Beer & Brewer 36 Autumn Teaser

PART 2 OF OUR 101 BEERS TO TRY BEFORE YOU DIE

see page 40

INCLUDING

ISSUE 36 AUTUMN 2016 PRICE $9.95 (NZ $11.95)

TASTE

Wonderful wheats How to make them,

LIKE A

THE BIG FOUR…

HOW TO

where to buy them

BEER

PRO

HOPS, MALT, YEAST & WATER - What you need to know

ISSN 1834-5115

0 1

9

771834 511017

BEERS & CIDERS

TASTED

WWW.BEERANDBREWER.COM

PLUS! 3 MEATY DISHES TO MAKE | CANTILLON BREWERY | HOMEBREW LEGEND RANDY MOSHER

CONTENTS

inside...

Autumn 2016

FEATURES 16 Style Notes – Wheat Wheat, wit, weisse or weizen? No matter which name they go by, these are some of the most characterful and refreshing beers in the world.

Jeremy Sambrooks delves into the history of wheat beer

24

Brewing Ingredients It takes four ingredients to make beer, but within those boundaries new things are always happening.

Nick Connellan peers beyond the horizon to see what’s next for water, hops, malt and yeast

32 How to Taste Beer International beer judge, Ian Kingham, explains how to taste beer like a pro, what beer faults to look out for and benchmark beers to know

40 101 Beers – Part 2 The final 51 to tick off in our list of 101 Beers To Try Before You Die

64 Travel – Cantillon Brewery, Belgium We take you into the world of Brussels’ famous Cantillon Brewery, the Belgian master of lambic beer

68 Entertaining – Food We have three meaty dishes from chef, author and television presenter, Ben O’Donoghue’s latest book Ben’s Meat Bible sure to please the carnivore in each of us

4

www.beerandbrewer.com

16

HOMEBREWER 46 Welcome 47

Letters

48 Q&A John Palmer looks at equipment for all grain brewing

50 Recipes American wheat, dark lager and a double IPA

54 Homebrewer Profile We drop in on a homebrewer who’s notched up his 800th brew

56 Randy Mosher Homebrewer technical editor Jake Brandish chats with international homebrew legend Randy Mosher

58 Collaboration Brew Homebrewer editor Chris Thomas teams up with the guys at NZ’s Choice Bros for an Easter-themed collaboration beer

60 Beer Education Homebrewer technical editor Jake Brandish looks at how to get a beerducation

62 Homebrew Club We check out the CQ Homebrewers and get a Queensland lager recipe to boot!

“I used to think lager was the hardest beer to make…now I’ve changed my mind; wheat beers are the hardest to brew as you really have to coax out the flavours you want” – Brennan Fielding, Burleigh Brewing Co.

24

64

REGULARS 3 6

Editor’s Letter The Brew What’s happening and things to do

9

News The latest in Aus/NZ beer industry

12

Bits & Bobs

14

New Venue

72

Tasting Notes Ambers, reds, ciders and new releases

78

Directory

82 A Pint With…

Cicerone founder, Ray Daniels

Go inside Brussels’ famous Cantil on Brewery 68

32

Autumn 2016

5

Wheat, wit, weisse or weizen?

NO MATTER WHICH NAME THEY GO BY, THESE ARE SOME OF THE MOST CHARACTERFUL AND REFRESHING BEERS IN THE WORLD. JEREMY SAMBROOKS DELVES INTO THE TURBULENT HISTORY OF WHEAT BEER

16 www.beerandbrewer.com

WHEAT

T

he year is 2010 and I’m sitting in the

Brennan Fielding from Burleigh Brewing Co. believes wheat beers are the most difficult to brew

beer garden of the oldest brewery in the world, Weihenstephan. The autumn sun is shining, there’s a cool breeze and in my hand is a tall, curvy glass of the brewery’s most

popular product – a wheat beer called Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier – which while a pain to spell or pronounce is an absolute joy to drink. Hazy, yellow and topped with a mountain of soft-serve-like foam, this unfiltered Bavarian-style wheat beer tastes of soft, bready malt and cloves, with subtle notes of sweet banana, vanilla and mixed spice. No fruit or spices are added to the beer – its complexity comes from the esters and phenols produced by the classic Weihenstephan yeast strain.

