A Beef Feast
Cooking Skills: Beef and Steak 2
Chapter 8 · A Beef Feast
Shopping list for this chapter
The basics
A feast is not harder cooking, it is better planning. The secret is to work backwards: decide when you will eat, write down every task, and put each one on a timeline, with as many as possible done the day before. Dishes that taste better after a night (stews, slaw, marinades) go first; quick dishes (burgers, steaks) go last. You also need to count your oven rings and oven shelves, because a crowded kitchen is the real limit.
Scale recipes carefully (the ingredient lists on this page change with the portion count) and write out the shopping list from the final menu. Food safety matters more with a crowd: keep cold food cold and hot food hot, chill leftovers within 1 to 2 hours, and don't leave food out for more than about 2 hours (general guidance). Dishes from earlier chapters are named in full: Cooking Skills: Beef and Steak 2, chapters 1 (burgers), 3 (slow cooker and pot roasts) and 6 (barbecue); and Cooking Skills: Potatoes 1 for the sides.
The method
- Choose the menu and the time you want to serve, then write every task on a timeline, working back from that time.
- Cook slow dishes the day before; they improve overnight. Cool, chill and reheat until steaming hot.
- Prepare everything you can in the morning: chop, slice, mix sauces and set the table.
- Cook the quick items last and rest them while you plate the rest.
- Write a shopping list from the final menu, and add a safety margin of 10 to 20 percent for a crowd.
| Feast | Guests | Make ahead | Cooked at the end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burger party | 8 | Patties, sauce, toppings | Burgers (about 20 minutes) |
| Barbecue feast | 8 | Ribs, slaw, marinade | Kebabs, sausages, corn |
| Slow-cooked dinner | 10 | The whole stew | Reheat, mash |
| Your own dish | Any | Whatever suits it | Whatever is quick |
Raw beef: keep raw beef on its own board and plate, away from food that won't be cooked. Wash your hands, boards, knives and surfaces in hot soapy water afterwards, never put cooked food back on a plate that held raw meat, and store raw beef on the bottom shelf of the fridge.
Allergens: ask guests about allergies before you plan the menu, and label the dishes. The common ones here are gluten (buns, bread), milk (cheese, soured cream, yogurt), egg (mayonnaise), mustard, celery, soy and sesame.
Try it
A burger party for 8
Burgers are the easiest crowd dish because everyone builds their own. Shape and chill the patties and make the sauce the day before, set out the toppings in bowls, and cook the burgers in two batches so they come out together. For the burger method, see Cooking Skills: Beef and Steak 2, chapter 1.
Ingredients (8 portions)
- 1.2 kg beef mince (15 to 20% fat), shaped into 8 patties of 150 g
- 8 burger buns
- 8 slices of burger cheese
- 2 tomatoes, sliced
- 1 lettuce, leaves separated
- 2 red onions, thinly sliced
- 8 gherkins, sliced
- 4 tbsp mayonnaise
- 4 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp mustard
- 1 tsp flaked sea salt
- 2 tbsp sunflower or rapeseed oil
- The day before: shape the patties, with a dip in the centre of each, separate them with parchment, cover and chill. Mix the mayonnaise, ketchup and mustard into a sauce.
- On the day: set out the toppings, sauce and buns in bowls, 30 minutes before. Heat the oven to 100°C to keep cooked burgers warm.
- Season the patties and cook them in two batches in hot pans or on the barbecue for 10 to 12 minutes each, until the centre reaches 71°C and the juices run clear. Add cheese for the last minute and keep the first batch warm.
- Toast the buns, and let guests build their own.
Raw beef: keep raw beef on its own board and plate, away from food that won't be cooked. Wash your hands, boards, knives and surfaces in hot soapy water afterwards, never put cooked food back on a plate that held raw meat, and store raw beef on the bottom shelf of the fridge.
Allergens: buns contain gluten and may contain sesame; cheese and mayonnaise are dairy and egg. Offer a gluten-free bun if needed.
A barbecue feast for 8
Ribs are cooked tender in the oven the day before, so they only need glazing on the day. The kebabs, sausages and corn then share the fire, with the slaw ready in the fridge. For the methods, see Cooking Skills: Beef and Steak 2, chapter 6.
Ingredients (8 portions)
- 2 kg beef short ribs, oven-cooked the day before and chilled
- 800 g sirloin or rump, in 3 cm cubes, marinated in yogurt, lemon and spices
- 8 beef sausages
- 8 corn on the cob
- 4 tbsp ketchup
- 2 tbsp cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- ½ white cabbage, finely shredded
- 2 carrots, grated
- 150 g plain yogurt
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- The day before: cook the ribs in foil at 150°C (130°C fan) for 2½ hours, cool, chill, and make the glaze from the ketchup, vinegar and sugar. Marinate the beef cubes and thread them on skewers. Make the slaw with the cabbage, carrots and yogurt.
- On the day: light the fire 30 minutes ahead and take the ribs and kebabs out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking.
- Start the sausages and corn on the cool side with the lid on, glaze and warm the ribs there for 20 minutes, then sear the kebabs on the hot side for 10 to 12 minutes, turning often. Move the sausages to the hot side to brown and check they are cooked right through.
- Brush the corn with the butter, rest the meat for 5 minutes and serve everything at once with the slaw.
Raw beef: keep raw beef on its own board and plate, away from food that won't be cooked. Wash your hands, boards, knives and surfaces in hot soapy water afterwards, never put cooked food back on a plate that held raw meat, and store raw beef on the bottom shelf of the fridge.
Cooked-through meat: sausages and kebabs made from mince must be cooked right through. Whole-muscle kebabs are cooked to your taste, but check the centre of the first piece.
