John Torode
John Torode's new book, Beef is out now.
Was the book a long time in the writing?
It's my first book for ten years and, coupled with Jason Lowe’s brilliant photos, I hope it’s a fun and inspirational book that people want to cook from. Meat is seen as quite a masculine thing and it was deliberate to make the book more female-friendly.
Which recipe sums up what the book and your food are all about?
Great food doesn’t have to be expensive and I am always going on about shin of beef. It’s gelatinous and sticky, and it makes the best Beef Rendang in the world. I am realistic about how people shop and buy food, and shin beef doesn’t need to be matured, just cook it for a few hours. The Bloody Quick and Easy Thai Salad is fantastic.
Beef is obviously a passion?
It’s like fine wine, and I now know the difference between good meat and great meat. I know the breeds and support the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. I get my chefs to go to farms and slaughter houses, so they learn much more.
Have you ever cooked for someone really famous?
In 1985, when I was 20 and cooking in Melbourne, Harrison Ford came into the restaurant. With all the Star Wars and Indiana Jones stuff going on, I was just blown away.
John Torode's Beef is out now.