Although beer can be brewed from almost any malted grain, only barley has a structure that is ideal for malting, mashing and brewing. Unlike barley, wheat does not have a husk to provide a natural filter bed for lautering and running off the sweet wort. For this reason, most commercial wheat beers contain about 30 to 50 per cent malted barley. Wheat is also higher in protein than barley, which contributes to foam stability and increases a beer’s perceived body and mouthfeel.

The higher protein content of malted wheat also results in haziness, which while unwanted in most beers, is actually a desirable attribute in wheat beers.

Before we go any further, a line needs to be drawn to determine when a beer is a wheat beer and when it is just a beer that contains wheat. Many commercial beers of various styles contain small amounts (often less than five per cent) of wheat malt for head retention rather than any flavour contribution. For the purpose of this article, we will only consider beers typically made with at least 30 per cent wheat and fermented using cultured wheat yeast strains to be true wheat beers.

This eliminates a few ‘wheatish’ beer styles, including Berliner weisse, Gose and Belgian lambic beers.

With this distinction made, there are 14 wheat beer styles recognised by the Brewers Association (BA) guidelines. Discussing all of these styles would be a repetitive affair, as many are simply stronger, lighter, darker or filtered versions of the same thing. After

“I USED TO THINK LAGER WAS THE HARDEST BEER TO MAKE BECAUSE LAGERS ARE COMPLETELY NAKED AND THERE IS NOWHERE TO HIDE. NOW I’VE CHANGED MY MIND; WHEAT BEERS ARE THE HARDEST TO BREW AS YOU REALLY HAVE TO COAX OUT THE FLAVOURS YOU WANT” – BRENNAN FIELDING, BURLEIGH BREWING CO. IF YOU LIKE WHEAT BEERS

You might also like these beers:

trimming the fluff, we are left with six distinct wheat beer styles; two from Germany, two from USA and one each from Belgium and Poland.

WEISSE OR WEIZEN? German-style wheat beers are generally referred to as either weissbier or weizenbier. Weissbier (pronounced vice-beer) means ‘white beer’ in German and the name derives from the whitish tinge imparted by pale malted wheat and suspended yeast particles in the beer.

Weizenbier (pronounced veye-tssen-beer) is German for wheat beer, although English-speaking countries often

Belgian blond ale: A slightly sweet, relatively strong golden ale with a subtle ester profile.

Belgian dubbel: A deep reddish, moderately strong, complex and malty Belgian ale.

Blonde ale: A fairly clean, easy-drinking and slightly malty beer, sometimes called golden ale.

Saison: A medium to strong ale with a spicy, yeastderived flavour and a very dry finish.

Autumn 2016 17

1. König Ludwig Weissbier A traditional German wheat beer brewed in Bavaria in accordance with the purity law of 1516, König Ludwig Weissbier depicts the style well. The customary clove and banana aroma is evident although somewhat restrained with some nice bready notes also present. The palate is rich and full, with good malt layering and some banana and tropical fruit character. Rich on the finish, with good residual maltiness and less dry than other conventional styles of hefeweizen.

FOOD MATCH Beetroot and goats cheese salad

2. Blue Moon Belgian White A Belgian-style ale, Blue Moon Belgian White is brewed with white wheat and oats for a crisp, wheat finish that’s perfectly complemented by a combination of orange peel and coriander. It’s best served in a weiss glass with an orange slice garnish to bring out the subtle citrus aroma and finish.

FOOD MATCH The beer’s light, spicy, citrus flavours pair well with seafood such as grilled prawns and Asian dishes like pad Thai ABV: 5.4% Facebook.com/bluemoonaus

ABV: 5.5% RRP: $5 per bottle (330ml) Bidbeer.com

3. Erdinger Hefeweizen

4. Burleigh Brewing HEF

Erdinger is the world’s most popular wheat beer and one of the few wheat beer breweries that continue to use the ‘Champagne method’ of secondary fermentation in the bottle/keg ensuring perfect carbonation and an exceptionally well-balanced beer. With a distinctive bright golden colour the flavour is mildly sweet up front, with a good deal of sensation from the carbonation.

The middle of the palate offers spiced citrus notes and the finish brings out a swirl of elegant hop flavour.

Burleigh Brewing HEF boasts the classic German wheat beer characteristics of banana and clove, rich flavours, a bright white head and a smooth, creamy texture. It is an unfiltered, refreshing, flavour-filled beer without being overpowering.