Allergens: yogurt is dairy; the glaze may contain fish if you add Worcestershire sauce.
A slow-cooked dinner for 10
A big beef and root vegetable stew that you cook the day before, so the flavour improves and the only job on the day is reheating and mashing. Cooling it quickly and reheating it until steaming hot are the safety steps. For the method, see Cooking Skills: Beef and Steak 2, chapter 3; for the mash, see Cooking Skills: Potatoes 1.
Ingredients (10 portions)
- 1.8 kg chuck, in 4 cm cubes
- 4 tbsp sunflower or rapeseed oil
- 3 onions, chopped
- 4 carrots, in chunks
- 3 parsnips, in chunks
- 4 celery sticks, sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 4 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 litre beef stock (low-salt)
- 3 bay leaves
- 6 sprigs of thyme
- 2 kg floury potatoes, for mash
- 100 g butter, for mash
- 200 ml milk, for mash
- The day before: heat the oven to 150°C (130°C fan). Brown the beef in batches in the oil in a big casserole and set it aside. Cook the onions, carrots, parsnips and celery for 10 minutes, adding the garlic and purée for the last 2.
- Return the beef, add the stock, bay and thyme, cover and cook for 2½ to 3 hours until very tender.
- Cool the stew quickly: divide it into shallow containers, cool within 1 to 2 hours, then cover and chill. Don't leave it in the hot casserole overnight.
- On the day: reheat the stew gently in the oven or a pan until steaming hot all the way through. Boil and mash the potatoes with the butter and milk, and serve.
Leftovers: divide leftovers into shallow containers within about 1 to 2 hours, cool, then chill and eat within about 2 days (or freeze for up to about 3 months). Reheat until steaming hot all the way through, and only once.
Tough cuts take time: braising beef is done when it is tender, not when a timer rings. If a fork doesn't slide in easily, it needs longer. Simmering gently is better than boiling hard, which toughens the meat.
Allergens: the mash contains milk and butter; check the stock for celery and gluten.
Your own signature beef dish
Choose one item from each list below, put them together and write the result on a recipe card. Cut: steak, mince, chuck, short rib. Method: hot pan, slow braise, barbecue, oven roast. Flavour: paprika and tomato, soy and ginger, mustard and onion, cumin and lime. Side: rice, mash, bread, a salad. The ingredient list below is a starting template to rewrite for your dish.
Ingredients (4 portions)
- 700 g the beef cut of your choice
- 2 tbsp sunflower or rapeseed oil
- 1 onion or other aromatic base
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tsp your main spice or seasoning
- 300 ml stock or other liquid, if braising
- 1 tbsp acid to finish (lemon, lime or vinegar)
- 1 pinch salt, tasted at the end
- Decide the cut, method, flavour and side, and write the plan on a recipe card with the amounts for four portions.
- Cook it, noting the actual times and temperatures. Use a thermometer for mince (71°C) and for roasts and steaks.
- Taste at the end and adjust salt, acid and sweetness. Write down what you would change, and cook it again next week.
Minced beef must be cooked through: burgers, meatballs, sausages and anything made from mince must be cooked right through: no pink inside, juices running clear, about 71°C in the centre (general guidance). A whole steak can be served rare because bacteria sit on the surface; mincing spreads them through the meat.
Allergens: write down every ingredient on the card, so you can tell guests exactly what is in it.
Experiments
A timed feast
Write the timeline, then follow it.
- Plan one of the feasts on paper, working backwards, then note when each step really happened.
Look for: Most plans run late at the end because of oven and hob space. Add 15 minutes to every quick step next time.
Swap one dish
Change the menu.
- Replace one dish in a feast with a dish from another chapter, such as the goulash from chapter 4.
Look for: A swap changes the whole timeline, so it shows how much a plan depends on the oven.
Cooked ahead or on the day
Stew made the day before and the same day.
- Cook half the stew the day before and make half the stew on the day, and taste both.
Look for: The stew made ahead is deeper and richer, and the day-of stew thinner. Make-ahead is better for flavour and easier for you.
Your own signature dish
Write it down.
- Cook your signature dish twice, changing one thing the second time, and record both on the card.
Look for: A recipe only becomes yours once you have written down what you changed and why.
Tasting notes
| What I tried | Method or amount | What I saw | What I thought | Will I do it again? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burger party | ||||
| Barbecue feast | ||||
| Slow-cooked dinner | ||||
| Signature dish | ||||
| A timed feast | ||||
| Swap one dish | ||||
| Cooked ahead or on the day | ||||
| Your own signature dish |
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Everything is ready at different times | No timeline | Write the tasks backwards from the serving time |
| Cold food in the middle of the table | Reheated too little | Reheat until steaming hot all the way through |
| No space in the oven | Too many oven dishes | Use the hob, barbecue or slow cooker for some items |
| Running out of food | Portions not scaled | Plan 10 to 20 percent extra and add a cheap side |
| Dry burgers or steaks | Cooked too long or not rested | Use a thermometer and rest the meat |
| Stressed cook | Doing everything on the day | Cook as much as possible the day before |
Raw beef: keep raw beef on its own board and plate, away from food that won't be cooked. Wash your hands, boards, knives and surfaces in hot soapy water afterwards, never put cooked food back on a plate that held raw meat, and store raw beef on the bottom shelf of the fridge.
Reheating: reheat leftovers only once, until steaming hot all the way through (about 75°C or more), and don't reheat them in a slow cooker.
- I can plan a meal by working backwards from the serving time.
- I can cook a big dish ahead and cool and reheat it safely.
- I can run a burger party or a barbecue for a crowd.
- I can scale a recipe and its shopping list.
- I have written down my own signature beef dish.