:37 > 0:54:39Mm-hm!
0:54:39 > 0:54:40Whooo!
0:54:40 > 0:54:44Now, at this point, if you're adding any more liquid,
0:54:44 > 0:54:46it's important to do it over rotating blades.
0:54:55 > 0:54:59- I think that's probably enough, Si. - I think you're right, mate. Yeah.
0:55:00 > 0:55:03It's the most maddest combination of flavours,
0:55:03 > 0:55:07but something magical happens between the wonderful poached veal
0:55:07 > 0:55:10and this spiky, kind of vibrant tuna mayonnaise.
0:55:10 > 0:55:14Once the veal has cooled, season and wrap it tightly in clingfilm.
0:55:15 > 0:55:19And then twist at that end...
0:55:19 > 0:55:22twist...at this end...
0:55:23 > 0:55:27..and that's a barrelled fillet.
0:55:27 > 0:55:30You put that in the fridge to cool overnight
0:55:30 > 0:55:32and then it's ready to serve.
0:55:32 > 0:55:34Overnight?!
0:55:34 > 0:55:36I know.
0:55:36 > 0:55:38Tell me the good news.
0:55:38 > 0:55:41- I did one before.- Excellent!
0:55:41 > 0:55:42Shall I go and get it?
0:55:42 > 0:55:46We'll have the vitello, we've got the tonnato, let's make art.
0:55:46 > 0:55:50It's almost time to eat our British-Italian combo,
0:55:50 > 0:55:54but before we do, we need to start on the adornments.
0:55:54 > 0:55:57Chop a small handful of flat-leaf parsley.
0:55:57 > 0:56:00And the way a vitello tonnato is set out on the plate,
0:56:00 > 0:56:02it's very specific.
0:56:02 > 0:56:07It's always served with parsley, baby capers, caper berries
0:56:07 > 0:56:10and some sliced lemon.
0:56:12 > 0:56:14We need to cut this barrel very thin.
0:56:14 > 0:56:18The best way to do that is to keep the clingfilm on,
0:56:18 > 0:56:22so it's firm, and cut through the clingfilm...
0:56:24 > 0:56:28just try and cut it as thin as you possibly can.
0:56:28 > 0:56:30It's what I would describe as medium.
0:56:30 > 0:56:34Do you know what I mean? Cos you want to serve it cold.
0:56:34 > 0:56:36It's cooked through, it's not bloody.
0:56:36 > 0:56:38It's just right. It's been rested.
0:56:38 > 0:56:43- It's such a precious dish, isn't it? - Fillet is quite expensive.
0:56:43 > 0:56:46It goes quite a long way when you do it like this. It's superb.
0:56:46 > 0:56:48Shall we have a nice little centre?
0:56:52 > 0:56:54You do kind of want plenty of this.
0:56:58 > 0:57:00A little brindling of caper berries.
0:57:00 > 0:57:02Perfect.
0:57:02 > 0:57:05It is the most wonderful mixture.
0:57:05 > 0:57:07If you want to make it even more savoury,
0:57:07 > 0:57:08when you put the tuna in,
0:57:08 > 0:57:10you can put a couple of fillets of anchovy in there.
0:57:10 > 0:57:16But I think that's just right with the tuna. I like the spicy flavours.
0:57:18 > 0:57:22Here it is - British rose veal meets Italian vitello tonnato,
0:57:22 > 0:57:23a match made in heaven.
0:57:26 > 0:57:28- Bon appetit.- Bon appetit.
0:57:28 > 0:57:31Take the veal, a few capers...
0:57:31 > 0:57:33tuna...
0:57:37 > 0:57:39Some things just work.
0:57:39 > 0:57:40And that works.
0:57:40 > 0:57:43Trust us, it's superb.
0:57:43 > 0:57:46It's a classic, and it's a classic that we British can celebrate,
0:57:46 > 0:57:50enjoy and indulge in, because we've got rose veal.
0:57:50 > 0:57:52It's ethical, it's tasty.
0:57:52 > 0:57:55To be honest, I think this has more taste than white veal.
0:57:55 > 0:57:58White veal, it's a poor alternative to chicken breast.
0:58:00 > 0:58:01That...
0:58:01 > 0:58:03Mmm...
0:58:03 > 0:58:04It's not CALF bad!
0:58:07 > 0:58:12Beef - it's as intrinsic to our British culture and traditions
0:58:12 > 0:58:15as the bulldog and the Union Flag.
0:58:15 > 0:58:17It's as British as...well, roast beef,
0:58:17 > 0:58:21and a great source of our national identity and pride.
0:58:21 > 0:58:25We are world leaders when it comes to producing it and cooking it.
0:58:25 > 0:58:32If you want to try out the recipes in today's show, visit...