FOOD MATCH Cheese, seafood or fruit chutney ABV: 5% RRP: $21-$22 per six-pack (330ml) Burleighbrewing.com.au

FOOD MATCH Delicious with chicken or veal schnitzel ABV: 5.3% RRP: $6.29 per bottle (500ml) Baw.com.au 3

1

4 2

Wheat 22 www.beerandbrewer.com

WITH THEIR LOW BITTERNESS, MALTY SWEETNESS, FRUITY ESTERS, SPICY PHENOLS AND LIVELY CARBONATION, WHEAT BEERS WERE SEEMINGLY MADE TO BE PAIRED WITH FOOD. HERE ARE EIGHT TO TRY THIS SEASON

WHEAT PROMOTION

5. Grand Ridge Natural Blonde

6. Goodieson Wheat Beer

7. Schöfferhofer Hefeweizen

Natural Blonde is a classic Belgian-style wheat beer. This beer is naturally cloudy using Australia’s premium wheat, malt and coriander. A touch of orange peel lets luscious hints of citrus seep through the head. A real chef’s beer, Grand Ridge uses Natural Blonde at its restaurant for incredibly light and flavoursome batters and also recommends using it to steam mussels. This beer makes any seafood work to perfection.

This German-style wheat beer has a beautiful balance of banana and clove aromas and flavours.

Slightly hazy with a golden colour and a very low bitterness this beer will leave the true wheat beer lovers craving for another glass. Gently shake the bottle before opening and pour with at least two distinctive pours. Pour approximately three quarters of the bottle, than swirl the bottle to ensure the entire contents of the bottle are poured into the glass.

FOOD MATCH

FOOD MATCH

Fresh, wild barramundi fillets

Thai, Malaysian, seafood or just use it to make a fantastic beer batter

ABV: 4.5% RRP: $18-20 per six-pack (330ml) Grand-ridge.com.au

ABV: 5.2% RRP: $23 per six-pack (330ml) Goodiesonbrewery.com.au

6 5

8. Blue Moon Summer Honey Wheat

Wheat beer usually prevails from Bavaria however the Binding Brewery in Frankfurt has its own take on what a wheat beer should taste like and Schöfferhofer is now the most successful wheat beer brand brewed outside of Bavaria. Brewed with additional hops to bring extra bitterness, Schöfferhofer has an unmistakable bright amber haze with tangy fruit and spice flavours delivering ultimate thirst-quenching refreshment and seems to be perfectly designed for the Australian palate.

Blue Moon Summer Honey Wheat is crafted with orange blossom honey for a hint of sweetness and a touch of orange peel for subtle citrus notes. It’s a refreshing, balanced taste that’s landed just in time for the longer, warmer days of the season.

FOOD MATCH Grilled summer barbeque meats such as marinated chicken with honey mustard sauce ABV: 5.2% Facebook.com/bluemoonaus

FOOD MATCH Skewered shrimp with rosemary ABV: 5% RRP: $5.50 per bottle (500ml) Baw.com.au

7 8

Autumn 2016

23

HOW TO TASTE BEER

BEER FAULTS

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF BEER FAULTS TO BE AWARE OF WHEN JUDGING AND BREWING. BELOW IS A LIST OF BEER FAULT CHARACTERISTICS AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS FROM THE BJCP GUIDELINES 2015

Acetaldehyde Characteristics: Fresh cut green apples Possible solutions: Make sure fermentation is vigorous using healthy yeast. Allow full attenuation. Leave beer on yeast longer.

Oxygenate wort fully.

Try another yeast strain.

Make sure sufficient yeast nutrients are available. Let beer age longer.

Vinegary Characteristics: Acetic acid, vinegar-like sourness Possible solutions: Check for infection.

Check yeast strain. Check for oxidation sources (acetobacter is aerobic).

36

Sour/Acidic Characteristics: Lactic acid, citric acid, sharp, clean sourness Possible solutions: Check for infection.

Check yeast strain. Don’t mash for long periods of time at low temperatures.

Medicinal (chlorophenolic) Characteristics: Chloraseptic, medicine cabinet Possible solutions: Avoid water with chlorine or chloramines (use RO water if necessary). Avoid bleach sanitisers. Reduce astringency/grain husk sources. Avoid excessive whole hop use. Check for infection.

www.beerandbrewer.com

Light-struck Characteristics: Skunky, catty Possible solutions: Don’t expose wort/beer to sunlight after hops have been added. Don’t use clear or green glass bottles. Avoid use of cluster hops in late hop additions.

