03 Jul pickled radish + shredded beef

These recipes first appeared in The Irish Independent’s Insider Magazine on Thursday 26th June. 

We’ve been following the progress of Katie Sanderson’s Dillisk food project, a pop-up restaurant on the edge of Connemara that while be serving all things local, foraged and pickled. It’s their opening night tonight and we believe pickled radishes will be on the menu. So we were inspired to create our own until we get a chance to visit Dillisk. They’re great in a sandwich or a salad but our favourite way to eat them is on top of shredded beef tacos.

Pickled Radishes

Plenty of people never grow out of hating radishes. This vegetable is maligned in children’s stories and used as a threat by desparate parents. We’re programmed to reject them. In reality, these pretty pink peppery goblets provide some of the most satisfying crunch in an early summer salad.

Ingredients

225ml good quality red wine vinegar

2 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of whole peppercorns

300g radish

2 whole cloves of garlic, peeled

1 chilli, sliced in half and de-seeded

Method

Put the red wine vinegar, honey, salt and pepper into a saucepan on a medium heat. Bring to a simmer to make sure the honey and salt dissolve into the red wine vinegar. Take off the heat and allow to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, wash and finely slice your radishes. Place them in a clean jar with a tight lid and pour over the warm vinegar liquid. Place the garlic clove and the chilli halves into the jar. Seal the lid and let the pickles come to room temperature before putting them in the fridge. These will be ready to eat in a few hours but taste best after at least 24 hours a-pickling. If you properly sterilise the jar these radishes will last for a month in the fridge.

Shredded Beef Tacos (serves 6)

This slow-cooked approach to creating taco fillings pays off hugely when it comes to sitting down at the table. The sharpness of the pickled radish really works with the spicy kick of the shredded beef.

Ingredients

800g of good quality stewing beef (leg is good but check if your butcher has brisket)

Olive Oil

1 onion

2 red chillis

2 cloves of garlic

1 teaspoon of grated ginger

1 teaspoon of ground coriander

1 teaspoon of cumin seeds

2 teaspoons of smoked paprika

1 x tin of chopped tomatoes

250ml of beef stock

Salt

Pepper

To serve

Soft tortillas

Fresh coriander

Ripe avocado

Sour cream

Fresh lime

Pickled radishes

Method

Start by heating a drizzle of oil over a medium to high heat in a large, oven-proof casserole dish that you have a lid for. Brown the beef in batches to seal in its flavour.

Meanwhile, finely dice the onion, chilli, garlic and ginger. Once you have browned all of the beef, set it aside and add a little more oil to the casserole dish. Fry the onion, chilli, garlic and ginger for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the ground coriander, cumin seeds and smoked paprika. Stir really well and cook for a further minute before adding the chopped tomatoes and beef stock. Add a good pinch of salt and pepper. Finally add the beef back to the pot and bring the stew to a gentle simmer.

Heat your oven to 160C/140C/Gas Mark 3. Put the lid on your casserole dish and transfer the beef stew to the oven. Cook for 2 to 3 hours until the beef falls apart at the very sight of a fork, stirring it every once in a while to make sure the beef doesn’t dry out. Serve a spoonful of beef on a soft tortilla topped with slices of avocado, sprigs of fresh coriander, a dollop of sour cream, a squeeze of fresh lime and a smattering of pickled radishes.