Here at Prinos Farm&Deli, we want to encourage you to get experimental in the kitchen. Which is why, for our October 2021 recipe, Prinos’ Chef Panos is preparing beef cut with baby vegetables cooked on a Himalayan salt block and served alongside stuffed sweet potato with guanciale and double Gloucester cheese. We’re drooling just thinking about it!

Last week, Chef Panos had a discussion with our Prinos Farm&Deli butcher about our selection of top-quality meats in stock. As the Prinos Butchery often has some particularly exceptional cuts of Denver Steak, Chef Panos decided to try cooking them on the new Himalayan Salk Blocks that we recently added to our shelves.

But what are Himalayan Salt Blocks? Perfect for the avid foodie, this piece of homeware is basically a slab of Himalayan salt, which can be heated in the oven or stove top and then used to cook. Perfect for baking and grilling, the salt block can be used to cook meat, poultry, seafood, vegetables, fruits and even eggs. They can also be used to make pizzas, cookies or baked good, or chilled and used to serve ice-cream, sushi or cold cuts and cheese.

After reading an article about this unique and easy way of preparing food, Chef Panos learnt that using a Himalayan Salt Block also adds an unexpected flavour and texture to your dish. This is due to the mineral content of the block itself. Himalayan salt is rich in minerals such as potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium, and sulfur. So, cooking on Himalayan Salt Block also increases the nutrient contents of your dish. Additional benefits include balancing the bodies pH levels and maintaining the electrolyte balance, stabilizing hydration levels, digestion and reducing acid reflux.

So, with his beautifully marbled piece of Denver steak from the Prinos Butchery, some double Gloucester cheese from the Prinos Deli and a Himalayan Salt Block fresh from its box, Chef Panos has created a mouth-watering meal, perfect for the foodie who likes to experiment. And the results were great!

Here is our Prinos recipe for beef cut with baby vegetables cooked on a Himalayan salt block and served alongside stuffed sweet potato with guanciale. We hope you enjoy it as much Chef Panos did!

INGREDIENTS

(Serves 2)

METHOD

  1. Wash the sweet potatoes then bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
  2. While the potatoes are cooking, cut the Guanciale into small cubes and sauté in a hot pan for a few minutes until golden brown. Reserve the cubes and the fat to one side.
  3. Grate the cheese into a bowl, then mix in the finely chopped chives.
  4. Heat up the salt block on charcoal (in three stages as per manufacturer’s instructions).
  5. While the salt block is heating up, remove the beef from the fridge, marinade with olive oil and Epic spice chipotle honey rub, then set aside to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
  6. When the sweet potatoes are baked, slice each one open at the top and stuff with the reserved Guanciale, including the fat, then top with the cheese and chive mixture.
  7. Cut the baby vegetables in half and season with olive oil and Epic spice maple apple seasoning.
  8. When the salt block is ready (300 degrees), cook the vegetable for 3 minutes each side and the beef for 4 minutes each side. No salt is needed. The food will absorb the exact amount required from the block itself.

PRinOs Tip: Once your Himalayan Salt Block cools down, make sure not to clean it with soap. The low porosity and moisture retention capacity of the salt creates a naturally anti-microbial environment. Meaning the salt block is a germ-free surface and only needs water to clean it.

Try this dish for your main course followed by our mouth-watering Prinos cherry pie for dessert! And don’t forget to visit our newly upgraded Prinos Cava to find the perfect bottle of wine to match your meal. Our new Prinos Cava Specialist hand-picked our fully overhauled collection of wines, beers and spirits so you’ll find something to match every meal or occasion.