DMS (Dimethyl Sulfide) Characteristics: Cooked corn Possible solutions: Use a long, rolling, open boil. Reduce amount of Pilsner malt. Cool quickly before pitching yeast.

Check for infection. Make sure you use a healthy, vigorous yeast starter.

Solvent/Fusel Characteristics: Hot burning on palate Possible solutions: Lower fermentation temperature. Pitch a sufficient quantity of healthy, active yeast.

Check for infection. Try a different yeast strain.

Sulfury Characteristics: Rotten eggs, burning matches Possible solutions: Check for infection.

Check water for excessive sulfates. Check yeast health. Check for yeast autolysis (beer left on yeast too long at warm temperatures). Try another yeast strain.

Smoky (Phenolic) Characteristics: Smokelike, charcoal, burnt Possible solutions: Check for scorched mash or boil. Check excessive use of dark malts. Check for infection.

Metallic Characteristics: Iron, copper, coins, blood Possible solutions: Check water for metallic ions. Reduce water salts. Check equipment condition for rust. Make sure stainless steel equipment is properly passivated. Fully rinse sanitiser. Try using RO water and add salts as needed.

HOW TO TASTE BEER

Musty Characteristics: Stale, mouldy, cellar-like Possible solutions: Avoid oxidation (see oxidised). Check sanitation. Avoid peatsmoked malt. Check water for freshness and taste. Use fresh ingredients (especially malt and hops).

Spicy (Phenolic) Characteristics: Clove, pepper, vanilla, etc.

Possible solutions: Use a different yeast strain and/or hop variety.

Adjust fermentation temperature (sometimes higher, sometimes lower, depending on yeast strain and beer style).

Oxidised Characteristics: Stale, papery, cardboard Possible solutions: Check for oxygen being introduced into beer post-fermentation. Don’t splash when racking/ bottling. Check caps and/ or keg seals for good fit.

Purge bottles/kegs with CO2 prior to filling. Store beer cool. Drink beer when fresh.

Astringent Characteristics: Mouthpuckering, lingering harshness Possible solutions: Don’t oversparge. Don’t overcrush grain. Don’t boil grain. Don’t sparge with water above 77°C. Don’t sparge with water with a high pH (over 6).

Use water with lower sulfate content. Use less dark grains. Use less whole hops (especially high-alpha hops or simply large quantities of hops).

Avoid use of raw spices, fruit pith and fruit skins.

Alcoholic/Hot Characteristics: Spicy, vinous, warming from ethanol and higher alcohols Possible solutions: Lower fermentation temperature. Use a less attenuative yeast strain.

Check yeast health. Use less fermentables. Use less sugary adjuncts.

Check for possible infection. Raise mash temperature. Let beer age longer before consuming.

Vegetal Characteristics: Cooked, canned or rotten vegetables (cabbage, celery, onion, asparagus, parsnip) Possible solutions: Encourage a fast, vigorous fermentation (use a healthy, active starter to reduce lag time; this is often due to bacterial contamination of wort before yeast becomes established).

Check sanitation. Check for aged, stale, or old ingredients (especially old liquid malt extract).

Estery Characteristics: Fruity Possible solutions: Lower fermentation temperature. Try a cleaner yeast strain.

Oxygenate wort sufficiently. Reduce original gravity. Check hop variety for fruity characteristics. Avoid carrying over excessive break into fermenter.

Pitch a sufficient quantity of yeast. Bottle condition and age beer longer at cellar temperatures to reduce esters.

Diacetyl Characteristics: Buttery, butterscotch, popcorn Possible solutions: Try another yeast strain.

Oxygenate wort before fermentation. Reduce primary fermentation temperature. Use a warmer/longer secondary fermentation. Use healthy yeast in sufficient quantity. Make sure sufficient yeast nutrients are available. Check for infection. Allow beer to rest on yeast until fully attenuated. Don’t rack, filter or fine too early.

Grassy Characteristics: Freshcut grass, green leaves Possible solutions: Lower fermentation temperature. Try a cleaner yeast strain.

Oxygenate wort sufficiently. Reduce original gravity. Check hop variety for fruity characteristics. Avoid carrying over excessive break into fermenter.

Pitch a sufficient quantity of yeast). Bottle condition and age beer longer at cellar tempeatures.

Yeasty Characteristics: Bready, sulfury, yeast-like Possible solutions: Use a more flocculent yeast strain. Allow yeast sufficient time to flocculate. Filter beer or use clarifying agents.

Avoid carrying over as much yeast. Age the beer longer. Try another yeast strain.

