Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Wild Loin of Tahr

Chef: Alex Hayward (The Culinary Arts Programme Coordinator of the Professional Chef Programme at Tai Poutini Polytechnic in Greymouth) as heard on Afternoons Monday 31 August 2009

Tags: main course, wild, tahr

Wild loin of Tahr aged and dry cured, roasted rare and served chilled with a balsamic vinegar and muscovado sugar reduction.

Ingredients

Tahr Loins 1-2

Cure:

• mustard seeds 2 teaspoons yellow
• ground cumin 2 teaspoons
• coriander seeds 2 teaspoons
• paprika 3 teaspoons
• brown sugar 3 teaspoons
• black pepper corns 10-12
• spice mix for curing 2 tablespoons can be obtained from butcher

Please ensure you check with your butcher regarding the spice for curing.

Balsamic and muscovado sugar reduction:

• balsamic vinegar 200 ml
• mascovado sugar 100 ml
• port 50 ml

Method

Tahr:

1. Clean and trim loin- remove all sinew and silver skin from the flesh.

2. Rub the meat well with the cure and cover - rest for 2-3 days- turning each day.

3. Remove from cure and wash well under cold water- dry with a clean kitchen cloth.

4. Quickly seal in a little olive oil until rare, drain well and cool.

5. Wrap in glad wrap to form a nice cylindrical shape to the meat and chill for 4-5 hours.

6. Remove from the wrap and slice extremely thin with the sugar reduction

Balsamic and muscovado sugar reduction:

1. Place all ingredients into a thick bottomed pot and bring to the boil.

2. Simmer until the reduction has some body and is just sticky to the touch.

3. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature - do not chill.