Food critic and cookery writer Tom Parker Bowles, son of Queen Camilla, champions buying the best meat possible and using every last bit to extract maximum flavour. His philosophy is simple: 'Eat meat, but eat less and eat better.'
New Book: Let's Eat Meat
Tom's latest book, Let's Eat Meat, explains how to make the most of 'prime cuts, cheap bits and glorious scraps'. He shares a recipe for traditional Cornish pasties that uses budget cuts of beef, lard, chunky vegetables, and plenty of white pepper.
'I was a judge on a TV programme a few years back, looking for Britain's favourite dish. One of the high points was meeting Eunice Woolcock, a wonderful 91-year-old Cornish lady who made the best pasties I'd ever tasted,' says Tom.
He adds: 'There's lots of guff talked about pasties, but because they were hardy and portable they were originally food for the tin miners. The key is not cooking anything first. And no fancy ingredients, either. No mucking about, just raw skirt or chuck steak, raw potato and swede, lots of pepper and proper pastry. As Eunice would say, “There's Cornish pasty. And that's it. The rest are just pasties.”'
Cornish Pasty Recipe
Ingredients (makes two)
For the pastry:
- 225g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- Pinch of salt
- 50g lard, chilled and diced
- 50g hard margarine, chilled and cut into cubes
- Milk or beaten egg, to glaze
For the filling:
- 150g potato, peeled and thinly sliced
- 50g swede, peeled and thinly sliced
- 115g beef skirt or chuck steak, finely diced
- Quarter of small onion, thinly sliced
- Salt and ground white pepper
Method
- To make the pastry, mix together the flour and salt, and rub in the fats. Gradually stir in two to three tablespoons of water and bring everything together with your hands to form a smooth, pliable dough.
- Divide the dough into two balls.
- Preheat the oven to fan 180C/Gas 6. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.
- On a floured work surface, roll out one ball of dough to form a circle about 20cm across. Slightly off centre of the circle, place a layer of potato, then a layer of swede. Add half the beef, then half the onion, then a pinch of salt and plenty of pepper. Finally, add another thin layer of potato, to stop the meat from drying out.
- Carefully fold the pastry over and crimp the edges together. Place on the lined baking sheet. Repeat to make the second pasty.
- Glaze with a little milk or egg, and make a small hole in the top. Bake for 40 minutes, until golden brown. Serve hot or cold.
Tom Parker Bowles Books
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- Let's Eat Meat: Recipes for Prime Cuts, Cheap Bits and Glorious Scraps costs £20.09 from World of Books (new). More than 120 recipes where meat stands centre stage or adds depth and savoury goodness to dishes.
- Full English: A Journey Through the British and Their Food costs £14.69 on Amazon. England's defining dishes with mouth-watering recipes and recommendations.
- Cooking and the Crown: Royal recipes from Queen Victoria to King Charles III is less than half price on Amazon, now £13.10. From breakfasts, picnic lunches and dinners, to coronations and state banquets.
- Fortnum & Mason: Time for Tea costs £19.39 from World of Books (new). Everything you need to know about the perfect brew, plus delicious bakes and savoury recipes.
Prices correct at the time of publication.