Autumn 2016

37

Click here to subscribe

RECIPES

Expected Brew Figures OG: 1.042 FG: 1.008 ABV: 5% IBU: 33 Volume: 23 litres

Ingredients 1.7kg Coopers Real Ale Brew Can 1.5kg Thomas Coopers Amber Malt Extract 200g Caramunich Grains 50g Spalt Hop Pellets 11g Lallemand Nottingham Dry Yeast

Method 1. The day before: line a pot (at least 4 litres) with a mesh cleaning cloth (pulled straight from the pack), then add the cracked grain and 2 litres of cold water. Fit the lid and sit in the fridge for 24 hours 2. The following day, remove from the fridge then gather up the corners of the mesh cloth and lift, allowing the liquid to drain from the grains back into the pot 3. Place the strained liquid onto the stovetop and bring to the boil. Add 25g of Spalt hop pellets and allow to boil for 10 minutes 4. Remove from the heat and cool the liquid by placing the pot in a bath of cold water for about 15 minutes 5. Strain the liquid into your fermenter and add the brew can as well as the can of extract, then stir to dissolve 6. Top up with cold tap water to the 20 litre mark and stir thoroughly

Dass Alto IT’S NOT JUST THE LEAVES THAT CHANGE COLOUR IN AUTUMN – IT’S ALSO A TIME WHEN OUR BEERS CAN GO FROM GOLDEN TO DARK. THIS SIPPER FOR THE COOLER MONTHS IS ACCESSIBLE, BUT CHALLENGES A LITTLE MORE THAN YOUR AVERAGE SUMMER QUAFFER

D

ass Alto is a refreshing quasi dark lager, displaying a rocky off white head. It presents like a cleaner version of an amber ale due to the low temperature fermentation, but with noble hop character. It is at the dark end of the northern German altbier-style (category 7.A. of the BJCP guidelines). Expect biscuit and caramel aromas with subtle flowery, fruity and spicy hop notes. In

7. Check the temperature and top up to the 23 litre mark with warm or cool water (refrigerated if necessary) to start the brew at 16-18°C 8. Sprinkle the dry yeast (including yeast from the brew can), fit the lid and aim to ferment at 16°C 9. At around day six of fermentation, add the remaining 25g of Spalt hop pellets in a hop bag 10. This brew may take longer to reach final gravity than a typical ale due to the lower fermentation temperature, but fermentation is finished once the specific gravity is stable over two days. It should finish around the 1.006-1.010 mark 11. Bottle the brew as normal and enjoy! It will benefit from two-three months in the bottle

the glass it will have a medium bitterness, with smooth, sweet malt notes and a clean hop finish.

Autumn 2016 51

TRAVEL – BELGIUM

Inside Cantillon TIM CHARODY, AKA THE BEER PILGRIM, TAKES US INTO THE WORLD OF BRUSSELS’ FAMOUS CANTILLON BREWERY, THE BELGIAN MASTERS OF LAMBIC BEER

64 www.beerandbrewer.com

A wall of Cantillon Kreik at the brewery

“It can only be made ‘ere. Simple as that! I tell you why…look at this glass of lambic ‘ere. Inside are over one hundred and twenty different strains of bacteria and yeast, most only to be found ‘ere in the precious air of le Senne Valley. You cannot make true lambic anywhere else on earth!”

I was being schooled on the ancient style of Belgian lambic deep in the cobweb-strewn belly of the Cantillon Brewery in Brussels, and I have to say I was impressed.

As soon as I walked into this magnificent brewery my brain started tingling with excitement…this is what I have been searching for, this is what my pilgrimage is all about! Most of the equipment around me was more than one century old and is still used today to brew the same style of beer as it did in 1900. The brewery smelt musky and sour, undoubtedly from the billions of microscopic residents clinging to every object and riding on every waft of air, decades upon decades of wild bacteria and yeast that would make any conventional modern day brewer run and jump in a pool of disinfectant. Here, however, it is an aroma savoured with pride in an ancient style that has taken the beer world by storm in recent years.

Just the name ‘Cantillon’ holds an almost god-like air of respect amongst circles of beer-lovers around the world. Top notch craft beer bars will boast bottles of Cantillon on their top shelves and any true beer lover worth his weight in malt will have at least one empty bottle of Cantillon sitting proudly somewhere prominent in their beer den (I even met one hard-core Italian beer geek who had the logo tattooed on his arm!). But why? Why all this international commotion and obsession over one very small, musky old brewery tucked away in a strange little backstreet of Brussels? I was here to find out...

