An Indulgent Winter Cabernet Pairing by Head Chef Brendan Pratt

Smoked Beef Fat Sauce Recipe

Accentuate your steak with this creamy Cabernet sauce.

Inspired by the traditional pairing of bread sauce with game meat, and my interest in nose-to-tail eating,  this recipe uses the trim and fat from steaks that would normally go to waste to create a light, creamy sauce that finishes rich meats and marbled steaks perfectly. The sauce features classic Cabernet flavour pairings of bay leaves and smoky beef to reveal the high notes of our 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon. The anchovies and infused milk contribute hints of saltiness and rich protein, which serve to enhance the incredible savoury complexities of the Cabernet. I would suggest using the fat from a Rump or Sirloin in this recipe, as these will provide an adequate amount for smoking.

INGREDIENTS

Infused Milk
700ml Full Cream Milk
2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
1 Shallot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 Fresh Bay Leaf

Smoked Beef Fat
350g Raw Beef Fat Trimmings (alternatively ask your butcher for beef fat)
Grape Seed Oil (optional supplement to beef fat)
1 cup Hickory Smoking Chips
1 tbl Sea Salt
1 tbl Cracked Pepper

Smoked Beef Fat Sauce
500ml Infused Milk (pre-prepared)
200ml Smoked Beef Fat (pre-prepared)
20g Rice Vinegar
25g Soy Sauce
1 tsp Miso Paste
1 tsp Caster Sugar
2g Xanthan Gum Powder (available at most Asian grocers)
4 pieces Anchovy
60ml Water

METHOD

Infused Milk
Place the Infused Milk ingredients into a heavy based pan and bring to simmer over a medium heat.

Remove from the heat, place the lid on the pot and let the milk steep for 30 minutes.

Then pass the Milk through a fine sieve to remove the Garlic, Shallot and Bay Leaf remnants. Measure 500ml of the Milk back into a small pot to keep warm.

Smoked Beef Fat 
Place the Beef Fat and trimmings onto a roasting tray. Season well with salt and pepper and roast at 230 degrees for 30 – 40 minutes or until crispy and rendered. Strain the fat through a fine sieve and reserve the liquid fat. If required to supplement your trimmings with Grape Seed Oil, you should add the oil now to create 250ml in total.

Place the liquid fat into a small metal bowl and place inside BBQ. Leave the BBQ off as you will be using the BBQ cabinet as a smoking chamber.

Heat the Smoking Chips in a pan over high heat until they start to smoke, then put the pan inside the BBQ, just resting on the grill, and close the lid. 

Leave for 20-30 minutes or until the fat has a nice smoky flavour.

Finished Smoked Beef Fat Sauce
Add the Infused Milk, Soy, Rice Vinegar, Miso, Anchovies, Sugar and Water into a blender jug. Start the blender on low speed and gently stream in the beef fat. Add in slowly so as not to split the sauce. Add the Xanthan Gum while the blender is still churning. 

Transfer the sauce to your serving jug and serve immediately.  

Best enjoyed with the 2018  Vasse Felix Cabernet Sauvignon. Serves four.