The numbers do not lie: Filipinos love Irish beef and pork.
“The Philippines is Ireland’s number one destination for our beef exports to Asia, and is our third largest destination for our pork exports to Asia,” said Jack Hogan, market specialist of the Irish government's food board, Bord Bia.
The Irish people themselves are passionate about food, with dedicated family producers fully invested in producing the highest quality food in harmony with nature.
Hogan, who described the pigs as happy and the cows as stress-free, said Irish meat is widely endorsed by over 40 Michelin-starred chefs across the globe primarily because of its tenderness and rich flavor.
These qualities have also made Irish meat the top choice for Filipino chefs who seek to satisfy health and environment conscious consumers while ensuring great taste and texture.
“Ireland’s trading relationship with the Philippines can be traced back many decades ago. We have developed a very strong long-lasting relationship with our local partners and are fully-focused on growing our exports of quality meats to the market,” Hogan said.
“We look forward to continued growth and providing opportunities for the public to try our quality meat from Ireland,” he added.
Bord Bia recently held an online masterclass with Grand Hyatt Manila’s Executive Chef Mark Hagan to showcase the versatility and excellent quality of natural, grass-fed Irish beef and pork.
Hagan, a silver medalist in the 2016 Culinary Olympics representing Ireland, prepared a confit pork belly and grilled beef striploin during the masterclass.
Recipe for Confit Pork Belly
Pork Belly:
400g of Irish pork belly
3g of rosemary
100g of rock salt
4g of garlic
White Onion Puree:
1kg of white onion
500ml of milk
500ml of cream
25g of butter
Salt
olive oil
Braised Shallots
100g of shallots (peeled)
1 knob of butter
200ml of chicken stock
1 clove of garlic
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
Honey Mustard Sauce
30g of Dijon mustard
30g of Grain Mustard
85g of honey
30g of apple cider vinegar
10ml of soy sauce
salt
pepper
Method:
1. To prepare pork belly, first make a curing salt, add the rosemary, garlic, and rock salt into food processor blend until coarse. Rub the portioned pork belly with curing salt. Line perforated pan with cling film, then transfer the cured pork belly. Let it sit for 6 hours covered in chiller.
Preheat sous vide machine for 75 degrees Celsius. Wash the pork belly, pat dry and vacuum seal. Place in the sous vide machine for 12 hours. Once the pork belly is cooked, remove from the bag, cut into portions and chill until required.
2. To prepare the white onion puree, melt butter in a pan then add the thinly slice white
onions season with a good pinch of a salt. Sauté until translucent. Add cream and milk, cover with cartouche simmer until soft. Drain the liquid into large colander. Transfer into a blender, process until smooth and pass through a fine chinois. Put back the puree into a pot and reduce to consistency.
3. For braised shallots, heat butter in a pan, sauté shallots until soft. Add clove of garlic, chicken stock and sprig of rosemary. Cover with foil and transfer into oven and bake for 8 minutes.
4. To prepare honey mustard sauce, transfer Dijon mustard, grain mustard, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce into a bowl, whisk together until incorporated, transfer into sauce pot, heat the honey mustard sauce and season with salt and pepper.
To serve:
Place the pork belly on each plate and dot the white onion puree alongside. Scatter the braised shallots across the plates and drizzle honey mustard sauce. Serve immediately.
Recipe for Grilled Beef Striploin
Beef Striploin:
200g of Irish beef striploin
butter
salt
pepper
Chili Glaze:
45g of Gochujang paste
225g of white sugar
112ml of mirin
25g of garlic
250ml of water
Lettuce Wrap:
4 leaves of lettuce
20g of thinly sliced red onions
30g of sliced Japanese cucumber
black and white sesame seeds
Method:
1. To make the chili glaze, blend the garlic with water, mirin, Gochujang paste until smooth.
Place the garlic paste in a sauce pot with the sugar. Mix well. Simmer and reduce over a low heat, stirring frequently until thick consistency.
2. Heat a heavy bottomed pan until smoking hot and sear the beef on 1 side for 1 minute. Turn the beef onto the other side and leave for 20 seconds. Add the butter and baste the meat for a further 40 seconds.
Remove the beef from the pan and place in a cooling tray and leave it rest. Cut
To serve:
Fill the lettuce leaves with sliced beef striploin, drizzle chili glaze sauce then garnish with thinly
sliced red onion, cucumber, and black and white sesame seeds.