A STEP BACK IN TIME And it didn’t take me long at all…I feel like I understood as soon as I walked through the brewery door. Very little, if anything, has changed in this brewery for more than one century. It is brimming with living, breathing, moving history that is compounded

The wort is spread out on a large shallow copper tub surrounded with open windows to achieve spontaneous fermentation

“FROM START TO END, A BOTTLE OF CANTILLON GUEUZE WILL TAKE MORE THAN FOUR YEARS TO PRODUCE!” – TIM CHARODY, AKA THE BEER PILGRIM Little has changed in the cobweb-strewn brewery for more than a century

in the delicious beers that emerge on the other side.

There are no modern shortcuts, each brew is aged between one and three years and bottled by hand then cellared for even longer. The hops are aged for three years, the wooden barrels are still cleaned using an old chain being tumbled around inside and like the brewery, the final product really hasn’t changed at all for more than one hundred years.

My awe-struck, jaw-dragging walk through Cantillon started in the brewhouse where I was met by an almost Leonardo da Vinci-esque room of wheels, cogs and leather strapping linking up a web of mechanisms that meandered above some old copper brewing kettles.

It is here where the wort (unfermented beer mixture)

Autumn 2016 65

Click here to subscribe

ENTERTAINING – FOOD

AN EASY MATCH Match with an American red ale like Grand Ridge Mirboo Madness (pg73)

JAPANESE BRAISED WAGYU SHORT RIBS Serves 4

Ingredients 4 x 300g (10½ oz) wagyu beef short ribs 100ml (3½ fl oz) light soy sauce 3 spring onions (scallions), white parts only, chopped 3 dried shiitake mushrooms 3 garlic cloves 500ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) veal or beef stock 100g (3½ oz) unsalted butter, cubed

Ají Panca Sauce

½ tsp dried oregano 1 tbsp fermented Korean chilli paste (available from Asian supermarkets) 60ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) rice vinegar 1 tsp sea salt flakes 1 tsp finely cracked black pepper 1 tbsp finely grated garlic 1 tsp ground cumin 2 tbsp sake 2 tbsp sunflower oil

To Serve Cooked short-grain rice Togarashi salt (see recipe below) Shiso cress or watercress

Method 1. Place the beef and soy sauce in a large zip-lock bag. Transfer to the refrigerator to marinate for at least three hours or, ideally, overnight.

Note Wagyu short ribs are available from specialty butchers, but if you can’t find them, use the more affordable alternative of grass-fed beef short ribs. If you have time, marinate the beef the night before you want to cook it for maximum flavour. Any left-over ají panca sauce is also excellent served with chargrilled steak.

2. Preheat the oven to 110°C (225°F). Remove the ribs from the marinade and place them in a flameproof casserole dish with the spring onion whites, mushrooms, garlic and stock. Cover with a sheet of baking paper, then with aluminium foil and finally seal with the lid. Place in the oven and allow to cook for four-five hours, or until the beef is very tender.

3. Meanwhile, make the ají panca sauce. Blend the

sauce ingredients together in a food processor and set aside.

4. Carefully remove the beef to a plate. Strain the cooking liquid into a small saucepan and skim as much fat as possible from the surface. Place the pan with the cooking liquid over a medium heat and simmer, uncovered, to reduce the liquid by about half. Transfer the beef back into the casserole dish, along with the reduced liquor, and heat to a simmer on the stove top. Add the butter and use a spoon to baste the sauce continuously over the beef. The sauce should be thick and evenly glaze the ribs. Stir in the ají panca sauce and check the seasoning. Continue to simmer for a further 10 minutes, basting with the glaze frequently.

5. Serve with steamed rice sprinkled with togarashi salt and shiso cress or watercress.

TOGARASHI SALT Makes about 200g (7oz)

Ingredients 130g (4½ oz/1 cup) sea salt flakes 1 tbsp white sesame seeds 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns 1 sheet nori seaweed, toasted 1 large piece of dried tangerine peel (see note below) 1 tbsp chilli powder 1 tsp black sesame seeds 1 tsp ground ginger

Method Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend well, then transfer to a refillable salt grinder, where it will keep for up to one month.

Note: dried tangerine peel adds a unique fruity and floral note to this salt. It is available from Asian supermarkets or specialist stores.

Autumn 2016

69